08/12/2013

:00:37. > :00:56.128 players start this UK Championship. Marco Fu, the first

:00:57. > :01:05.seed to fall. Judd Trump, beaten. Shaun Murphy has gone down fighting.

:01:06. > :01:14.John Higgins twice the winner, but he won't be making it three. Ronnie

:01:15. > :01:19.O'Sullivan is on his way home. Now just two survive, it is Robertson

:01:20. > :01:26.versus Selby, world number one against world number two, game on.

:01:27. > :01:31.So much at stake here in York in the final of this UK Championship

:01:32. > :01:36.because ?150,000 and the sport's number one spot are on the line this

:01:37. > :01:41.evening, but that is not all. Both finalists have a chance to make

:01:42. > :01:46.history. Neil Robertson is going for a career triple Crown, whilst Mark

:01:47. > :01:54.Selby could become only the third player ever to successfully retain

:01:55. > :02:01.this UK crown. What do we think of it all? Judge for yourselves from

:02:02. > :02:06.this afternoon session. This has all the hallmarks of a fantastic

:02:07. > :02:23.session. He laid down his early marker with a clearance of 130. Good

:02:24. > :02:33.pot. Selby takes the opening frame. Robertson took the second frame in

:02:34. > :02:36.threatening fashion. However, the Australian's play became

:02:37. > :02:43.increasingly erratic as Selby began to turn the screw. By the interval,

:02:44. > :02:52.he was 3-1 down. It went from bad to worse for the world number one as he

:02:53. > :02:57.gifted another opening to Selby. Slightly worrying times for Neil

:02:58. > :03:08.Robertson and his fans. 4-1 to Selby quickly became 5-1, he was firmly in

:03:09. > :03:15.control. Robertson finally got a frame back and finished the match in

:03:16. > :03:23.exemplary fashion. That was an excellent shot. This for the

:03:24. > :03:31.century. Well played, very well played indeed, Neil Robertson. Selby

:03:32. > :03:40.leads Robertson 5-3, just one session remains in this year's UK

:03:41. > :03:43.Championship. It is anyone's game. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome

:03:44. > :03:49.the world number one, Neil Robertson.

:03:50. > :04:42.APPLAUSE And his opponent, the defending

:04:43. > :05:10.champion, it is Mark Selby! APPLAUSE

:05:11. > :05:18.Both of them have their game face on tonight. It is the best of 19 final

:05:19. > :05:23.here in the Barbican Centre, and in the hot seat first in the commentary

:05:24. > :05:29.box we welcome Willie Thorne and Dennis Taylor. No making them laugh

:05:30. > :05:37.now, Dennis! I will try not to get excited but the atmosphere and the

:05:38. > :05:40.buzz... The whole of the Barbican Centre stood up and applauded. That

:05:41. > :06:15.was fantastic. We go them for the final session in

:06:16. > :06:19.this year's UK Championship. New code on Allred 's but it won't be

:06:20. > :06:23.too difficult to land in the bunch. Now you will see just over three

:06:24. > :06:45.hours of fascinating snooker. Great two last frames from the

:06:46. > :06:49.Australian world number one. At 5-1 down it wasn't looking too good, but

:06:50. > :06:55.you always knew who was going to make a comeback and this first frame

:06:56. > :07:04.is important. Especially having lost those frames in the opening session.

:07:05. > :07:11.It is nice to see Mark enjoying it again. He has not been his normal

:07:12. > :07:16.self for this latter part of the season, I am so pleased he has got a

:07:17. > :07:23.smile on his face again. The way he joked with the crowd at

:07:24. > :07:29.the end of that magnificent 147 he made, potting the last few colours

:07:30. > :07:38.he was having some fun with the crowd.

:07:39. > :07:52.You can see those two high breaks, 123, and 130. It is Mark making the

:07:53. > :07:59.audience laugh at the moment. Neil will be thinking it is you, Dennis.

:08:00. > :08:03.He did say when he played Stuart Bingham in the deciding frame that I

:08:04. > :08:09.was getting excited in the commentary box, but that is why I am

:08:10. > :08:17.here. I love the game, I want to get excited. You and me both. It was

:08:18. > :08:24.such a fabulous match, undoubtedly the match of the tournament. This

:08:25. > :08:35.one here might be the match of the tournament if he can get a couple of

:08:36. > :08:42.frames and draw level. His tactical game has improved so much, Neil

:08:43. > :08:46.Robertson, and he is up against possibly the best tactician in the

:08:47. > :09:17.game at the moment, but Neill has improved in that department.

:09:18. > :09:38.Very good from Neil. He has blocked off all the avenues down the right

:09:39. > :09:45.side of the table and he may be able to hit the roads to the left of the

:09:46. > :09:51.pink, but there is no path, or no easy path back down that side, so it

:09:52. > :09:57.is off the side cushion, nestling into the bunch. Needs to be a bit

:09:58. > :10:05.careful. Too much pace and he could leave one on.

:10:06. > :10:13.I was wondering if Neil can see enough of the red to that side of

:10:14. > :10:19.the table. He is looking at the possible plant. That is not far off,

:10:20. > :10:30.is it? If he was directly behind it, he could take it on.

:10:31. > :10:42.He needs the blue to come to his rescue now, and it might have.

:10:43. > :10:54.We know that the two reds were possible plant, but that red is

:10:55. > :10:56.blocking that. The other one might just go past. It is pretty tight

:10:57. > :11:16.though. Enough room. Well played. He does stroke that type of shot, so

:11:17. > :11:22.well. He couldn't hit the right hon jaw and he played that beautifully.

:11:23. > :11:27.The black is out of commission so he will have to work on the pink for a

:11:28. > :11:32.moment. I don't think he can get to the red above the black for the next

:11:33. > :12:13.few shots so he has a little bit of work to make a decent sized break.

:12:14. > :12:29.The pink spot is covered so it goes on to the green. You have got a

:12:30. > :12:44.birds eye view from back of the Barbican. A long way off the blue.

:12:45. > :12:48.Terrific crowd this evening. There has been all week here. He wanted to

:12:49. > :13:06.be a bit closer to the blue here. There must be a plant. He has looked

:13:07. > :13:16.at the two before. I think he can make a plant off those. There is a

:13:17. > :13:21.possible free ball plant, but the two at the back he can make. It will

:13:22. > :13:28.be interesting to see how he plays the cue ball. If he leaves it by the

:13:29. > :13:43.bulk line, it could develop into a good chance here. -- baulk line. I

:13:44. > :13:50.can only presume he must have played to hit that a little bit thicker

:13:51. > :13:58.than that, to get the white where it is. Yes he had to hit it slightly

:13:59. > :14:00.thinner to make the plant. This is a brave shot he is taking on in this

:14:01. > :14:26.opening frame. This is a great example of why it is

:14:27. > :14:28.so important to keep the black in play. He is having to work so hard

:14:29. > :14:46.at the moment. I think there was a break here this

:14:47. > :14:51.afternoon when there were nine roads and nine blues potted, believe it or

:14:52. > :14:58.not. This is a great chance now to get to the top side of the blue. And

:14:59. > :15:02.he hasn't done it, he will be disappointed with that. It will be

:15:03. > :15:10.difficult now to get onto a red. The green is in the way to go round the

:15:11. > :15:22.baulk area. I think all those reds are covering

:15:23. > :15:28.each other into the left corner pocket. I think there might be one

:15:29. > :15:49.day. He has got one Red that he can take.

:15:50. > :16:10.He has got the pink affair in case he hits it too hard. -- pink there.

:16:11. > :16:12.Just a few inches too far. Yes, the brown is the one that will get him

:16:13. > :16:37.to the reds. He is a little bit uptight at the

:16:38. > :17:01.moment, but he is certainly cueing well.

:17:02. > :17:14.APPLAUSE A good start for Mark Selby here in

:17:15. > :17:17.this opening frame. The red is in the way of a safety further down the

:17:18. > :17:39.table. Neal will have to be aware of that red.

:17:40. > :17:44.Mark will want to keep the black tied up, and Neill will want to get

:17:45. > :18:11.it into play when he has the chance. With the black being out of

:18:12. > :18:30.commission, this is a red I doubt he will take on.

:18:31. > :19:21.Well, that has tied the black up again, which Mark will be delighted

:19:22. > :19:32.about. So much riding on this final for Neil Robertson. If he wins it,

:19:33. > :19:41.he will join the elite group of players. He needs to get this right,

:19:42. > :19:54.this is tough. That has got the lack back into play. -- black. Of course,

:19:55. > :20:01.if Mark Selby can defend his UK title, he will be the first player

:20:02. > :20:06.to do it since Stephen Hendry 17 years ago, believe it or not. And he

:20:07. > :20:25.would go to world number one. It is all to play for.

:20:26. > :20:30.I don't blame him for taking that on because he could not leave the white

:20:31. > :20:48.up this end of the table. If that red passes the black, he can

:20:49. > :20:59.have a go at that. He would finish on one of the four colours at the

:21:00. > :21:09.other end of the table. It was a half chance, that. Mark is just

:21:10. > :21:19.seeing if the red passes the black. If it does, he will take that on.

:21:20. > :21:28.Yes, he can swing this right around the angles on the blue and pink and

:21:29. > :22:02.would be in a great position. That looks good. Very good.

:22:03. > :22:12.It is nice to see these players still showing appreciation of good

:22:13. > :22:21.shots. Just looking to see if he left the white up in the jaws of the

:22:22. > :22:27.corner pocket. He is in a bit of a hole here. He has got a very thin

:22:28. > :22:44.snake that he could get the double-kiss from. -- snack.

:22:45. > :22:49.I don't blame him for trying to figure out something here. He is 41

:22:50. > :23:15.point behind. REFEREE: Foul and a miss.

:23:16. > :23:17.The way he has played that, he is going to leave that tempt along the

:23:18. > :23:44.cushion, which won't be easy. Same line with just a little bit

:23:45. > :23:56.more pace. That is better. APPLAUSE

:23:57. > :24:37.Neil knew that he would leave this half chance. He has overcut it. That

:24:38. > :24:44.was a calculated risk from Neil Robertson. It tempted Mark Selby,

:24:45. > :24:53.but I think he has covered everything. Yes, the double-kiss

:24:54. > :24:59.could be on here. It would almost be better taking the middle red, just

:25:00. > :25:03.below the pink spot, because that plant is a little bit easier than

:25:04. > :25:21.the one that is in the middle of the table.

:25:22. > :25:36.He needs to be careful not to cannon into the black and red there. Keep

:25:37. > :25:41.an eye on the cue ball here. He could not have played that any

:25:42. > :25:45.better. He knew he was going to cannon into the red and black. All

:25:46. > :25:48.he did was concentrate on the plant and just hope that he dropped on a

:25:49. > :26:12.colour. A massive frame now. There are three roads in difficult

:26:13. > :26:31.positions, but they are no real problem with the black on its spot.

:26:32. > :26:39.The last two frames, Neil Robertson made breaks of 54 and 123. A real

:26:40. > :26:43.chance to get back into this opening frame. He could keep the come back

:26:44. > :27:25.on track. This crowd is engrossed in this

:27:26. > :27:47.final. You could hear a pin drop out there.

:27:48. > :27:53.He could not quite reach it with the normal breast, so he needed the

:27:54. > :27:57.extended rest. He has very little to do with the cue ball, just needs to

:27:58. > :28:23.drop it in. Oh, goodness me. I did not see that

:28:24. > :28:30.coming. In fairness, it was the previous black that was a poor shot.

:28:31. > :28:34.It just caught the near jaw. What a bonus this is for Mark Selby's

:28:35. > :28:40.supporters. If you seconds ago, it it possibly look back it would be

:28:41. > :28:46.5-4. Yes, you don't usually see Neil react like that. But with the

:28:47. > :28:50.extended rest and extension on his cue, identity got a heavy contact.

:28:51. > :29:34.-- I don't think he got. He just needs this red and the Black

:29:35. > :29:38.to leave Neill at the snooker is required stage. What a let off for

:29:39. > :30:16.Mark Selby there. frame ball, he developed the other

:30:17. > :30:26.red to make absolutely sure of this opening frame. He looked very

:30:27. > :30:33.relaxed around the players' lounge with his wife and her family.

