30/11/2013 UK Snooker Championship

Welcome to the brave new world of snooker. This is a brand-new format.

Instead of the normal 32 players turning up, 128 men, the top

professionals and seven amateurs all together since Tuesday in the

opening round. No protection for the top guys and no What impact is this

new format having? It will have a major impact. It certainly gives

opportunities to other players. I am sure they are all excited about it.

It is a different setup. Completely different from what we are used to.

But I think it will be a positive setup. Some of the top players are

already on record, Judd Trump says it feels like a circus, very busy

and challenging. Obviously, the top players will be playing extra

matches. They are expected to beat these lower ranked players. I do not

know whether I am sold on it yet. There is an energy however. An

unpredictably about what we are seeing. -- and unpredictability.

Yes, some of the players here I have not met before. But it is exciting.

When we started playing the game, we would have loved a system like this.

What a way to learn. Yes, a great experience. If the game has two go

forward, and the top players have to understand this, expand into new

territories and sell the game into other countries, I think this will

be the way forward. With the older protected system, it was too

difficult for new players to come through. In tennis, or the top

players come in at round one. -- all the top. If you had told the top

players ten years ago that this was how they would play, would have

liked it. Yes, the opportunities are there for the guys at the bottom as

well. Overall, it is a fair system. Talking about the logistical

challenge, it is a bit tight in here. There are eight tables on the

goal, four in the main arena. Play began here at 930 this morning and

the players have to make sure they are focused on their own matches and

the attention does not wonder. The other three tables are in their

site, the audience is walking in and out. As a consequence, we are in

here, in the players lounge. There is a real buzz and a real energy

about that. That is because we have been turfed out of our normal home.

What do you think of that? Yes, our studio used to be down the

other end. But we have four tables set up for the matches. These

snooker players have really taken over. But where you are, that is

where a good number of the surprise results have been taking place.

There is not the intimidation factor in here. Younger players are used to

playing in tables out against each other. As for the senior players, on

this table here, we will have cue former 16 players and they will have

to knuckle down and get on with it. You will have to keep the noise down

in there this afternoon. His lips are sealed. We talk about

concentration, is it a factor? You are able to see everything going

on, is it distracting? I think that is a difficult thing. It is more

open plan now. You can see what is going on on the other tables. It

does take a lot of getting used to. That is what I find the most

difficult thing. Before, when we played here, there was a wall there,

nothing in your bed. Now there are guys moving around on both sides of

the table. -- nothing in your way. This is the most high profile event

in which it has been used so far. And there have been some high

profile casualties. Marco Fu defeated by Mitchell Travis. Marco

Fu had been fancied by many for this title in York, but it is the amateur

from Sheffield who has created one of the greatest shocks in this

event. That was yesterday. These are some of the other key results.

next. We are all looking forward to seeing him. We talked about some of

next. We are all looking forward to It is a bit of an inconvenience for

Marco It is a bit of an inconvenience for

never seen before. And some to seeing at the end of

tournaments, very good players. to seeing at the end of

through from round one, they do not to seeing at the end of

are playing on these tables, it to seeing at the end of

to. They have been playing these arenas before, five, six tables. It

looks very similar to these. We may see a few more surprises. Think you

will. We talked about space being at a premium, there is only one

practice table here. It is not getting much use at the moment. The

others are short walk away from here. -- are a short walk. Of the 64

first round matches, only four remain and we will be showing you a

fair bit of those matches. It feels like the third round of the FA Cup,

a David and Goliath situation. Amongst the matches we will be

featuring is that of Rhys Clark, 19-year-old from Strathaven. He is

playing Ronnie O'Sullivan in the main arena this afternoon. We have

got another man that you will want to see. In June the Mac -- then

Junhui -- Ding Junhui. Runnymede have won the most recent

event, but it has been the best year for Ding Junhui. He has won the last

three major titles in a row. So what can Antony Parsons do today against

him? He is a 1000 to one shot for the title here. We wish him the very

best today. It is great to see him playing here

today. I played his father about 30 years ago. We had a four hander in

Middlesbrough. But that is the man of the moment. He is equalled

Stephen Hendry's record. He is playing well. He is playing

absolutely brilliantly. To win four, that really does go back to the

Stephen Hendry yet. absolutely brilliantly. To win four,

that really does go back There is the arena with the four

tables. Times are changing. Antony needs to make a good start

and get settled in. He is a good way. -- player. He is 35 years old.