:30:34. > :30:38.Doesn't matter about that. Neil is having a look at the scoreboard but

:30:39. > :30:45.I think he might stay in his seat. Yes, he signals to the referee. He

:30:46. > :30:51.did have his chance, he didn't take it, so Mark Selby opens up that

:30:52. > :31:00.three frame advantage, he now leads 6-3. Our guests tonight, Ken Doherty

:31:01. > :31:04.and John Parrott. The pattern of this match, Selby took that

:31:05. > :31:07.wonderful lead, and it looks like he will capitalise on mistakes

:31:08. > :31:14.tonight, any that come from Neil Robertson. I think there is a

:31:15. > :31:19.significant difference between this final and the semifinal. He seems to

:31:20. > :31:24.have more confidence, more assurance about him around the table and he is

:31:25. > :31:36.picking a lot of stuff that Robertson is missing. Robertson

:31:37. > :31:45.looks totally on a -- unassured of himself. What about this red? You

:31:46. > :31:50.wouldn't normally see Neil Robertson missing one of those in a month of

:31:51. > :31:55.Sundays. Sometimes you can put a little bit of side on it because you

:31:56. > :32:02.are leaning over, but really he shouldn't miss it. How much better

:32:03. > :32:07.than the 60% that Mark Selby assessed him out in the semifinal is

:32:08. > :32:14.he playing today? Much better, he is still not playing at his best, but

:32:15. > :32:19.up at 80%, 90%. He is obviously giving off that body language, he

:32:20. > :32:26.looks more confidence and you can certainly tell in his play. And

:32:27. > :32:31.significantly he is able to do it at the right time. We have been saying

:32:32. > :32:33.it about him always. He turns up to the finals and he really looks like

:32:34. > :33:01.he fancies the job. The black is tied up, they used to

:33:02. > :33:09.be a time when that happened a lot but each frame is different. Neither

:33:10. > :33:14.player wants the black tied up, that is why Neil Robertson played to have

:33:15. > :33:31.the black freed up. They should be switched off!

:33:32. > :33:40.As Dennis was saying, there is somebody on their mobile phone. Try

:33:41. > :33:48.to keep them switched off, everybody with earpieces. It looks like there

:33:49. > :33:52.is only going to be a safety shot coming up. Where the reds are

:33:53. > :34:01.situated, it is not really an advantage.

:34:02. > :34:20.Yes, he has tried to block the path into the reds from the right side of

:34:21. > :34:25.the table. Somebody said "Come on, Mark" and he is tight behind the

:34:26. > :35:07.green. It is nearer to the black. REFEREE: Foul and a miss. Now a bit

:35:08. > :35:12.of a chance for Neil, can he bring the reds into play? His stock in the

:35:13. > :35:18.back of them. The only possibility is if he could take a double on. We

:35:19. > :35:24.can show you the whites just sticking in the reds. It happens

:35:25. > :35:38.quite a bit. There is no double on there. Yes, he may have left a

:35:39. > :35:43.double on here, and he can play to get onto the black. It is almost a

:35:44. > :35:49.shot to nothing. I think he will play this. He hasn't got the right

:35:50. > :36:01.angle for it, Willie, but he would have done. This will get it back to

:36:02. > :36:15.normal. The white up to the other end of the table. Another bout of

:36:16. > :36:16.tactical play coming up. It is fascinating watching that, to see

:36:17. > :36:47.who makes the first mistake. The white is OK though. Had to get

:36:48. > :36:52.it close to the cushion because of the road that would have been

:36:53. > :36:55.available into the right middle pocket. He has got to be careful he

:36:56. > :37:04.doesn't send this red into one of the other colours.

:37:05. > :37:40.Unlike Mark not to get the pace of the cue ball to get back into

:37:41. > :37:49.baulk. He will play for the black. What a tester this is. He has got to

:37:50. > :37:55.get it because he would leave a couple of reds on. There is the long

:37:56. > :37:57.pop success rate. Neil is ahead in that department. Boy, could he do

:37:58. > :38:18.with one here. Brilliant! Lots of pressure on that because he

:38:19. > :38:38.was leaving reds. Not a bad chance now.

:38:39. > :38:49.It is not a bad idea actually not to get the pink on its spot because it

:38:50. > :38:59.is a great target, and the pink spot is two or three inches away from the

:39:00. > :39:04.reds. He may just take one of these two reds, then either go into the

:39:05. > :39:05.black for the top side of the blue. He will probably leave the pink

:39:06. > :39:15.therefore a while. Not a good angle so he may have to

:39:16. > :39:54.get rid of that one loose red. Only just. That wobbled a few times.

:39:55. > :40:01.They don't usually go in off the near jaw. I'm surprised at that pace

:40:02. > :40:06.it did. He just needed to hit that a little bit harder with more screw on

:40:07. > :40:10.it and the white would have kept spinning back through the reds. We

:40:11. > :40:18.have seen Mark Selby do that so many times, in fact he is probably the

:40:19. > :40:25.best in the game at that. Usually arcs it into the pack so it comes in

:40:26. > :40:29.from the side. That was a tough shot he took on, he needs the pink to

:40:30. > :40:38.come to his rescue here, and it might have. There you see it. There

:40:39. > :40:40.is a red available into the other corner. He can get onto the black

:40:41. > :40:54.off this. That was a little bit of tension

:40:55. > :41:02.there at that time. He didn't cue that one smoothly, just across it

:41:03. > :41:08.slightly. And a little bit of frustration that Neil had got away

:41:09. > :41:29.with it. Neil Robertson should now reduce the deficit to two frames.

:41:30. > :41:55.REFEREE: Please make sure your mobiles are turned off.

:41:56. > :42:02.There was a possible 11 frames to be played this evening. We will still

:42:03. > :42:18.have the interval after four frames. The first to ten lifts the

:42:19. > :42:43.trophy. A couple more pots and he is back to just two behind.

:42:44. > :42:56.Just the red needed. Neil Robertson in the driving seat, and almost

:42:57. > :43:07.certain to win the frame if he pots this. Mark did have that half chance

:43:08. > :43:16.there. He hasn't missed too many today but that was one that I

:43:17. > :43:22.expected him to pot. Neil seems to have picked up the pace. He did in

:43:23. > :43:30.the last two frames of the afternoon session. At one stage he was at 32

:43:31. > :43:32.seconds or shot, now down to 27, the way he is playing here that will

:43:33. > :44:35.reduce it even further. The second time at trying to move

:44:36. > :44:48.this red interplay. This time he has got it. Unlocking. I bet you a fiver

:44:49. > :44:56.he gets the double, Willie. What a shame. Neil Robertson takes the

:44:57. > :45:07.second frame of the session and reduces his deficit 6-4.

:45:08. > :45:15.Mark Selby will have a busy festive season because he is also trying to

:45:16. > :45:22.defend his Masters crown in two weeks, that begins on the 12th of

:45:23. > :45:24.January. The draw was made for next year's tournament this afternoon.

:45:25. > :45:48.Let me show you how it looks. Ronnie O'Sullivan against Robert

:45:49. > :45:57.Millkens will be a repeat of the past game which was wrapped up in 64

:45:58. > :46:04.minutes. You have got the likes of Stuart Bingham, who had such a great

:46:05. > :46:08.run here, knocking out Ronnie, up against John Higgins. That is how it

:46:09. > :46:19.looks and you will be able to share the excitement with us from the 12th

:46:20. > :46:24.of January. I think after all of that Christmas cheer, we will be in

:46:25. > :46:29.the mood to watch snooker for a few days. Let's discuss the match in

:46:30. > :46:33.hand, and there was one miss from Selby which allowed Neil Robertson

:46:34. > :46:38.to get in and it has been rather symptomatic of game ball for him

:46:39. > :46:48.over the last few games. I think this is a massive part of the game.

:46:49. > :46:57.If he knocks this in, it is 7-3. That might be a huge ball in the

:46:58. > :47:02.match. It has been quite prevalent during this tournament, particularly

:47:03. > :47:08.with Mark Selby. If he just strokes them in, doesn't hit them so hard,

:47:09. > :47:13.and he tends to do that sometimes and that is exactly what he has

:47:14. > :47:17.done. He has come across the red and missed it, but when he strokes the

:47:18. > :47:23.red he doesn't have a problem with it. But the power shots that he

:47:24. > :47:29.knows he can win the frame from, he has been found wanting. So in other

:47:30. > :47:38.words are we sensing some tension? He is looking at the pot thinking,

:47:39. > :47:41.it I win this, I have got it. At some point he has got to play as he

:47:42. > :47:54.can do. All Neil could do there was send the

:47:55. > :47:59.Reg to the other end of the table. There was no escape route. Mark will

:48:00. > :48:01.try to get that red up to the other end of the table and not make it

:48:02. > :48:24.into an awkward frame. Can only see the reds to the right

:48:25. > :48:30.of the pink and he has got to be careful. If he took that, he would

:48:31. > :48:39.come in the pink which he has now elected to play off. Where is it

:48:40. > :48:44.going to finish? Neil thought it was worth the risk because it was the

:48:45. > :48:51.only red he would leave, but he has left mark with a terrific chance

:48:52. > :48:59.because there is a red available to the back of the bunch in a couple of

:49:00. > :49:14.shots' time. Mark Selby, what was that? ! Nobody saw that coming. That

:49:15. > :49:18.was just a lapse in concentration. Hazel spoke about tension out

:49:19. > :49:35.there. I think that proved her point, that miss. Watch the white

:49:36. > :49:56.when it comes off the cushion. There is no side there.

:49:57. > :50:05.He has pushed one near the pocket and the yellow will not come to his

:50:06. > :50:23.rescue. This will cut in. It is a thin one, but it will pot.

:50:24. > :50:34.He needs the white to keep coming further up the table. And he can

:50:35. > :50:49.still plot the green, I feel, as we show you this fine cut in. I'm not

:50:50. > :50:54.sure if he can pot this green and avoid the brown. He might be able

:50:55. > :51:08.to, so he can screw up and leave himself a choice of rents I think.

:51:09. > :51:10.-- choice of reds. He didn't avoid the Carmen on the brown but he will

:51:11. > :51:28.settle for that. If he can get the red to the left of

:51:29. > :51:33.the black, it would free on the red at the back of the bunch. He has got

:51:34. > :51:39.an angle to go straight into the pink if he wanted to. We will see

:51:40. > :51:47.what he decides. Straight into the pink. How is your luck? That is not

:51:48. > :51:51.great, believe it or not. The black is not available so it could have

:51:52. > :52:07.worked out a lot better than this. He sent the pink onto the side

:52:08. > :52:15.cushion. And he cannot leave the black in the same pocket as the red

:52:16. > :52:22.because he is hampered. When you see your opponent miss an easy ball like

:52:23. > :52:32.Mark just did, that can give you the fire in your belly. He has got round

:52:33. > :52:42.the back of the bark, Dennis. -- the black. That was much more difficult

:52:43. > :53:03.than it looked. Great shot, that last one.

:53:04. > :53:19.I think he thought he was going to miss the red and be straight on it,

:53:20. > :53:25.but he can get up for the blue. We can show you, he was just trying to

:53:26. > :53:31.screw past that red and flicked it. He hasn't played a great shot there

:53:32. > :54:09.either, but there are two red Sea can get on. -- -- two reds.

:54:10. > :54:18.I thought he could have screwed back, left the one near the pink

:54:19. > :54:20.spot, stunned at into the black, but he feels this is a more comfortable

:54:21. > :54:39.route. Well played. Didn't use that little

:54:40. > :54:43.extension because it makes the shot a little bit more difficult with

:54:44. > :55:25.that extra six inches on the end of the cue.

:55:26. > :55:33.It looks as if Alison is getting over that jet lag. This is his

:55:34. > :55:38.mother who has travelled over from Melbourne. Charming lady. I was

:55:39. > :55:44.chatting to her in the players' Lounge. Over to see her grandson for

:55:45. > :55:51.Christmas, this is a bonus for her, to see her son playing in the UK

:55:52. > :55:53.Championship final. A good recovery, that was not

:55:54. > :56:08.straightforward. A little straighter on the black

:56:09. > :56:12.than he would have liked. He will have two bump it up and down to get

:56:13. > :56:18.them in the same pocket as the black.

:56:19. > :56:24.Is there anything else that will pot, or will he have to move

:56:25. > :56:42.something else around? This is Mark Selby's last chance in

:56:43. > :56:58.this frame. If this case goes right, it could be 6-5. He did have a great

:56:59. > :57:11.chance, didn't he, Mark. That is OK. Just a delicate little cannon.

:57:12. > :57:23.Didn't mean to hit that red but it is OK. Every chance now that there

:57:24. > :57:32.is just going to be one frame the difference. And from 5-1 down, it is

:57:33. > :57:36.going to be difficult to pick a winner now. We thought it was going

:57:37. > :57:43.to be a close final before a ball was struck. There is a possibility

:57:44. > :58:18.this final could go all the way. The pot success rate is changing all

:58:19. > :58:30.the time. Neil Robertson suddenly is 1% ahead of Mark Selby, who was at

:58:31. > :58:41.91% at one stage this afternoon. This has caused the problem here. So

:58:42. > :58:52.just one more red to make absolutely sure after this black. Mark needs

:58:53. > :58:57.one snooker, but if he can knock this red in, he will be certain of

:58:58. > :59:15.the frame. The chance of another century now.

:59:16. > :59:24.He has already made six in the tournament, this is his seventh,

:59:25. > :59:36.should he get it. And it could be 84 for the tournament.

:59:37. > :59:48.It is so noticeable, Dennis, the speed he is playing at now. It is

:59:49. > :59:55.still quite a guest room for him, it is 26 at the moment. For the first

:59:56. > :00:14.four or five frames, he hadn't spotted a black off the spot. That

:00:15. > :00:52.was part of the reason. Well played, Neil Robertson.

:00:53. > :01:12.He is sprinting round the table now, the Australian. A chance to develop

:01:13. > :01:20.the pink. Comes off the top cushion. APPLAUSE

:01:21. > :01:27.It doesn't matter about the pink. That was a great response from Mark

:01:28. > :01:33.Selby. He made one mistake, but a superb century to get him to just

:01:34. > :01:39.one frame behind. That is what he has got to do. The boys in the

:01:40. > :01:43.studio was saying he has just got to kill the frame off with one visit,

:01:44. > :01:48.and it was Mark Selby he was first to be fair, and I have never seen

:01:49. > :01:51.him miss a ball as easy as this. He was just in two minds when he went

:01:52. > :02:06.to pot it and lost his concentration. I think he tried to

:02:07. > :02:13.play for the white to take it, but played off the cushion straight.

:02:14. > :02:16.There was another red that was available at the back and do the

:02:17. > :02:20.right of the bunch, so it was a good early chance, but I tell you what,

:02:21. > :02:24.Neil Robertson has thrown the gauntlet down now with that century

:02:25. > :02:28.break. Just look at the focus on his face there. Game on again. Yes,

:02:29. > :02:37.absolutely. He has played very well this evening. He was likely

:02:38. > :02:41.disappearing out of the match. This is the last frame before the

:02:42. > :02:45.mid-session interval. I think it is almost more important for Mark Selby

:02:46. > :03:58.to win this one. Neil Robertson must be feeling very pleased.

:03:59. > :04:04.Easy path back down the table of the rates, as you can see there. -- of

:04:05. > :04:17.the reds. But when you have a two frame

:04:18. > :04:20.advantage, or you are looking for is to share the little mini sessions.

:04:21. > :04:46.He needs to win this frame to do that.

:04:47. > :04:57.I wonder, is he going to be tempted for stop Neil Robertson stuck to a

:04:58. > :04:58.game plan. He refused a view game plans, but that confidence seems to

:04:59. > :05:11.have returned. APPLAUSE

:05:12. > :05:18.That was a Neil Robertson special. Yes, he wasn't potting those earlier

:05:19. > :05:28.on today. His long pot success rate has improved. He has got to make

:05:29. > :05:31.sure he gets past the blue here because brown and yellow are off the

:05:32. > :05:40.spot, so addition is important with this shot. -- position is important.

:05:41. > :05:49.He might even develop the black. The pink would be the better shot. He

:05:50. > :05:55.could then bring red and black into play here. He has played for the

:05:56. > :05:57.loose red. That was a great chance to open the game up. He played for

:05:58. > :06:17.the red that is on the black spot. Interesting choice, that last shot.

:06:18. > :06:23.A similar angle on the blue. Is he going to do it this time? There is

:06:24. > :06:30.so much mileage going into the pink this time. He needed the cue ball to

:06:31. > :06:34.finish a few inches further down. The black and pink are out of play

:06:35. > :06:39.at the moment and he needs to bring one of them into play. If he prefers

:06:40. > :06:49.to do it that side of the table rather than the other side, some

:06:50. > :06:53.players do have a preference. It looks as if he played into that gap,

:06:54. > :07:03.but that was always going to leave the pink and black still tied up. He

:07:04. > :07:09.has got to get down the correct side of the blue again here. Not easy

:07:10. > :07:14.when you are using the spider as well. In practice, you would hardly

:07:15. > :08:04.ever use the spider. But I am not sure if he has got a

:08:05. > :08:11.straightforward positional shot. If he screws back, he will flick of the

:08:12. > :08:19.pink. It might not be a bad idea to do that. I think it is worth a

:08:20. > :08:25.little risk, this screw shot into the pink. As long as he doesn't kiss

:08:26. > :08:32.the pink full ball, there is no problem. He doesn't like it, for

:08:33. > :08:58.some reason. The red looked almost straight. He

:08:59. > :09:04.can maybe just leave the pink. A very delicate little positional shot

:09:05. > :09:14.was needed. Is he OK? It is going to be tight, I think. He must be OK,

:09:15. > :09:21.the way he is walking around the table.

:09:22. > :09:34.Now he is not sure. He might have to put a bit of right-hand side on it.

:09:35. > :10:04.Mark Selby has been kept off the table for the last few moments. That

:10:05. > :10:06.is not the best shot in the world. He may have to play down the other

:10:07. > :10:20.side. He needs to go left hand side of the

:10:21. > :10:32.green on the way back, and probably down the right-hand side on the way

:10:33. > :10:42.back. A little bit fortunate there. Yes, I think that red is available

:10:43. > :10:56.next to the pink. It did not put him out of position.

:10:57. > :11:04.APPLAUSE Things have changed. In the opening

:11:05. > :11:12.frame, Mark Selby looked very good. All of a sudden now, Neil Robertson

:11:13. > :11:18.has seen a little bit of weakness in Mark's game and upped his own game.

:11:19. > :11:23.Probably a good job there is an interval soon. Mark is still a

:11:24. > :11:29.slight favourite to win the game, the way things have gone during the

:11:30. > :11:36.day. Mind you, to come back from 5-1. Neil Robertson will take a

:11:37. > :12:03.little bit of confidence to that mid-session interval.

:12:04. > :12:06.You might have to say that the world number one has gone back as

:12:07. > :13:11.favourite. He will want to get further up the

:13:12. > :13:19.table. You think he would swing it right round the table and get

:13:20. > :13:25.towards the blue. He has decided to hold for the pink. The black might

:13:26. > :13:31.also pot to the middle, I'm not sure. He did well to hold it. The

:13:32. > :13:42.black is the easier pot, if it goes. Plenty of room. What a performance

:13:43. > :14:06.from Neil Robertson here. His pot success rate has just flown

:14:07. > :14:17.up. He was down at 63% earlier today. Mark Selby's has dropped to

:14:18. > :14:27.87%, which has to improve. He just looks a different player now, Neil

:14:28. > :14:33.Robertson. I mean, this is down to all his experience. He has been in

:14:34. > :14:40.this situation so many times. APPLAUSE

:14:41. > :14:49.What a great fightback this has been. From fine three macro 5-1

:14:50. > :14:55.down, the Australian is going to go into the mid-session interval or

:14:56. > :15:02.square. Yes, it is top class. He has dominated this evening session. This

:15:03. > :15:08.could be the 85th century of the tournament. And, more importantly,

:15:09. > :15:20.Neil Robertson has already made seven, and this could be his eighth.

:15:21. > :15:49.He has been a sentry machine this season.

:15:50. > :15:55.I have enjoyed every ball struck in this final, to watch a player fight

:15:56. > :16:01.his way back from 5-1 down. APPLAUSE

:16:02. > :16:08.And, that is the century. This barbican crowd give a generous

:16:09. > :16:14.round of applause for it. Well, it could go all the way this one.

:16:15. > :16:22.Absolutely, yes. He has played brilliantly this evening, Neil

:16:23. > :16:26.Robertson. He missed a long part, got away with it, and Mark went for

:16:27. > :16:43.the long pot and Mr. -- missed it. Yes, you book fees voice for an

:16:44. > :16:48.exhibition and that of the type of shot you expect to see. If superb

:16:49. > :16:54.performance from the world number one. There will be different

:16:55. > :16:59.commentary after the interval, but what a fabulous friend to finish on.

:17:00. > :17:12.He is right back into the game now. A little bit of a welcome drink for

:17:13. > :17:18.Neil Robertson because he has ready gone to work in the last few games.

:17:19. > :17:25.What a turnaround, to show such composure and such poise. Yes, he

:17:26. > :17:28.has upped his game. We were waiting for him to come out of his shell a

:17:29. > :17:33.little bit, and that was a fantastic break. He was only playing around

:17:34. > :17:39.with the blue for quite awhile until he split the packs, and that only

:17:40. > :17:44.had the pink. He had the cue ball on an absolute string. He showed great

:17:45. > :17:48.composure there. The match is back on again, fantastic stuff. What has

:17:49. > :17:51.inspired the turnaround, or is it something in your mind that Mark

:17:52. > :17:54.Selby has done? When they are playing at this level, and you have

:17:55. > :17:59.got the world number one and world number two, occasionally just one

:18:00. > :18:04.shot can turn a match on its head. Mark Selby was 6-3 ahead at this

:18:05. > :18:08.time, he was on struck. He knocks out in and it goes 7-3. The balls

:18:09. > :18:13.were as their two knocking. From the minute he missed that, Neil

:18:14. > :18:19.Robertson has gone right up to the gearbox and got himself to 6-6. A

:18:20. > :18:23.real let off. Yes, it could turn out to be a turning point in the match.

:18:24. > :18:30.The interval has come at a good time for Mark Selby. I have seen him in

:18:31. > :18:39.practice. As we said, this final has all the hallmarks, you can't

:18:40. > :18:42.separate these guys. They have shown some great snooker between them.

:18:43. > :18:52.We'll match play, top-class match play snooker. They are back level

:18:53. > :18:56.again. It is what you want. Fantastic. Don't go anywhere. It

:18:57. > :19:02.looks like we are in for a long right. The Barbican Centre has been

:19:03. > :19:08.a blur of big breaks. In fact, 128 players turned up here. It is a new

:19:09. > :19:13.look format for this event. It has not been to everyone's taste. Lots

:19:14. > :19:17.of the players revelled in it. Many did not like it, describing it as a

:19:18. > :19:23.circus. Let's hear the case for and against.

:19:24. > :19:32.The principle of a loving playing field, 128, seeded draw, is the

:19:33. > :19:35.fairest principle in sport. It might be the fairest principle, but a UK

:19:36. > :19:39.championship started with a lot of criticism over the 128 player

:19:40. > :19:42.format. For tables in the main arena, four tables here by the

:19:43. > :19:54.studio, and only one practice table, just a little bit too snug. I

:19:55. > :19:59.had a wee rant at the press. When you come to these events, it is a

:20:00. > :20:05.little bit too cramped for 128 players. When you are in the second

:20:06. > :20:09.biggest tournaments, the last thing you want is to be playing out the

:20:10. > :20:14.back. I wasn't the biggest fan of the change to the structure of the

:20:15. > :20:20.game, but the 128 is fair. What I don't agree with is the devaluing of

:20:21. > :20:23.these major events. We are on a journey. In any journey there will

:20:24. > :20:30.be a few bumps in the road. Logistically, it has thrown some

:20:31. > :20:34.problems at us, taking 128 players to a venue that is probably not big

:20:35. > :20:37.enough. Among the stories wrapping the press's attention was that of

:20:38. > :20:41.Ronnie O'Sullivan having to get changed in a toilet before his

:20:42. > :20:48.first-round match. Not what top players had come to expect. I know

:20:49. > :20:51.the players are coming from a different angle, some of them,

:20:52. > :20:57.because they have been pampered in the past. Those days are gone. I am

:20:58. > :21:02.personally against it, to be fair, but you have got to look at the

:21:03. > :21:11.wider game and obviously Barry has head ideas -- his ideas, I just am

:21:12. > :21:15.happy I am not 21 and having to play my way through this year of snooker.

:21:16. > :21:20.It is not quite right at the moment for Barry, but he has got to try

:21:21. > :21:24.everything, we have just got to grin and bear it at the moment. The way I

:21:25. > :21:31.look at it, if you win matches you will be all right. I feel a little

:21:32. > :21:37.bit aggrieved, but that's just the way it is now. Like he says, we can

:21:38. > :21:40.all get another job now, can't we? But then there won't be a game.

:21:41. > :21:44.There was not enough common sense in this game. People look at it through

:21:45. > :21:50.a blinkered approach of what suits me. Those people that think like

:21:51. > :21:59.that, I have nothing to do with them at all. Our opinion is what suits

:22:00. > :22:03.the game. It is good for me, with my ranking situation. Obviously the top

:22:04. > :22:07.16 are not happy about it, but the only good thing about being in the

:22:08. > :22:18.top 16 these days is that you are in the World Championships, and you are

:22:19. > :22:22.in the Masters. It is what it is, and we have got to get on with it.