He has been around a while. But he must be nervous.

Ding Junhui much more relaxed these days. Think he has worked on that.

That is a good attacking safety shot. These are difficult shots.

There is no easy safety shot, he may have to take this on.

He is playing the safety shot. That sums up the way

Not a good shot. That is a big mistake from Antony.

He was trying to get up in the blue. Played it like you did not

fancy the pot very much. He is looking at the port in the

left corner. thing has got the early chance. --

Ding. I thought he would play the one to

the right corner which seemed easier. He congregated things there.

He looks a bit edgy here. He is just not with it at the

moment. He hit that so properly. Strange choice of shot. -- so

poorly. This is poor.

That has confused Antony little bit. You would think the cushions would

all play the same, but he looked bemused by the ankle. -- angle.

That is a good shot. He might be able to make things happen from

here. He has got a choice now.

He seems to have been our around for a long time, but he is only 26.

First game is certainly Ding Junhui's. Yes, antennae

That seemed to kick and the Pink seemed to straighten up.

Anthony will come and get a bit of practice on the table. I do not

blame him for that. That was heavy contact he had on the Pink there.

It is difficult for Anthony, it really is. One. I think it is his

first time playing under the television cameras in a major

tournament. It is a big day for the man from Middlesbrough. He has got

his wife with him as well. He has decided he has had enough.

Ding takes the opening frame. He leads 1-0.

Anthony Hamilton till to find his feet, Ding looks comfortable. I can

see Jimmy White leaving there. He will be in action tomorrow

afternoon. We have had some results from this morning's session and it

is Allister Carter who has beaten Jimmy Robertson. Allister Carter is

a two-time Crucible finalist. He has had health problems and it is good

to see him looking fit. He is safely through to the last 64, but Peter

Ebdon, a former world and UK champion is out. David Morris has

beat him. The man from Kilkenny. He has had at horrific season. Peter

Ebdon is going home. He has had a brilliant season. Antony Parsons

about to get underway. What about that? Peter Ebdon. That was a pretty

one-sided match. I am just going back to that 6-1

defeat for Peter Ebdon. David Morris. He is from Kilkenny, a great

part of the world. There is a possible part, I do not know if Ding

will go for it. He could get himself onto the Black. He is having a go. A

long way off. Perfectly on the Black, though. This would be a nice

pot to knock in. It would be a confidence booster. Once again, he

could leave the one that he is having a go at there. Oh, look what

he has done! He has pushed one right over the pocket. Maybe it is too

thin. You're meant to come into a match

like this under no pressure. Sometimes the pressure is even

greater for Anthony. There is a lot of hope and expectation he will play

well. It is a different kind of pressure that he is under. He got

away with that. Ding raised his hand because he was lucky. We know what

that means in any language when you raise your hand! I would not think

it is much of a consolation when someone puts their hands up to say

sorry. A bit of courtesy. You can say Ding's I is going from that ball

to the cue ball. Finally before he does the cue, he is looking at the

object. You go back and forwards to the cue ball and the object ball.

Looking at the object ball just before he delivers the cue. I

remember Sam Torrance trying to change that.

Ding has put Anthony in trouble. He has missed a couple already. Back

and start to play on anyone's mind. He has looked at the left side of

the table and may play a safety shot. If he played the one near the

pocket he would have a chance of doubling that. It looks as if he is

playing the other one. Same result. Not a bad idea. A couple of good

safety shot from Anthony and that will hopefully force Ding into

leaving him a comfortable chance in amongst the balls. It remains to be

seen whether Ding will do that. Anthony should avoid that read on

the cushion. He does not want go to the pack of Reds too closely. It

leaves Ding something to go out on the right corner. -- go at.

That is providing he missed the jaws of the middle pocket. That is a

pretty bad mistake to make. It is not an lucky to get those, he should

be aiming before the middle pocket to get behind the Yellow. It is not

an easy chance for Anthony, the Pink is tied up and he will have to get

back for the Blue, the Black will pass the Yellow. He has quite a bit

to do with the cue ball, it is an easier chance that he needs, he has

taken the more difficult pot. That is good. This is the first chance he

has had. The Pink is tied up. He has a chance to knock a few balls in and

hopefully relax a bit. One of his wins in the qualifying rounds was

four - zero against Jamie Cope. I am sure he is a decent player. I wonder

if he will play to knock the Pink interplay. -- into play.

Your choice was the better choice. Let us see if he can manage it after

this shot. He has a long way to travel in and out of the Baltic

area. At least he has got the Brown away from its spot. It gives him

room down the table. That is pretty good. It is pacey again. It looked

good in running. It never seem to stop rolling. At that stage. It

seemed to come off that cushion quite quickly. It kept on running.

Does this read go into the right corner? I do not think so.

He has got an easy safety shot, but not easy to get in behind a colour

and hide the cue ball. I think there is a Red that would go to the left

middle pocket, but no colour available, so no value in that.

Nothing to get in behind there. Better chance for Ding to swing the

cue ball over, he has got the Yellow and Black to cover the Reds. He has

the Green now. Let us see where he finishes. That will do as well. If

this comes past the Green... He is still OK. He is on the Green. If he

had missed the Green, he would be on the Black. He picked this out

nicely, there was very then contact. -- then contact.

??APPLAUSE He has got winning ways at the

moment. I think it is a tremendous achievement to match up those

factories. He has not played well in every match. He was behind in a

couple of the matches in the Indian Open. He won the decider with

century breaks. Five. He has a chance now, he had some heavy

contact there. He was playing it nicely on the Black, if he is too

straight on the Black, he has got the Blue available and he can take

the Blue and cannon into the Pink. Let us see what angle he has on the

Black. It might just be OK. He can screw back and get up towards the

Reds. He is heading the cue ball right down at the bottom. I tell you

what, even though he made the half-century in the opening frame,

he does not seem to be cueing smoothly. Look at the luck he has

had here, missing this. He has got the Brown just about over the right

corner. Talk about good fortune. If we were playing, it would have

stayed in our memory for a while. That was a reaction to the previous

shot, that is what he thinks. That was a bit like the old Ding. Anthony

with an opportunity. It has been very busy in all the tournament 's,

the man who Ding is playing here, he did not win at the weekend by

missing those. He has not settled in. What we are realising is how

tough this game is. It is made to look easy by all the great players.

This guy complained the game, but at the moment he is struggling. -- can

play the game. You do not see that often from Ding. He is disgusted

with his form, because he gave the table a good old slap and I have

never seen him do that before. I am sure we will see it again. I do not

know whether that is telling us he is not all that happy with the way

the table is placed. The one thing about Ding, is his cue ball control.

Today he is not controlling it. He is very close with his waistcoat on

that Red. I do not think he was all that aware of what was happening, he

was millimetres away. He did not quite brush it with his waistcoat.

He is one of the better referees. We have a great group of referees at

the moment. Ding has got a horrible shot, how

can he avoid a whole group of Reds? You just basically hit and hope.

That could have been an awful lot worse. It was a good shot, but he

probably deserves to be on one, but he split the Reds up perfectly.

He can still pot the Yellow but it should have been much easier. Still

a possible pot, one into the right corner. That extension will be able

to make him reach this. It is a free shot. He can avoid cannon name into

that Red. Will he commit and try and hold for the Blue? He certainly did.