:22:23. > :22:25.Every player should be in the first round of every tournament. If you

:22:26. > :22:29.have earned your right to call yourself a professional snooker

:22:30. > :22:33.player, you should have the same opportunities as everybody else. It

:22:34. > :22:41.is much better for overseas buyers. With this format and this

:22:42. > :22:50.structure, if it wasn't like this, who knows what my career would have

:22:51. > :22:55.turned into. Those on the outside, those on the bottom of the game, are

:22:56. > :23:00.happy about the changes. It can't be right to have to play six or seven

:23:01. > :23:09.games before you get to play one of the top 16. I heard the term

:23:10. > :23:12.whipping boys, but we are just as good as them. It is just that the

:23:13. > :23:17.atmosphere can get to us. There have been a few negative comments about

:23:18. > :23:23.the tournament, now it has been formatted, but I agree with anything

:23:24. > :23:31.Barry plays. I just love playing and I love winning. The crowd was good,

:23:32. > :23:39.so hopefully I will be back here next year. The best players, if they

:23:40. > :23:47.are that good, if they deserve to be at the top of the rankings, they

:23:48. > :23:59.should get through. We have earned our right to be here. Shane Castle

:24:00. > :24:07.seeded 128. He is only 15. A young star in the making. If you are a

:24:08. > :24:11.young, upcoming player, we need a vibrant sports, not just the same

:24:12. > :24:16.old names playing just the same old games. That, frankly, was what was

:24:17. > :24:22.like it wasn't getting boring, it was getting tedious. We are seeing

:24:23. > :24:25.the stories coming through, we are seeing kids getting their chance if

:24:26. > :24:30.they are good enough. But, interestingly enough, the cream

:24:31. > :24:37.rises to the top. 14 of the top 16 players made the last 16. So, I'll

:24:38. > :24:44.be going wrong? -- are we going wrong? Despite any protests, there

:24:45. > :24:50.will be no changes. The format stays because the format is the future.

:24:51. > :25:00.There you go, the pros and cons. It has certainly be aimed logistic

:25:01. > :25:03.challenge. When we play 20 years ago in Preston, there were eight tables

:25:04. > :25:09.and everyone came in at around one and they brought it down to two

:25:10. > :25:15.tables when the TV cameras came in. But I think it is a fairer system.

:25:16. > :25:22.Particular particularly for the younger guys. Even as a top 32

:25:23. > :25:33.player, I am affected by the change as well. For all the great stories

:25:34. > :25:38.and all the amateurs and those in from overseas that are talented, in

:25:39. > :25:44.the old system they would not get through. What will alleviate some of

:25:45. > :25:53.these problems? I don't know, maybe the argument for not bringing 128 to

:25:54. > :25:58.hear. I don't know, but one thing I wouldn't want to do is move from the

:25:59. > :26:02.York Barbican Centre and take the tournament somewhere else just

:26:03. > :26:07.because we have got 128 players. This is a brilliant venue with

:26:08. > :26:10.brilliant support, and it is perfect for the UK. It would be like

:26:11. > :26:13.throwing the baby out with the bath water. Some of the major events have

:26:14. > :26:19.suffered from being taken around different venues and have lost that

:26:20. > :26:24.identity. Is there a danger of moving it from here? I don't think

:26:25. > :26:27.they should move from here. There have been teething problems, but I

:26:28. > :26:30.am sure the authorities will have learned from that. Going forward to

:26:31. > :26:35.next year, they will make adjustments. But it is a fantastic

:26:36. > :26:41.venue, it has been packed out from day one. The crowds have been great.

:26:42. > :26:46.Fergal O'Brien said he was playing in front of 150 people, and he said

:26:47. > :26:54.it was a great atmosphere. He would rather be here than in a big open

:26:55. > :27:06.arena. It is fantastic sponsorship to. The prize money is superb.

:27:07. > :27:10.Nobody could do better. Obviously because of this new format, the

:27:11. > :27:14.championship has been eventful and exciting. It has been great to see

:27:15. > :27:17.some of the amateurs coming through, and great for us to see some of

:27:18. > :27:21.those emerging players that we wouldn't otherwise neat because they

:27:22. > :27:24.never got to this stage. The steep the top professionals have not been

:27:25. > :27:40.protected, and one or two of them have found that rather ghoulish.

:27:41. > :27:48.128 souls materialised in York. Moaning and wailing filled the

:27:49. > :27:50.Barbican. The top players were haunted by the spectre of an early

:27:51. > :28:59.defeat. 64 survived the ordeal. But in the

:29:00. > :29:00.next round, for whom will it be heaven, and for whom will it be

:29:01. > :29:21.held? -- help? Jimmy has a slight limp around the

:29:22. > :29:29.table. I have never heard of policeman's heal before. You are a

:29:30. > :29:54.dedicated follower of fashion. Fancy wearing a pair of those?

:29:55. > :30:15.I knew my manager was waiting to go to dinner as well. I was trying to

:30:16. > :30:21.run round the table. This time last year, others the sofa

:30:22. > :30:30.watching it. Someone came up to me as well done, and I thought you are

:30:31. > :30:32.my hero, why you talking to me? Number one in the papers a few years

:30:33. > :30:49.ago. Into the third round and just 32

:30:50. > :31:00.left. A ghost of a chance of getting their hands on the trophy. He has

:31:01. > :31:09.got a pair of your old daisies on, Neil. You used to wear some of those

:31:10. > :31:14.in the 1970s. I was not very old then, still at school. Those shoes

:31:15. > :31:21.are not the worst either, by the way. With the glitter in them,. Not

:31:22. > :31:30.got the spiky ones on tonight. If someone asks for a re-rack, I am

:31:31. > :31:59.not going to be in favour. He has missed it! How has he won

:32:00. > :32:00.that? I have to say, we are pretty flabbergasted. I think everybody is

:32:01. > :32:23.in shock! Just not, I don't know, my brain has

:32:24. > :32:34.gone to be honest. It is so painful to go out there and play like that,

:32:35. > :32:42.I am lost for words. The dream remained for 16 men, but the next

:32:43. > :33:07.match would be a nightmare for eight of them.

:33:08. > :33:45.He is a cider drinker, Robert Milkens. Ronnie didn't win the

:33:46. > :33:51.toss! I just want to congratulate Stuart... Rob, sorry, I have got

:33:52. > :34:04.Stewart on the brain. Into the quarterfinals. Who will

:34:05. > :34:35.feel the icy hand of defeat? Good cueing here. Brilliant!

:34:36. > :34:41.Absolutely brilliant. You would think Alan Titchmarsh was out there

:34:42. > :34:46.playing, there has been that many plants. I have played him three

:34:47. > :34:49.times in the last three weeks, and I have had chances to beat him every

:34:50. > :35:25.time so it is nice to get one. Just four to go. Hopes were high.

:35:26. > :35:45.For two the semifinal would be the graveyard of their ambitions. A big

:35:46. > :35:50.shot this is. Come on then! He is not on the black. What is shot he is

:35:51. > :36:04.going to have to take here. Here we go. Get in, get in... Get in! Well

:36:05. > :36:06.played, Mark Selby. What a black he has knocked in there. Absolutely

:36:07. > :36:37.fantastic! That is the one. Neil turns to

:36:38. > :36:45.Stuart Bingham. What a fantastic semifinal we have had here. So we

:36:46. > :36:50.come to the end of our journey. The night grows dark for one of our

:36:51. > :36:57.heroes, but for the other place with the immortals beckons.

:36:58. > :37:04.That is Mark Graeme from the original ghost walk. One of the

:37:05. > :37:09.marvellous things about this has been meeting some of these amateurs

:37:10. > :37:16.and Mitchell Travis is a fantastic character. Yes, it was fantastic to

:37:17. > :37:22.meet him because I knocked his father out! He challenged me to a

:37:23. > :37:28.best of three, that is next week, but he is a great lad. He worked in

:37:29. > :37:35.a call centre, and he was a barman as well. That is one of the great

:37:36. > :37:39.things, giving players like him a chance. We have really revelled in

:37:40. > :37:48.the progress of Stuart Bingham in this championship, we have seen 100

:37:49. > :37:51.maximum breaks, and now it is the world number one and world number

:37:52. > :37:59.two who will be competing in this last part of the final session. They

:38:00. > :38:02.have got ?150,000 on the line, the world number one spot on the line

:38:03. > :38:06.and history in the making for both of them. Now we are with Stephen

:38:07. > :38:35.Hendry and John Virgo. JOHN VIRGO: Mid-session over and we

:38:36. > :38:51.are in for a climax here. Yes, he looks very focused. Good pot, but

:38:52. > :39:10.unintentional kiss on the second red has not given him position on a

:39:11. > :39:16.colour. That aggression is back on his game. It was missing this

:39:17. > :39:21.afternoon. He seemed to go into his shell a little bit this afternoon,

:39:22. > :39:24.almost as if it was intimidated by Mark Selby's game. You have just got

:39:25. > :39:50.to concentrate on your own game. He didn't want to risk going up to

:39:51. > :39:52.the baulk end but I'm sure Neil Robertson will because he has left

:39:53. > :40:13.him a nice easy safety shot here. He will try to get the cue ball up

:40:14. > :41:15.towards the yellow pocket. He caught that a bit thick. Is there

:41:16. > :41:17.a gap this time? There is. I think he can get through to this red

:41:18. > :41:41.closest to the right corner. A good solid pot and the case,

:41:42. > :41:46.second red has not ruined his position on the blue. It just

:41:47. > :41:51.shows, this game is all about fractions. If the cue ball had been

:41:52. > :41:56.half an inch one way or the other, you would not have been able to get

:41:57. > :42:14.through to that red. Now he has potted it. First chance.

:42:15. > :42:27.Played for the pink here. When he pots it it will have to go on to the

:42:28. > :42:34.black spot, which is not a problem. If the ball spot is not available,

:42:35. > :42:41.it goes on the highest available. And certainly picked up the pace

:42:42. > :42:45.now, has Neil Robertson. Average shot time, 24. I remember at a stage

:42:46. > :43:22.this afternoon it was at 32. Look at that, points without reply,

:43:23. > :43:28.375. One-way traffic of -- or what! The problem is, when you go into

:43:29. > :43:34.them off the top cushion, you have got to catch the edge of them. There

:43:35. > :43:39.may have been a case for going up for the blue but it was an

:43:40. > :44:09.opportunity and it was his choice. End of break.

:44:10. > :44:18.Such a great competitor, Mark Selby, but having led 5-1, he will be a bit

:44:19. > :44:31.disappointed to be all square, but never rule him out.

:44:32. > :44:39.Tried to put the cue ball in behind the yellow. He has left this red to

:44:40. > :44:41.the right centre, playing it as a shock to nothing, the cue ball back

:44:42. > :45:04.to baulk again. That was a long way out. As you say,

:45:05. > :45:08.it was half a chance, and it is those half chances that need to be

:45:09. > :45:21.taken at the moment because Neil Robertson is in the ascendancy. 132

:45:22. > :45:33.break in frame 12, he is the one with all the momentum at the moment.

:45:34. > :45:50.Excellent length with the cue ball. Yes, this has become a massive test

:45:51. > :46:04.of Mark Selby's temperament, his will to win, his belief,

:46:05. > :46:15.self-confidence. 5-1 up, now 6-6. It is how much do you want it now. He

:46:16. > :46:21.is looking at the plant. It looks as if it is just set towards the left

:46:22. > :46:32.jaw so it is not a certainty. He would like to see it going in but

:46:33. > :46:45.I'm not certain it will. He went all out for it and caught it much to

:46:46. > :46:50.fix. -- too thick. As you see, it was always to the left, but the main

:46:51. > :46:55.thing was to get the cue ball back to the baulk end, not just in line

:46:56. > :47:12.with the blue. This is a chance for a meal. -- for Neil. He has turned

:47:13. > :47:17.away. When he turns back he will be very disappointed here. He thought

:47:18. > :47:25.he was certain to be on the black, or the pink. He is on neither. He

:47:26. > :47:37.has got down very quickly. This is a test. That was absolutely superb

:47:38. > :47:46.because he turned away and he thought he was on the black all the

:47:47. > :47:53.pink, and he got down very quickly for the pink. He is beginning to

:47:54. > :47:58.fire on all cylinders. There may have been a little bit too much

:47:59. > :48:10.adrenaline on that shot, after potting that great blue. He has gone

:48:11. > :48:18.too far past centre. Looking at that pots success, it has turned on its

:48:19. > :48:28.head. It was the other way round, it was Mark Selby at over 90%, and Neil

:48:29. > :48:37.Robertson below it. Now it is, as I say, it has swung the other way. He

:48:38. > :48:50.has to be a little bit careful with the cue ball. That was a nice shot.

:48:51. > :48:54.He had to use the Reg to hold the cue ball because there was too much

:48:55. > :49:03.angle on the shot to get positioned directly so he just killed the pace

:49:04. > :49:08.on that other red. Neil Robertson is really moving through the gears

:49:09. > :49:10.now. That is what we say about snooker, you cannot do anything when

:49:11. > :49:26.you are sitting in your chair. 130 in the first frame of this

:49:27. > :49:33.match, and Mark Selby is just keeping that seat warm at the

:49:34. > :49:37.moment, having to watch as Neil Robertson goes through the gears.

:49:38. > :49:39.Black having to go as close to its own spot as a canned because there

:49:40. > :49:56.are no other spots available. This black to go 62 points in front,

:49:57. > :50:02.so one Reg needed after it. That was frame ball! Now, Mark Selby, what

:50:03. > :50:25.have you got in the locker? I know he was flying, Neil

:50:26. > :50:32.Robertson, but perhaps he should have stepped back and taken a little

:50:33. > :50:34.bit more time. I suppose he was so full of confidence he didn't expect

:50:35. > :50:51.to miss it. He needs a clearance to win the

:50:52. > :50:59.frame. He has been given the chance, but he has been sitting out for so

:51:00. > :51:08.long, 400 and odd points since he last got an opportunity. This is the

:51:09. > :51:14.art of this game. You have got to sit out like that, when you get the

:51:15. > :51:20.opportunity you have to get your cueing arm going immediately. This

:51:21. > :51:45.is a test for Mark Selby. After potting the pink, I think he

:51:46. > :51:53.wants to play for the pink again ideally. The red on the top cushion,

:51:54. > :52:17.if he got on it nicely, he could role in dead weight. -- roll in.

:52:18. > :52:21.Imperative now he gets a good angle on this pink. Doesn't want to be

:52:22. > :52:42.straight on it. Well, what do you believe it? What a

:52:43. > :52:47.chance that has gone begging there. And that will only fill Neil

:52:48. > :53:07.Robertson with more confidence. 33 points behind, 43 remaining.

:53:08. > :53:43.First priority, get this safe. Where is the cue ball going? That

:53:44. > :53:49.will probably cost him this frame. Because Neil Robertson only needs

:53:50. > :53:59.the red. Just didn't catch that red right. It just dropped. If it had

:54:00. > :54:04.stayed there, it would have been safe. But that is the frame ball red

:54:05. > :54:15.for Neil Robertson, who trailed at one time in this match five frames

:54:16. > :54:27.to one, he will now lead. What a turnaround. Nicely on the last red,

:54:28. > :54:35.so Mark Selby will not be coming back to the table. He has got a lot

:54:36. > :54:37.to think about, as the man from Leicester. He was offered a

:54:38. > :54:56.lifeline. This cue ball will be close to the

:54:57. > :55:03.middle pocket. But it won't matter. Mark having a close look at the

:55:04. > :55:09.scoreboard, but he has conceded. Neil Robertson's comeback is

:55:10. > :55:15.complete. Made a mistake, gave Mark Selby a chance, he couldn't take

:55:16. > :55:21.it, and now the world number one is leading 7-6.

:55:22. > :55:25.This is the first time he has taken the lead and this is a complete

:55:26. > :55:31.turnaround. Mark Selby was unable to pop a ball for three frames, he had

:55:32. > :55:35.a chance. He split the reds beautifully, then he played one

:55:36. > :55:41.shots which he over screwed, and from then on he never quite had the

:55:42. > :55:45.cue ball. He had red in the middle you still wouldn't expect him to

:55:46. > :55:55.miss, but he was just trying to hold an angle, but this is a bit wooden

:55:56. > :55:59.if you are Mark Selby son. You are sitting down there and not at the

:56:00. > :56:04.table for such a long time, does that clearly have an impact when you

:56:05. > :56:10.go back? Absolutely because you have not had a chance to get your arm

:56:11. > :56:14.going. You are a little bit stiff, you put all the pressure into the

:56:15. > :56:22.mix and you can miss anything at this stage. This pendulum has swung

:56:23. > :56:26.completely around from 5-1 up earlier on where he had Neil

:56:27. > :56:37.Robertson exactly where he wanted him. Unfortunately for Mark Selby's

:56:38. > :56:42.supporters, he is looking weaker. There is the odd exception but at

:56:43. > :56:47.the moment the situation where he is, he is clinging on the moment.

:56:48. > :56:54.There is only one player hitting the ball properly and it is not him.

:56:55. > :57:03.Neil Robertson is doing Selby on Selby. It was pointed out in how

:57:04. > :57:07.quickly he got down on that blue, but you can tell the confidence is

:57:08. > :57:12.growing. He got down into the middle of the pocket and carried on with

:57:13. > :57:17.the break. John mentions in the commentary that it was the speed

:57:18. > :57:22.with which he played it. Earlier today 32 seconds was his average

:57:23. > :57:27.shot time, that could not have been half that when he got down on the

:57:28. > :57:32.blue. Who said earlier on in the season that he was consciously

:57:33. > :57:38.trying to speed up, and he has already won one world ranking title

:57:39. > :57:42.this season, made 58 centuries already this season. There will be

:57:43. > :57:47.somebody who makes 100 centuries in a season, and if anybody can do it

:57:48. > :57:52.he can do it, but he is looking a different player to this

:57:53. > :57:59.afternoon's session. You are losing confidence, and that is always a

:58:00. > :58:04.good sign. JOHN VIRGO: the world number one

:58:05. > :58:12.player is in the ascendancy. Yes, an excellent break off shot from Neil

:58:13. > :58:15.Robertson. He will be sitting there comfortably now. He looked very

:58:16. > :58:27.uncomfortable for the most part in the first session. There is a plant

:58:28. > :58:32.on here, I fancy this going in. He needs to be on a colour. Just about

:58:33. > :59:03.on the brown to the right middle. Just overrun it. It is all about cue

:59:04. > :59:08.ball control, this game. He played it nicely. He has got the perfect

:59:09. > :59:13.angle on the blue. I think on either side of that cluster there are reds

:59:14. > :59:30.that can go in either pocket. A bit low on it, which might suit

:59:31. > :59:41.him. Pot the red and bring all the reds into play. He won't be too

:59:42. > :59:47.happy with that. It was a bit of nothing shot. If you are going to

:59:48. > :59:57.open the reds, you play it a lot harder to make sure the cue ball was

:59:58. > :00:02.away from the cushion. Once he was near the cushion like that, he left

:00:03. > :00:14.himself with an awful lot to do. At the moment, I think he is looking

:00:15. > :00:19.for easier pots than this. Vicky will be getting a little bit

:00:20. > :00:36.concerned, but she knows he can battle and he has done it before.

:00:37. > :00:44.Nice angle on the blue, but he can't go into the red. He is checking to

:00:45. > :00:45.see if that rate will pass the Black comfortably. He can just drop this

:00:46. > :01:00.blew in. He is a left-hander, so he can leave

:01:01. > :01:25.the pupil on the left-hand side of the table. -- cue ball.

:01:26. > :01:30.He will go into them with not solve pace. Just checking no plans for the

:01:31. > :01:38.middle pockets. It could have worked out a lot

:01:39. > :02:13.better than that. You would have expected that to be a

:02:14. > :02:26.frame-winning chance there. This red cuts to the right corner.

:02:27. > :02:37.APPLAUSE Now, is he going to be on the

:02:38. > :02:42.yellow? He is on the yellow, but it doesn't appear to be the right

:02:43. > :02:51.angle. It is very straight. Can he pinch a bit?

:02:52. > :03:04.Can he find just a little bit of angle? In the end, he didn't feel as

:03:05. > :03:26.though he could. This is a tricky red that he has left himself.

:03:27. > :03:34.He hit that well. You could say to well, but there was a lot of

:03:35. > :03:54.pressure on that. Another good shot. Maybe he has put

:03:55. > :04:02.the disappointment of that last frame behind him.

:04:03. > :04:10.He has just not what good control of that cue ball at the moment. It can

:04:11. > :04:14.happen. You put so much into the pot, you are just not getting the

:04:15. > :05:22.positional play you would like. I don't know if the pink spot messes

:05:23. > :05:38.up the five reds in the middle of the table.

:05:39. > :05:51.Whether it does or not, he is not perfect on this red by any means.

:05:52. > :05:56.No, he hit that all wrong. The pink was very straight. He had to force

:05:57. > :06:08.it. He did not get the stun on the cue ball that he wanted.

:06:09. > :06:14.He will be disappointed, but he never really had pinpoint position

:06:15. > :06:35.with that cue ball, and that is the secret of making high breaks.

:06:36. > :06:41.If he had hit it thinner, he could have run into the black. A little

:06:42. > :07:01.nudge of the brand. This helps somewhat.

:07:02. > :07:29.APPLAUSE It is right in the middle of the

:07:30. > :07:36.pocket. He is on the black. Pink may be a better option. I am not certain

:07:37. > :07:38.of the availability of the reds. He has a slight angle on the black, it

:07:39. > :07:59.appears. Yes, you can tell when a player is

:08:00. > :08:02.striking the cue ball correctly. Mark Selby is not doing that at the

:08:03. > :08:15.moment, but Neil Robertson is doing it perfectly.

:08:16. > :08:30.Although he won't be entirely happy with that one.

:08:31. > :08:35.Yes, this is the last of the loose reds, so it is imperative now he

:08:36. > :09:01.gets a good angle on the colour. If he gets a nice split, the frame

:09:02. > :09:21.is at his mercy. He just didn't hit that with enough pace.

:09:22. > :09:24.These three reds and three colours would do it for him.

:09:25. > :10:40.APPLAUSE It is just one way traffic at the

:10:41. > :10:46.moment. Mark Selby had a chance this frame, just couldn't get that cue

:10:47. > :10:49.ball under control. Neil Robertson at the moment limiting him to an odd

:10:50. > :11:22.chance. Ten frames, the target. Not bothered about the Green, so to

:11:23. > :11:31.snooker is required to tie. It is not a forlorn hope.

:11:32. > :11:57.APPLAUSE Well, he has got the snooker.

:11:58. > :12:01.Come off the top cushion with a trace of left-hand side, there is no

:12:02. > :12:31.way he is going to miss this. So, he has hit it, but he has left

:12:32. > :12:36.it. Mark looks at Neil and says, no need to come back to the table, the

:12:37. > :12:47.frame is yours. Neil Robertson has now won seven of the last few

:12:48. > :12:53.frames. He now leads 8-6. He is really finding some authority

:12:54. > :12:57.with his striking. He is hitting the ball really well. It has completely

:12:58. > :13:05.changed around. From his point of view, Mark had two chances. He is 28

:13:06. > :13:14.points of his two chances. You can tell with his cue ball control, he

:13:15. > :13:17.is not striking it properly. I am sure Neil Robertson might start to

:13:18. > :13:23.feel a little bit constable, but this is when we start to expect a

:13:24. > :13:28.charge from Mark Selby. He is never going to give up. He has got great

:13:29. > :13:32.character, great survival instinct. You will have two scrape him of the

:13:33. > :13:36.table, there is no doubt about it. He is so good all round. But he will

:13:37. > :13:43.have two produced his best snooker, something he hasn't done all week.

:13:44. > :13:49.As John said, at the moment, it is one-way traffic for Neil Robertson.

:13:50. > :13:55.He could be like one of those ready annoying boxes because he keeps

:13:56. > :13:56.sticking in and sticking in. Neil Robertson is playing very well now.

:13:57. > :14:08.Back we go. Mark Selby has got to find

:14:09. > :14:12.something. By his own admission, he has not played his best this week.

:14:13. > :14:27.He has played in fits and starts. Is it catching up with him?

:14:28. > :14:34.Now, the Thunder from Down Under is really starting to produce the

:14:35. > :14:39.goods. One of the best potters we have ever seen in the game, and he

:14:40. > :14:53.is now beginning to find the middle of the pocket. Danger signs.

:14:54. > :14:55.He is a completely different proposition when he is getting these

:14:56. > :15:07.long pots. It just means you are getting in

:15:08. > :15:29.first on every single frame, which makes such a difference.

:15:30. > :15:38.Neil is looking up at the audience as if someone put him off. I didn't

:15:39. > :15:47.hear anything. It could only have been a sound.

:15:48. > :15:51.Perhaps it was the fact that some clapped his mess. That was not very

:15:52. > :16:12.nice. What is he thinking of? Surely he is

:16:13. > :16:16.not thinking of coming off the baulk cushion. He can only nestle into the

:16:17. > :16:28.cluster. He knows it is time to dig in. He

:16:29. > :16:34.needs to make things hard now for Neil Robertson and knocking out of

:16:35. > :16:39.his stride, if he can. Yes, this afternoon when Neil wasn't getting

:16:40. > :16:42.the long pots, he was getting dragged into these long frames. He

:16:43. > :17:00.is out of his comfort zone, he doesn't enjoy it.

:17:01. > :17:13.Both players agree quickly for a brief racks. That is good. Yes, that

:17:14. > :17:26.was interesting. The onus seems to be on the player now.

:17:27. > :17:33.We have got a packed a black macro -- a packed house here at the

:17:34. > :17:52.Barbican. Not the best safety shot, catching a

:17:53. > :18:29.colourful in the face. He should have played a better

:18:30. > :19:08.safety than that. He just caught it a little thinner

:19:09. > :19:19.than intended. That is an opportunity now for his opponent.

:19:20. > :19:29.He is catching those safety is much too thick.

:19:30. > :19:46.He is just not hitting that cue ball correctly at the moment.

:19:47. > :20:08.Once again, not the best safety shot from Neil.

:20:09. > :20:36.Mark Selby is just not hitting anything right.

:20:37. > :20:44.It is one of those situations when you are not hitting the ball well

:20:45. > :20:50.when you need a little bit of help from your opponent, and he is

:20:51. > :20:59.getting it at the moment. This looks like a good safety.

:21:00. > :21:33.A safety error, but it doesn't look as though he has done much damage.

:21:34. > :21:36.He can't get through to the red closest to the blue. Can he get

:21:37. > :22:11.through to this red? He will be a little bit disappointed

:22:12. > :22:47.with that. It should have been behind the brown.