That is just about the best shot he has played so far in this match.

That gives him a great chance to go on and take the second frame. This

is the first sign that he has got to grips with the table. The Red by the

Brown ball is going to be a problem later. If he can take the other Red,

then the frame should be over by then. It might not be a concern for

him. Interesting, it was like he tried to develop it. That was a bit

of a guess as to where the cue ball would finish, once again. He did not

quite judge the cannon. It was not a bad choice of shot. He will have to

wait for another chance now. Just try to make it as difficult. You

could quite easily go in behind the Green, but he feels he can put it in

a more difficult spot. I think he is going for it. The White is past the

line. It makes it at then 's neck. I cannot believe he took that on. He

was passed the ball line. He has got away with it. Can you

believe that? There is a Red to the middle. He took an old-fashioned

liberty there. Going for the Yellow. There was a guaranteed

snooker there are. Sometimes there is a way of being replayed for

playing the wrong shots. He has left a big pocket, look where

there's Red is coming across and that will go into the pocket or in

of the other Red. That is the worst possible outcome for Anthony. I

think you would like to go in of the other Red, rather than pot it

directly. He might play it cushion first. It was a good shot. It was a

big pocket. Surely now, despite Ding's loose shot on the Yellow, the

frame will be his. He could have played the Red onto the cushion on

the other end, but very accurate striking. He is a little bit

awkward. That is well played and that definitely should be the end of

the second frame now. It is a comfortable 2-0 lead for Ding.

Antony Parsons has had his chances. He just has not been able to settle.

Ding has played as shocking positional shot. Anthony has had a

few chances. Fancy finishing over the top of that. He has got the

Yellow ball there. It will be tricky to get from the Yellow down from the

next Red if he plays it. He will take the Pink from the middle. It is

his last hope in this frame. Now that it has gone in, it will be the

second frame to Ding Junhui. At the moment, it is a bit of a stroll in

the park for him even though he is not playing at his best. He is not

getting a huge amount of resistance. We have seen sharks, but for the

moment, Anthony concedes the frame and Ding has taken the first three

-- the first two frames. -- we have seen sharks. We will be back later

on. We are going to focus on another match which features Rhys Clark. He

has arguably the plum tie of the whole Championship because he is

playing Ronnie O'Sullivan. We will hear from both men ahead of their

match. Let us start with Ronnie. I think the Crucible is different to

other tournament is, it is really pressurised. I felt tension that I

have never felt at any other tournament. To comeback in 2013 was

pretty unbelievable. -- to comeback. I was back in the heart and I did

not expect anything to happen in Sheffield, but I am back to play

because they need to play. Everybody wants to be the world champion and

it is how you process that and deal with the pressure. It was like a

fairy tale, there have been a few things in snooker that I have done,

but that is one of my greatest achievements. I do sometimes think

that it is not how good you are, it is how tough you are, how much

bottle, how much resilience you have and you need all of that, you need

to have your game in position and have a bit of bottle and be up for

the job. I think when I1-macro my first UK tournament,

player will take you out. Sometimes, it adds pressure from a young age. I

enjoyed that pressure, I would rather be expecting a win, bringing

the sense of occasion on to myself than the person who has nothing to

lose. Don't have much experience at this level, but I will take chances.

I need to try my best. I do not feel that I cannot compete. Ronnie is the

biggest player in the game. The amount of people who want to watch,

the amount of tournament he has won, the world championships back to

gap, -- back to back, it could not be a harder draw. I just hope that I

can do something. Race card is only 19. He narrowly failed to get

through the qualifying school earlier and he is here because he is

one of the seven best amateurs that went through that process -- Rhys

Clark. He has to hope that Ronnie O Sullivan starts his match like Ding

Junhui. He will need him to miss a a few balls and he will be very

nervous. We were watching his mum put on his bowtie! What I would say

is go out and enjoy it. He has probably been dreaming about this

since he first picked up a cue. He will be nervous, but just enjoy it.

It is just an ordinary table, forget about who is watching, forget about

your family. He is playing the best player in the world so just enjoy

it. I think he needs blinkers on. I think everybody does, it is

distracting. How much will run it now about him by Tamara does it

matter -- how much will be only know about him? And does it matter? He

probably does not know him. It is so important to have a good start.

Home-made full will run EB -- how mindful will Ronnie O'Sullivan be

after the previous games? He is very mature, has so much experience. Any

time he goes out, you wants to perform. Opportunities do not get

much bigger than this. Here comes the world champion Ronnie Sullivan

and right behind him, I young man from Lanarkshire, Rhys Clark. One of

the seven best amateurs in the qualifying school. These matches,

best of 11 frames. I wonderful how -- I wonder how comfortable young

Rhys feels out there? Ronnie just getting himself ready.

Shaking hands with young Rhys. What an experience for him. That is

the main thing. If you could hit one player were really you have nothing

to lose, and I do not mean that likely, he is playing Ronnie

O'Sullivan world champion, centrestage. -- lightly.

If Rees was hoping -- if Rhys was hoping Ronnie O'Sullivan would start

the match called, his hopes have been dashed. -- : cold.

The problem is with that, if you are knocking the red towards the corner,

you have to cover it. A little bit of a tester for Ronnie. He cannot

widen the angle Has he been rescued by the brown? He

has. A little bit fortunate to get that

gap. Certainly was not playing for that. This is not easy.

He may be forced into playing the pot.

Rhys someone making a noise in the audience every time Ronnie Mrs --

misses a ball. You can never be certain with that

position. It would have been nice if the Queen

had not been knocked off its spot. -- green.

I think the important thing is for Rhys to play his natural game.

The worst thing for Rhys would be if he came off the table without having

given himself a chance to play well. That was a surprising this from

Ronnie -- surprising miss. That was a bit careless. He may be

in trouble next time he comes to the table.

Quite a distance away. He has left a pot on for Rhys.

Players always set great store by the first game.

Young Rhys is in a spot of bother here.

Just the red near the top cushion. He could not have played better.

That shows us he knows his way around the snooker table. He will

have to produce a good shot here. That means he goes 62 points behind

with only 59 remaining. Another long pot that went astray.

An opportunity here for Rhys. And that is enough. Ronnie had a

fine start, missed a few after that. But he has won the first frame

quite comfortably. It appears we have two ambidextrous

players out there. What a marathon this other match was. Graeme Dott

eventually prevailing. That is good news for him. He needs to stay in

the world's top 16 players if he is to get an invitation to the Masters.

A lot riding on this particular event for him. Observations about

Rhys. He is not used to the environment yet. It is

understandable. Just so difficult to settle down. And Ronnie started off

well. There is all the periphery going on. If you are going to win

this event, you have to win seven matches. If Rhys can pot a few

balls, get settled into the game, that will help.

This is strange. Ronnie refusing Street red. -- refusing a Street

red. The red to the left corner, I cannot

believe he refused that. He is obviously not fancying long ports

from distance, especially that are straight.

You only have to hit the cue ball slightly off centre and it throws

the cue ball off-line. Ronnie root very impressive in the

first frame, but looking a bit ragged now. -- Ronnie looked.

A lot of encouragement from the crowd. But unfortunately, not a good

kiss. He can just about get to the edge of the pink. He has to be

careful. That could be costly. Taking the

black on. Could not be replaced the reds any

better here. As you say, it looked perfect

opportunity score heavily. But that cost him.

It is going to be hard for Ronnie and other top players in this

tournament. He will be expecting to win this match, but he will also

have to be focused. And he would not be the first player to let his guard

slip a little bit. Then you have to try harder to get your concentration

back. I would have thought that young Rhys would be encouraged by

what he has seen so far. He has not been blown away, so to speak. But he

has got to play better safety than that.