:22:48. > :23:04.Is that red covered? It is. Well covered. A chance here to play the

:23:05. > :23:11.swerve, and he could pot this red. If he plays it gently enough, he may

:23:12. > :23:30.also get position on the black. Looks perfect!

:23:31. > :23:39.Yes, that was a fantastic shot. The swerve was not too difficult, but to

:23:40. > :23:50.get it that well on the black. That was excellent. He needs to score

:23:51. > :23:53.here. 8-6 down. He needs to win a frame in one visit to get that

:23:54. > :24:13.confidence back, that belief. He is just two inches short. That

:24:14. > :24:22.was the red he played for. Back-up for the blue. He needs that angle.

:24:23. > :24:31.Just about got it. He will play for that red again, just to the right of

:24:32. > :24:38.the black. Just enough. This time he is on it. He has got nice control of

:24:39. > :25:44.the cue ball. Can he keep it? Opened them nicely. Just covered one

:25:45. > :25:54.to the middle. He played that shot just a little

:25:55. > :26:24.bit firmer than was necessary. A little bit unlucky, but he just

:26:25. > :26:34.didn't hit that split into the pack as positively as he would have liked

:26:35. > :26:38.to. Yes, and that red he missed was tricky, but under normal

:26:39. > :26:46.circumstances, you would expect him to pot it. A long Red now from Neil

:26:47. > :26:50.Robertson. Selby has opened all the reds. There will be no work to do,

:26:51. > :27:23.it is just this initial pot. Everybody wants this to go all the

:27:24. > :27:26.way, once the drama to continue. That's why Mark is getting all this

:27:27. > :27:30.encouragement. He can't get through to the red, but he has one to the

:27:31. > :27:34.right corner. He is playing one to the middle.

:27:35. > :27:53.So, a second bite of the cherry. He has got to take this on.

:27:54. > :28:14.It is not guaranteed. He needs to be careful not to snooker himself.

:28:15. > :28:17.If it had nestled on the red, he would have been on nothing, but he

:28:18. > :28:29.is OK. He is definitely fragile though. You

:28:30. > :28:44.can't sense that he is full of confidence. No, he is having to dig

:28:45. > :28:55.very deep. He is still on the black, but he played the cannon.

:28:56. > :29:02.That is something you have to do in all sports. If you are not feeling

:29:03. > :29:07.your best, you just have to dig in and hope you can turn it around.

:29:08. > :29:14.This frame now is almost certainly in the back.

:29:15. > :29:49.This will make better watching for Vicky.

:29:50. > :29:57.There is no way that Neil Robertson will be coming back to the table.

:29:58. > :29:59.Mark has needed to chances. Thankfully, with a little bit of

:30:00. > :30:53.help from his opponent, he got them. And now that the frame is well and

:30:54. > :31:00.truly won, he is the fluency. -- he is increasing the fluency. Stephen

:31:01. > :31:18.remarked on his stuttering when he first got this chance.

:31:19. > :31:22.I think he just wants this frame to be over now and get ready for the

:31:23. > :31:56.next one. As I say, he wanted to get to the

:31:57. > :32:00.next frame. Breaks of 42 and 74, get Neal Robertson of the table. Mark

:32:01. > :32:04.Selby keeping it in there but he is still behind.

:32:05. > :32:10.HAZEL IRVINE: His scrapped and scraped his way into the final Mark

:32:11. > :32:14.Selby and he is having to show those qualities again.

:32:15. > :32:22.He is just remarkable. Neil Robertson has stepped up and played

:32:23. > :32:28.really well but he just cannot get rid of him. He is the human limpet!

:32:29. > :32:31.Every time somebody think they have got him, he finds something from

:32:32. > :32:36.somewhere as he has done it throughout the tournament and other

:32:37. > :32:41.tournaments. He is no way near best. Can you ever feel safe playing

:32:42. > :32:48.against him? Not at all. His whole game, he never gives up. Is a great

:32:49. > :32:51.characteristic to have. You should never give up until it is almost

:32:52. > :32:55.impossible and he always stick in. You know what you will get from him,

:32:56. > :33:01.you know it will be a tough match and hats off to him, . His

:33:02. > :33:06.temperament is fantastic. Lots of players and I include myself, if I

:33:07. > :33:11.had hit the ball as badly as he has in some of the matches that he has

:33:12. > :33:15.won, you would kick yourself for not cueing well. He missed a shot as he

:33:16. > :33:21.smiles to himself and all to himself, how did I do that? And then

:33:22. > :33:24.he goes and hits a great shot. Fantastic temperament. He was

:33:25. > :33:33.hampered from the brown and green and the fact he has not won in one

:33:34. > :33:39.visit is still a problem for Mark Selby but had one of the others gone

:33:40. > :33:43.in, it would definitely have been nine - six. Lots of the text in and

:33:44. > :33:51.tweeting saying who is the gentleman in the background it is Vinnie

:33:52. > :33:54.Calabrese. Hello, Vinny! This is Neil Robertson's flatmate at the

:33:55. > :34:02.moment. He has come across from Sydney. You will get a full

:34:03. > :34:14.biography now. He is waiting for a lift to go back home to Cambridge

:34:15. > :34:18.with Neil Robertson. Go on to the BBC sport website because there is a

:34:19. > :34:21.terrific feature on Vinnie Calabrese and his first season on the tour.

:34:22. > :34:29.That is the mystery man in the background. Appearing on a practice

:34:30. > :34:33.table near you soon! We have horribly embarrassed him now but you

:34:34. > :34:35.will recognise that face for years to come. Trying to do what Neil

:34:36. > :34:45.Robertson has done in this game. Neil Robinson has been a real

:34:46. > :34:51.inspiration to players like Vinnie. It will only be a help to him. He

:34:52. > :34:56.will be learning from watching Neil Robertson out there and watching how

:34:57. > :35:03.he goes about that how he prepares. He has a pizza named after him in

:35:04. > :35:08.one of the restaurants over the road here in York so he must be popular!

:35:09. > :35:16.He has certainly stamped his name here. He is up against this man, the

:35:17. > :35:18.human limpet as we have described him, this could be a crucial phase

:35:19. > :35:27.of this final. JOHN VIRGO: both players went out

:35:28. > :35:33.for a comfort I can now Neil Robertson is wiping his hands, they

:35:34. > :35:57.are the paper towels in the toilets, you need a proper towel.

:35:58. > :36:03.Neil Robertson breaks off, maybe not quite in the ascendancy in his mind

:36:04. > :36:11.as he was when he was going 86 in front. He had a couple of half

:36:12. > :36:25.chances and did not take them. And he had to sit out the frame.

:36:26. > :36:34.He played it thinking it would run up the table and maybe not leave it.

:36:35. > :36:38.The worst result, that is the one he has left. It wasn't the easiest

:36:39. > :36:47.shot. Will he try to bring the black into

:36:48. > :37:06.play or concentrate going up? He has played nicely. Going for the

:37:07. > :37:11.blue. You could not pick it up and put it in a better position to slam

:37:12. > :37:20.into the ping from here. -- into the pink.

:37:21. > :37:28.For a moment I thought he would be nothing there, but a red appeared.

:37:29. > :37:35.It is not the perfect position because the black is there on the

:37:36. > :37:41.position and the pink and then the red just came off the top cushion

:37:42. > :37:44.nicely to the left corner. He will have to concentrate on the blue and

:37:45. > :38:04.baulk collars for the time being. It is a lovely view. And it is a

:38:05. > :38:10.very good venue. And when it is full, the Barbican, it creates such

:38:11. > :38:14.a tremendous atmosphere. All snooker arenas do but it has got a bearpit

:38:15. > :38:24.atmosphere here. You are close to the action. Beautiful arena and it

:38:25. > :38:32.has been a great tournament. Started off with 128 lawyers who came here

:38:33. > :38:37.two weeks ago. Some shocks along the way and some great matches --

:38:38. > :38:57.started off with 128 players. This final is not letting us down.

:38:58. > :39:23.He was a bit fortunate there, did not buy a cannon on the red.

:39:24. > :39:30.He has got a nice angle on the blue, he didn't want to go but the

:39:31. > :39:33.pink. I think the reason was he felt he would leave the cue ball too

:39:34. > :39:39.close to the cushion but also the wrong angle on the pink. But he is

:39:40. > :39:45.perfect on the blue so no problem there.

:39:46. > :39:52.And if he popped the pink, I don't think it will pot when it is

:39:53. > :40:11.re-spotted. Another nice shot. The right side of

:40:12. > :40:44.the blue. That was a poor shot, a bit pacey.

:40:45. > :40:47.He will not be happy with that one. It needed to stop in a different

:40:48. > :41:14.place. So this is a thin cut. He cut it in and was able to control

:41:15. > :41:17.the cue ball and get it onto a baulk colour but when it starts to

:41:18. > :41:56.travel, it makes things that little bit more difficult.

:41:57. > :42:10.It may be worth the risk of going into the bunch here.

:42:11. > :42:22.Just below centre on the cue ball, stunning it down. All the roads are

:42:23. > :42:34.open now. This is a big frame for Neil, and he

:42:35. > :42:57.knows it. Mark may be thinking, if he gets

:42:58. > :43:13.another shot at this frame, he will be probably thinking he might not.

:43:14. > :43:45.A little bit straighter on the blue than he would have liked.

:43:46. > :43:52.Things are getting just a little bit or difficult now, he is not getting

:43:53. > :43:54.the right angle on the blue in the second time now. He is not keeping

:43:55. > :44:07.control on the cue ball. He missed the yellow and it is inch

:44:08. > :44:17.perfect. That was an excellent recovery. If he kisses the yellow,

:44:18. > :44:20.it could have been end of break. He missed it by a fraction. But enough

:44:21. > :44:52.of one. He is hampered, it does not make

:44:53. > :45:33.this pink any easier. It is wired! It always looked wide.

:45:34. > :45:39.Did he put a little bit of unintentional strike on the cue

:45:40. > :45:50.ball? Mark Selby is back at the table.

:45:51. > :46:00.He is saying it rolled off, but it always look wide to me.

:46:01. > :46:13.I thought Mark Selby might have played the cannon.

:46:14. > :46:17.Maybe he has the chance to do it now but this time he does not have the

:46:18. > :46:48.pink over the middle. Decided not to take the risk and

:46:49. > :46:53.play for the pink, but this is not perfect. You call it a perfect when

:46:54. > :46:56.you have the natural angle on the ball to take you on to the next

:46:57. > :47:11.ball. But this is a little bit awkward.

:47:12. > :47:19.Played it nicely, but so concerned with the pink. If he has got the red

:47:20. > :47:28.into the middle, he has been fortunate.

:47:29. > :47:42.That was well wide. Just as you alluded to not long ago, Stephen,

:47:43. > :47:48.when he comes to these -- the table with these chances, he is not

:47:49. > :47:51.positive enough. If you look at the two players, there is only one who

:47:52. > :47:59.has confidence he will win this final will stop where is the brown

:48:00. > :48:22.going? 35 points in the lead, a possible 51

:48:23. > :48:27.remaining. So, after this yellow or green, he still needs a red and a

:48:28. > :48:38.colour. He is not on the red. This frame

:48:39. > :49:51.isn't over just yet. A good safety. Mark Selby, now has

:49:52. > :49:56.got to make no more mistakes. One more mistake and the frame has gone.

:49:57. > :50:00.He is looking to run this red into the black, bring the black into play

:50:01. > :50:08.and hold the red near the top cushion. He has missed it. Where

:50:09. > :50:13.does the red go? Does he leave it. He could have left it easier, but he

:50:14. > :50:15.has left the part on and only a red and a colour required for Neil

:50:16. > :50:33.Robertson. I'd tell you what, a little bit

:50:34. > :50:40.harder and that might not have dropped. I thought it was going to

:50:41. > :50:45.the left-hand door. I think it was in the middle of the pocket when it

:50:46. > :50:51.started out. It just gradually moved over to the left-hand jaw.

:50:52. > :51:08.Would you believe it? ! Mark Selby can still win. That was pressure,

:51:09. > :51:32.that is the first shot he has hit badly in a long time.

:51:33. > :51:41.Just a little bit of head movement. Whether the brown was just hampering

:51:42. > :51:45.him slightly. But that pink was frame ball. Will he get a better

:51:46. > :52:08.chance than that? Gone past the five hours much time.

:52:09. > :52:17.You have to say, it has been enthralling. I would not say it is

:52:18. > :52:25.swinging one way or the other. I don't think it has swung back to

:52:26. > :52:31.Mark Selby's away just yet. But if Neil Robertson is missing frame

:52:32. > :52:33.balls, it could do quite quickly. Mark Selby looking to see if he can

:52:34. > :52:56.get the cue ball behind the yellow. He has not got the snooker, but it's

:52:57. > :52:58.not the most important thing. The cue ball is tight against the

:52:59. > :53:21.cushion. Much too thick. I know what you are

:53:22. > :53:26.saying, but the problem is, you don't want to hit it that thing

:53:27. > :53:31.because if you get in the pocket and it does not go in and stays in the

:53:32. > :53:47.jaw. But as you say, he caught it too thick.