If anything is going to give Rhys confidence, it is going to be seeing

Ronnie missing these shots. He just wants the chance to put some

easy balls and get his hand in. -- pot some easy balls.

Why not put the red that was closest? I do not think he is

thinking clearly. That is down to nerves.

He is nicely on the next red. Excellent chance.

Good chance to get your rhythm going, played a natural pace.

14. He let the blue run loose. Unless he lets it get to that next

corner, he has nothing. That was then! Will he be saved by

the blue? He cannot believe it. All these good players get this run of

the ball, it has never changed. It is a cruel game, caused by his

bad shot, though. He had a good chance, and as we always say, if you

get one good chance, and you do not take it, anything that follows is a

little bit down to yourself, but that was very unlucky. The way these

reds are, as he takes on thinking time, I can understand. I do not see

how he can possibly not leave Ronnie a shot on here. He is trying to get

to this red, trying to swerve onto this red on the top cushion. He

played it well. Depending on the angle, he may have left this red for

Ronnie. If Ronnie feels he can pot this and get the position on the

collar, it looks as though he can get to the left middle. -- colour.

At the moment, he just does not seem with it, Ronnie.

Nice angle on the green, a good chance.

The best positional shot for Ronnie, I am sure he was not playing for

this red. If he plays to the top corner, it is a simple shot. You

would expect to be 2-0 here. 19. So, now 41 points in front. 43

remaining, but not for long. He had a chance in this frame, it did Rhys,

and he will be disappointed that he played up a shot of the red when he

was playing for the blue in the middle. . Ronnie has taken these

nicely. What a lovely lady to from Ronnie

O'Sullivan. He seemed to lose his focus at the start, but Rhys Clark

could not take the opportunity and that was a lovely way to finish the

frame. Ronnie leaves 2-0. Focus and losing focus and it was interesting,

Ronnie said in his interview that it is not enough to be good enough, it

is about how tough you are, how resilient and how are you are for

the job effectively. Is it difficult to summon the same kind of

application levels that you would in a final? Of course. Ronnie knows

that he will probably get through this match, but the performance

level and the concentration level may not be there when you are

playing someone who is a nonentity in the game, just starting off as

opposed to playing one of the top players. It is difficult. You have

got to try and it into the mindset that you still want to perform, be

proud of your performance, so when you do come up against it in the

next round... You want to keep your concentration for your own levels as

well, because if you start easing off, sometimes that can happen in

the next match and you want to be on from the beginning. What did you

tell yourself in these situations? To concentrate on every ball.

Sometimes missing a couple of pots was the one thing you needed. Ronnie

missed a few balls, you felt like saying that he needed to do better.

You need to refocus and pick it up again and that happened in that

frame. He is starting out on what he hopes will be a campaign to win a

fifth UK title. There is a long pot missed. It was made a little bit

more difficult because he was not sure were the cue ball would finish.

There you go. They say the figures do not lie. But it is 100%. Rhys. If

he could just get through to that red. Unfortunately he could not. Do

you think there was a defining moment when you first came on the

scene, Stephen, that you thought I am comfortable in these

surroundings, or is it just the accumulation of results? Rhys has

obviously idolised Ronnie, growing up watching him, and the first time

I played Jimmy White, he was my idol, and the first time you do

that, you are in all of them and it is hard to play.

He spotted it well. That Brown he has gone for, he is really pushing

the boat out. Now it is an excellent opportunity.

28. 29. He will want to win this match as quickly as possible.

Players like Ronnie and like myself, you see the first couple of

matches as a bit of an inconvenience. I see where you're

coming from. You do not want any long and drawn-out matters if you

can help them. There will be no days off -- matches. No time to relax.

You want to keep the matches to an minimum if you can.