:53:48. > :53:59.So close! He has got to pot the colour. If he doesn't, he will need

:54:00. > :54:07.a snooker. I think this was a good cannon on the brown. He needs a

:54:08. > :54:09.colour, or he will need the snooker. He is on the pink, but needs to get

:54:10. > :54:20.it. Now he needs this cue ball to run

:54:21. > :54:23.otherwise he could be snookered when the pink is re-spotted. I think he

:54:24. > :54:36.can just get past it. He can use the black to stop the red

:54:37. > :54:41.from the other right corner pocket. Plays the redfin towards the black

:54:42. > :54:44.and the cue ball up towards the yellow and the blue. He could play a

:54:45. > :54:50.good safety shot here. Yes, he really could. He could have the blue

:54:51. > :54:58.or the pink as the snooker balls. Just got to catch this right. I

:54:59. > :55:14.think if he was not using the rest, it would be guaranteed.

:55:15. > :55:24.I am amazed he has played it like that. But, he has got the snooker so

:55:25. > :55:29.OK. But, it was so much easier, the other one. At the moment, I don't

:55:30. > :55:31.think he is feeling that good about himself that he can play little thin

:55:32. > :56:01.safety shot. Positive shot will as it happens, it has worked out for

:56:02. > :56:10.him. OK, the brown has been made safe but he cant you pass the

:56:11. > :56:18.yellow. -- he can cue past the yellow.

:56:19. > :56:48.Is he on a colour? Not perfect. Blue or pink. They will be tough. I don't

:56:49. > :56:54.know how they can sit there and watch. It would be too tough for me.

:56:55. > :56:59.The problem we have got here is the black. We saw when he made his

:57:00. > :57:09.maximum break, he does not like using the rest. Can he get to play

:57:10. > :57:16.the pot on the blue without fouling the black. Because the pink, he will

:57:17. > :57:29.have to use the rest, surely. If he does not part of the colour, he

:57:30. > :57:36.needs a snooker. -- if he does not pot.

:57:37. > :57:47.He has to be so careful he does not foul the black.

:57:48. > :58:03.Nicely on the LO. -- yellow. When Neil Robertson missed that straight

:58:04. > :58:08.pink, you would still make him heavy favourite to win the frame. But he

:58:09. > :58:20.will be fearing the worst. But maybe not after that shot.

:58:21. > :58:36.Disappointing. He has never had any consistency in his positional play.

:58:37. > :58:43.He has underhit this by a long way. It is an easy safety. He will be

:58:44. > :58:55.thinking it was a chance to win the frame at one visit. Well short of

:58:56. > :59:01.pace with the cue ball. If Neil Robertson cannot get direct to the

:59:02. > :59:05.green, he will try and come off the ball cushion first. He is only

:59:06. > :59:14.looking for the green. I think he will be playing ball cushion first.

:59:15. > :59:27.If you are going to play that, you have got to get right in behind the

:59:28. > :59:46.green. He did not play that very well.

:59:47. > :00:05.This frame has become massive now in the context of this match.

:00:06. > :00:15.APPLAUSE .

:00:16. > :00:27.Right in the heart of the pocket. That was a terrific shot. This brown

:00:28. > :00:37.does not go in does it? No, just playing safe off it. It needed to be

:00:38. > :00:49.safer than that, I am afraid. Neil Robertson only needs the brown.

:00:50. > :00:54.They are all suffering out there. Family -wise. Everybody else is

:00:55. > :01:10.enjoying it. Well, that was a long way away

:01:11. > :01:12.because he cut it too much though, he has gifted the chance to Mark.

:01:13. > :01:42.Can you believe it? It is amazing what I should does.

:01:43. > :01:44.Mrs a straight pink, goes 9-7 up and now he looks like you cannot put a

:01:45. > :01:58.ball. He needs an angle on the pink.

:01:59. > :02:03.Because he needs to get as close to this black ball as he can. The

:02:04. > :02:11.closer he gets to the black, the easier the pot.

:02:12. > :02:21.It becomes a black ball game. He would have likely to be and this,

:02:22. > :02:28.don't be wrong, I fancy him to but it but there is a bit of pressure on

:02:29. > :02:36.this. I can never understand why players get the cue ball clean like

:02:37. > :02:40.this. You should have just got done and potted it. He is trying to

:02:41. > :03:01.protect. would you believe it? What a let off

:03:02. > :03:08.for Neil Robertson and what a downer. For Mark Selby. In goes the

:03:09. > :03:12.black and in the most amazing game, Neil Robertson cannot believe that

:03:13. > :03:18.he has won it and neither can I, but that is the fact. Neil Robertson now

:03:19. > :03:23.is one frame away from victory. He leads 9-7, amazingly.

:03:24. > :03:35.HAZEL IRVINE: What a let off, and you feel that could be crucial. We

:03:36. > :03:41.were all feeling that. Why did he get the black clean? He did all the

:03:42. > :03:47.hard work, just get down on pop the black. How straightforward was it?

:03:48. > :03:52.Very, to be honest. OK, it is the circumstances, the one thing you

:03:53. > :03:56.cannot do with that shot is hit the front jaw. That is the only thing

:03:57. > :04:03.you must not do. It is not an absolute gimme and the circumstances

:04:04. > :04:06.make it different but we are flabbergasted he missed it. Neil

:04:07. > :04:10.Robertson must be feeling so relieved because that straight pink

:04:11. > :04:17.that he missed almost gifted cell be the frame. A lot of work that Selby

:04:18. > :04:23.had to do. That type of ink, you don't expect him to miss. He has

:04:24. > :04:27.dropped a lovely red and he needs only to roll it in and Stephen said,

:04:28. > :04:34.it is amazing we were talking, they don't forgive you. When you take

:04:35. > :04:57.liberties. Look at the table there, the brown is not but pottable. Is no

:04:58. > :05:03.-- has Mark Selby's chance,? Trying to come back from that, he will be

:05:04. > :05:07.absolutely devastated, shattered. I think we have seen him over the

:05:08. > :05:11.years with some resolve with his back to the wall in Masters finals

:05:12. > :05:14.and this will be up there with his greatest ever performance of the

:05:15. > :05:18.missing that black and playing the way he is. If he gets out of this,

:05:19. > :05:22.it will be unbelievable. But he has climbed one mountains and now

:05:23. > :05:27.another one has appeared in front of him. We have seen him have these

:05:28. > :05:34.massive comebacks and now he will have to do it all over again. Yes

:05:35. > :05:39.and it has happened to us all. When you miss walls like that, your

:05:40. > :05:46.strength drained from out of you. Everything goes. -- when you miss

:05:47. > :05:54.balls like that. He needs to master every bit of experience since being

:05:55. > :05:59.a professional and tried to block it out of your mind. But how do you do

:06:00. > :06:06.that? I don't think he is playing well enough so he will need a bit of

:06:07. > :06:14.help and he will need meal to miss a couple. Neil is making him wait now.

:06:15. > :06:20.He knows he's on the verge of something historic, he is wanted to

:06:21. > :06:24.join a very illustrious history is only the eighth player in history to

:06:25. > :06:32.win the triple Crown and he would be first series player to win it. You

:06:33. > :06:36.saw his face going out when he left the black image, we couldn't believe

:06:37. > :06:44.it and he couldn't -- black in the jaw. What does Selby have left and

:06:45. > :06:49.is Robertson going to get over the line?

:06:50. > :06:57.JOHN VIRGO: a good break of shot from Mark Selby.

:06:58. > :07:07.-- break off shot. If that black had been

:07:08. > :07:11.straighter... The you don't expect him to miss that.

:07:12. > :07:21.It spoiled his rhythm getting it clean. It takes some guts after

:07:22. > :07:24.missing that black to knock in a red like that so maybe it will free the

:07:25. > :07:29.shackles. You never know in this game.

:07:30. > :07:34.Sometimes he missed an easy chance and think you have lost the match

:07:35. > :07:38.and then all the tension just trains out of your body and you can be a

:07:39. > :08:12.different player -- drains out. Neil Robertson couldn't believe it

:08:13. > :08:20.there. After he missed that pink, I think he went in that frame. The

:08:21. > :08:22.first frame he has ever won putting it right-handed which is what he

:08:23. > :08:27.did. He went into them. He has not got

:08:28. > :08:57.the best results. A bit of a chuckle with the crowd

:08:58. > :09:02.when the red went in so he has not lost his sense of humour. I think I

:09:03. > :09:08.might have done with a miss on that black like that.

:09:09. > :09:28.Is that what he is going to do now? Attack?

:09:29. > :09:37.He did not miss a ball after that pink in the last frame, Neil

:09:38. > :10:03.Robertson, so this is a test. That winning post can play tricks.

:10:04. > :10:20.He hit it quite hard as well. That is a sign of tension.

:10:21. > :10:27.And there is another example, that little bit of tension, hitting the

:10:28. > :10:59.ball just a bit too hard. I think, after Neill was so wide

:11:00. > :11:05.with that red he potted, Mark has said, hang on, he is thinking about

:11:06. > :11:13.the winning line. Let's not give him an easy opportunity. Because that

:11:14. > :11:19.was a long way away. And if you considered those a few frames ago,

:11:20. > :11:29.he was sitting there is right in the pocket. Twists and turns. Is he

:11:30. > :11:57.looking at the red pushes to the corner. -- closest to the corner.

:11:58. > :12:04.He played the containing safety but that does not put much pressure on

:12:05. > :12:18.Mark to buy a better one than that. I don't think you can get through to

:12:19. > :12:23.the words read in the middle. Oh, he can so that was not the best

:12:24. > :12:29.containing safety shot. But he has not got the right angle on the

:12:30. > :12:31.yellow. If he plays the pot on the yellow, he will have to play it with

:12:32. > :12:55.a bit of face. -- pace. After missing that black in the last

:12:56. > :13:24.frame, he will be so annoyed. You can sometimes turn it to your

:13:25. > :13:28.advantage. He was on the black and I think the only red he could play to

:13:29. > :13:36.be on is the one just below the black. Can he hold for it?

:13:37. > :13:49.This will be a test of whether he is prepared to chances are monitoring.

:13:50. > :13:51.This red along the cushion will be difficult. And he has got a safety

:13:52. > :14:02.and that is what he is playing. He couldn't have left the cue ball

:14:03. > :15:31.more awkwardly than that. Don't think he was too interested in

:15:32. > :15:34.the part, but he was hoping to have it rattle in the jaw and then go up

:15:35. > :16:13.the side cushion. He turned down a yellow like this

:16:14. > :16:15.earlier on in the week. Sometimes feel when it is a chance to win the

:16:16. > :16:41.match, you have got to take it. I think he will prefer to go for the

:16:42. > :16:54.one open red, rather than play into the cluster. I think if he can hit

:16:55. > :17:00.the loose red in the baulk half of the table then he can play it. But

:17:01. > :17:04.it cannot get it off just one cushion, the right-hand cushion,

:17:05. > :17:32.which is what he would prefer. In a spot of bother here.

:17:33. > :17:47.He was trying to hit the red, but missed it by a long way. Quite

:17:48. > :17:55.rightly, Neil Robertson asking to have another go at that. Expect him

:17:56. > :17:58.to get closer. He is hoping to hit this red just half ball and knock it

:17:59. > :18:15.to the cushion and not leave it on. He was quite a way out the first

:18:16. > :18:21.time around and not much closer second time around. He is OK as long

:18:22. > :18:26.as the cue ball does not go in the pocket. He has a 27 point lead. I am

:18:27. > :18:31.not saying you can afford to give these points away, but this is his

:18:32. > :18:51.third attempt. I think the problem is, to get the

:18:52. > :18:55.line he may be going close to the cluster and he does not want to

:18:56. > :19:05.touch those. That was better. He has got its safe! It was worth the wait.

:19:06. > :19:07.That was well worked out. OK, it needed a bit of luck at the end, but

:19:08. > :19:32.it was a good shot to think of. Mark Selby is not snooker it any

:19:33. > :20:05.more. A little bit thick, but I don't

:20:06. > :20:14.think this red is comfortable into the middle. Just stopped short. Of

:20:15. > :20:22.course it will go to the left corner, but that is a more difficult

:20:23. > :20:28.pot. Straight cueing needed. Not had much of that from Neil Robertson in

:20:29. > :20:36.the last few frames. 67% is pretty good.

:20:37. > :21:00.-- knock this in. When you looked behind the shot, he had an angle to

:21:01. > :21:06.run through to the black. Sometimes you don't get many chances to win

:21:07. > :21:08.the match and if you keep refusing them, where is the next one coming

:21:09. > :21:22.from? I would not like to be playing Mark

:21:23. > :21:28.Selby and waiting for an easy chance to win. Every credit to Mark Selby,

:21:29. > :21:31.after losing the last frame in those circumstances, he has done very well

:21:32. > :22:12.to refocus his mind. He has not hit the blue fall in the

:22:13. > :22:15.face and has left the pot on. He did not want the red to come to the

:22:16. > :22:46.left-hand side of the table. But it has.

:22:47. > :22:53.Just caught the bump in the middle pocket. He would have had a chance

:22:54. > :22:57.at the black had he not done that. The red at the top of the bunch goes

:22:58. > :23:06.to the left-hand corner. He has hit that so well.

:23:07. > :23:20.As you were saying before, a little bit of tension in his arm. Some

:23:21. > :23:25.players tend to overhit, some underhit and as I have alluded to a

:23:26. > :23:31.few times this evening, cue ball control is so important in this

:23:32. > :23:38.game. The best breaks are the ones we think that we could have parted

:23:39. > :23:39.all of those, it is just manoeuvring the cue ball into the right

:23:40. > :23:54.position. He has not at the cue ball tight to

:23:55. > :24:04.the cushion. No real pressure on Mark Selby here. Mark Selby still

:24:05. > :24:18.has a 21 point lead. He is looking for one more chance in this frame.

:24:19. > :24:27.Close. I thought the only red he could leave was the one he was

:24:28. > :24:34.playing. That was right, but it did not go in. He has left a fairly

:24:35. > :24:52.comfortable safety shot now for Neil.

:24:53. > :25:00.Mark Selby is in a spot of bother now. And the spot of bother is the

:25:01. > :25:05.pink that will loom large on the right-hand side of the table. If he

:25:06. > :25:09.tries to play self -- safe down the right-hand side, he has got to avoid

:25:10. > :25:21.the pink. If he tries to play Sally down the left-hand side, it is more

:25:22. > :25:27.difficult. He did miss the pink, but how did the red not go in? Neil

:25:28. > :25:36.Robertson can get through to it. It looked as though it was about to

:25:37. > :26:11.drop. He can play the green off one

:26:12. > :26:28.cushion into an area where he will have a colour in the left centre.

:26:29. > :26:44.Not for the first time, just overhit the positional shot. Mark Selby, he

:26:45. > :26:55.will be thinking this is a decent chance for Neil Robertson. But some

:26:56. > :26:57.good shots to be played. This of course the frame he needs to be UK

:26:58. > :27:17.champion. Still not perfect, unless he decides

:27:18. > :27:24.to play the cannon. Then it can go wrong. Yes, if he can get the cue

:27:25. > :27:38.ball in that gap of the five reds, I don't see how he cannot be on a red.

:27:39. > :27:49.He did not find the gap, did he? He did not find the gap. As you say, if

:27:50. > :27:50.he finds the gap, a little bit of hope for Mark Selby, sat in his

:27:51. > :28:16.seat. Can he cut this red ink? It is very

:28:17. > :28:18.thin. If he does not do it right, it will stay in the jaws of the pocket,

:28:19. > :28:31.you feel. It is risky. As Stephen said, if he had just

:28:32. > :28:39.found the gap he would not have failed to be on one. But he didn't

:28:40. > :28:45.find the gap. He has thought about playing a thin cut. He is thinking

:28:46. > :29:00.again about it. He has decided against it. 11 points behind, still.

:29:01. > :29:06.Good length with the cue ball. But Mark Selby will be very relieved to

:29:07. > :30:11.come back to the table with a lead. That is an excellent shot.

:30:12. > :30:20.Absolutely top drawer safety. Needs a good reply now from Mark Selby.

:30:21. > :30:47.86%, not back. 78% for Mark Selby, that is low for him.

:30:48. > :30:59.Eight good pot, kiss on the brown and a nice one, gives him a nice

:31:00. > :31:04.angle to come down towards the reds.

:31:05. > :31:58.This could be frame and match-winning opportunity, Alison.

:31:59. > :32:00.After what has gone before. Nobody would be taking anything for

:32:01. > :32:11.granted. A little wimps there. Mark looking

:32:12. > :32:36.at Neil there -- a little wince. The position he had on the black, he

:32:37. > :32:41.had to. This is key to frame and match.

:32:42. > :32:48.And aiming without touching a side. -- in without touching a side. You

:32:49. > :33:01.feel that this could be the shot. When you are world number one, this

:33:02. > :33:03.gives you so much pleasure, to win these massive tournaments. To prove

:33:04. > :33:21.you are the best player in the world.

:33:22. > :33:39.He is on the yellow. The yellow to go 28 points and front. With only 25

:33:40. > :33:53.remaining. Right in the heart of the pocket.

:33:54. > :33:58.This has been a remarkable final, Mark Selby looked to be running away

:33:59. > :34:03.with it at one stage. We just felt that Neil Robertson, the way he

:34:04. > :34:11.played all week, was he ever going to produce it? He has produced its

:34:12. > :34:16.this evening. A few shaky moments. A black ball game in the last frame

:34:17. > :34:22.that could have gone either way. But now, it is like a lap of honour.

:34:23. > :34:33.In it goes, they are great pals the two of them. On the table it is very

:34:34. > :34:40.competitive but he has done it, the triple Crown. Neil Robertson UK

:34:41. > :34:46.champion, former Masters champion and former world champion, you have

:34:47. > :34:49.done it. Many congratulations. I feel a bit sorry for Mark Selby, he

:34:50. > :34:56.didn't play his best all week for me but he got to the final, made a fine

:34:57. > :35:01.event, Neil's mother Alison Rushing down to give him a hug and why not?

:35:02. > :35:04.Great performance. Neil Robertson, world 11, UK champion. He wins by

:35:05. > :35:19.ten frames to seven. HAZEL IRVINE: Ladies and gentlemen,

:35:20. > :35:26.let's hear it for our two players today. Defending champion, Mark, but

:35:27. > :35:30.as a complement to you, he has done a Mark Selby new in effect! I played

:35:31. > :35:36.sort of OK in the first session scrap it out and then I did not

:35:37. > :35:41.deserve to win, I had more than my fair share of chances and I did not

:35:42. > :35:47.take them and Neil did. You were within a black ball of making it and

:35:48. > :35:49.you wonder, should you have had that black ball clean? It was a tricky

:35:50. > :35:52.one. LAUGHTER.

:35:53. > :36:01.To be fair, I don't deserve to be here with the second session, Neil

:36:02. > :36:04.was definitely the better player but at the end of the day, some of the

:36:05. > :36:07.performances I have played a pretty poor so to get to the finals is a

:36:08. > :36:16.massive achievement. A lovely Christmas bonus coming, small matter

:36:17. > :36:18.of ?70,000 and 59,000 for a fantastic maximum yesterday.

:36:19. > :36:23.Congratulations. APPLAUSE.

:36:24. > :36:30.Our champion, ladies and gentlemen, Neil Robertson. Neil, he nicked your

:36:31. > :36:37.Masters crown, you have got him back today. Yes, Mark in the first

:36:38. > :36:40.session was too good for me. I had some chances but I thought he played

:36:41. > :36:47.really solid and tonight, I came out and 6-3 down, I had to play my best

:36:48. > :36:52.snooker to get back into the match. When I beat John Higgins Elia this

:36:53. > :36:57.year -- earlier this year, I thought that was the best I performed in a

:36:58. > :36:59.final but tonight is definitely better.

:37:00. > :37:13.APPLAUSE. You one seven frames at that, what

:37:14. > :37:18.did you summon out of that? At the interval, I got a text message from

:37:19. > :37:24.a former world champion and it helped a bit. I will not tell you

:37:25. > :37:28.who it was. If you try to take mark on with a safety, he is the best

:37:29. > :37:31.safety player in the world and I had to give my shots and try to speed

:37:32. > :37:36.the play up a bit and increased the tempo and I did that and I figured

:37:37. > :37:42.what the best snooker out of myself with that session and towards the

:37:43. > :37:48.end there, 8-6, 8-7 and then the black... Oh, he got the white and

:37:49. > :37:58.black clean. I have done that before and I lost to Germany chief -- lost

:37:59. > :38:05.to Joe. I was shocked as anyone to it still hang over the whole. I did

:38:06. > :38:11.not want to get the long stuff out, I played right-handed quickly. And

:38:12. > :38:17.the last frame there, just that chance there, really proud of the

:38:18. > :38:23.way I handled myself. when you go 9-7 in front, do you ever feel

:38:24. > :38:28.comfortable and safe like a man like -- against a man like this? He has

:38:29. > :38:33.done it to Ronnie O'Sullivan in the Masters final and he is one of the

:38:34. > :38:39.worst ways in the world to have a good lead in front of. Mark is a

:38:40. > :38:44.brilliant player. We are playing each other a lots now because we are

:38:45. > :38:49.getting in the later stages as well. Hopefully, this will not be our last

:38:50. > :38:55.UK championship final. White the crew I know you are keen student of

:38:56. > :38:58.the game but he joined an exclusive club of winners of the triple Crown.

:38:59. > :39:04.To become the first overseas player in history to have done it. I missed

:39:05. > :39:14.Alex Higgins and Terry Griffiths docking about its it, sorry, guys.

:39:15. > :39:19.And to become the first overseas player to win all three, and when I

:39:20. > :39:25.came over and Ding Junhui and myself turned pro at the same time. To go

:39:26. > :39:28.ahead of him is a fantastic achievement. I am sure he will

:39:29. > :39:32.achieve it one day as well but to be the first is a really fantastic

:39:33. > :39:38.feeling. You join a fantastic club. Your mother has flown in from

:39:39. > :39:44.Australia, you have to keep here for Australia, haven't you? She will

:39:45. > :39:47.have a good Christmas. So will you. Congratulations, our champion, Neil

:39:48. > :40:05.Robertson! MC: ladies and gentlemen, please

:40:06. > :40:10.welcome your visitation partner, Nicola Frampton from William Hill --

:40:11. > :40:14.hasn't Haitian partner. -- hasn't Haitian partner.

:40:15. > :40:22.Mazes and gentlemen, the runner-up -- ladies and gentlemen. The cheque

:40:23. > :40:27.for ?70,000 and the bonus 59,000 for the wonderful maximum, put your

:40:28. > :40:38.hands together for Mark Selby! Chimney APPLAUSE.

:40:39. > :40:55.And the winner, the history maker, the record-breaker, receiving the

:40:56. > :41:00.cheque for ?150,000, the trophy and the title 2013 William Hill .com UK

:41:01. > :41:03.champion, Neil Robertson! ladies and gentlemen, your

:41:04. > :41:34.champion, Neil Robertson! HAZEL IRVINE: There he is, the

:41:35. > :41:38.history man, Neil Robertson and what a performance. What a transformation

:41:39. > :41:42.in his game in that match. He talked about a bit of impetus from a former

:41:43. > :41:48.world champion, yet to be revealed! Clearly gave him a bit of spark. It

:41:49. > :41:52.did and as you said, he went for shots a bit more, increased his

:41:53. > :41:58.tempo and how crucial those two frames were before the first eight

:41:59. > :42:03.and that last black, it could have been different if that had gone in

:42:04. > :42:08.for Mark Selby and they had gone 8-8. When you think about his

:42:09. > :42:14.consistency, his second major title of the season. His third of the

:42:15. > :42:16.year, is he the man who is exemplifying professionalism and

:42:17. > :42:20.consistency in your sport right now? Absolutely, and if I was under

:42:21. > :42:26.the professional playing, he would be a benchmark. I would be looking

:42:27. > :42:29.at every event to try to avoid him because he turns up, it turns up the

:42:30. > :42:33.first day, totally professional, knew what the prize money would be,

:42:34. > :42:37.that is always an indication of how serious they are but he is dedicated

:42:38. > :42:41.and he is such a good competitor. To turn it round from where he was and

:42:42. > :42:46.I always felt he was hitting the ball better than Mark Selby but it

:42:47. > :42:51.is too Mark Selby's credit he hung in so long. Yes, great character

:42:52. > :42:54.showed by him from Mark Selby because at times, it did not look

:42:55. > :42:58.like he was going to get to this final. It is a mark of the man and a

:42:59. > :43:04.mark of the champion. He will definitely be hurting with this

:43:05. > :43:09.defeat but he has to take an awful lot of admiration for the way he has

:43:10. > :43:12.played. I hope you have enjoyed it, we definitely have. You will enjoy

:43:13. > :43:20.our next event, the Masters and we will be live with the first game on

:43:21. > :43:24.the 12th of January, 1pm on BBC Two, Alexandra Palace, a marvellous

:43:25. > :43:30.tournament and only the top 16 players in the world with Mark Selby

:43:31. > :43:34.defending that one as well. That is it from York, we will have to say

:43:35. > :43:38.goodbye to this beautiful city, thank you very much for your company

:43:39. > :43:42.all week. We have enjoyed some great stuff, meeting some of the amateurs

:43:43. > :43:45.and the guys on the way up but the guy right at the top of the tree is

:43:46. > :43:49.Neil Robertson who has proved it one more time tonight. That is it from

:43:50. > :43:57.us. It is time that we hew Christmas. Goodbye. -- cube

:43:58. > :44:00.Christmas. -- cue Christmas.