These first couple of matches, Ronnie will not show disrespect to

his opponents, but these opportunities perhaps make a match

for him. He would always be thinking that way. When he parted the black

in the last frame, you thought he had everything in good position, he

just lost his focus a little bit during the last frame, but it looks

as though he has switched on now. 45.

He is OK, I thought he was a danger, nestling on the green, but

it is a nice position. 51. Little bit straighter on this blue

would have been ideal, he might just be able to hold the white. No, he

could not. That could have gone horribly wrong. But it is OK.

62. 63. Rhys will need a snooker. Will he be able to make a centre

here? Fax no -- excellent positional shot.

He has over cut it. It is enough for Rhys. That was a decent break from

Ronnie. A little bit disappointed he made the century, but he now leads

3-0. It was an interesting part in that frame. Rhys had one chance, the

red in the middle, missed it and then Ronnie potted the planned.

Looking at this situation, if somebody said what will he play

next, you would not have said he would have gone for the pot on the

brown. It was amazing. He did not really have a lot of options. He

could have came up -- came off the top cushion and gone for the black,

but I think he will try and win this match as quickly as possible. People

say he might be showing Rhys disrespect, but he is just playing

the way he plays the game. Fair comment. When Ronnie plays you

always get a packed house and he wants to turn it on for the fans.

Nothing wrong with that. That brown was a bit special.

Does this red past the yellow? It looks like it does. No look at the

moment for young Rhys. What were we saying about Ronnie going to the

maximum? Not a lot of players looking for the black there. That

was an excellent shot. When he was left that red, it went past the

yellow comic you saw him looking straight at the black potted and

that is the only thing on his mind right now.

Good part and just in -- just about perfect on this red -- pot. 25. A

little bit straighter on the black, but the red is just right on the

pink and will go into the middle. Undercooked it slightly, but he can

still play for the black. Just need this cue ball to bounce

out a little bit more and he is maybe just at a slight angle, but he

will have to play at the right hand side. 41. He needs a bit of luck.

And he is OK. There are certainly one red to the corner and he may be

able to push that cue ball through for the black. And in playing it, it

would open the other -- the other reds up. He is looking at the one to

the left middle, but I like the one to the right corner. I do not think

he wants to push the reds onto the cushion. 49. Unlucky, he snookered

himself. And just caught the pink fraction too thick. He was not

holding back, but he has got a 49 point lead. He has given his young

opponent a great opportunity now. Can he relax and produce his best

form? Ronnie, you concede, absolutely seething. -- you can see.

That is the sort of thing he will not want to remember when he looks

back on this match. You can call at what you like, pressure, but it is

so hard. I have no doubt you would see Rhys playing in his snooker club

practising, he would not miss a ball, but just out there, it is

getting used to the surroundings, the harsh, the television cameras,

nothing is there to put you off, but it is there in your mind, but it is

important and just this red needed and Ronnie will go to the interval,

certain to be 4-0 in front and disappointment for the young man.

Just coming up to 45 minutes and it is definitely going to be 4-0. After

being a little bit ragged in the second frame, Ronnie seems to have

his mind back on the job. He definitely switched back on when

he had the opportunity to make a maximum. You could tell how much

more focused he was. He played the double and he is not

bothered whether it goes in or not. They did not see it going, but I

heard it. -- I did not see it go in. Where is the cue ball going? It did

not matter, he was trying to play a few extra shots for the crowd. Rhys

just asking the referee if it is an interval now, and he has been told

that there is and Ronnie Sullivan goes to it leading by four - zero.

He looks comfortable but he has not been given a huge amount to think

about by Rhys Clarke. He is finding his feet. I think Ronnie can afford

to take a few risks. Perhaps in the back of his mind, he knows he is not

going to be punished as severely as he might have been by other players.

He relaxed a little bit. Even going for the difficult paying to keep the

break going, Ronnie would still like to knock in some centuries or big

breaks, because no matter who you play, you always still want to

entertain and he is a born entertainer. He wants to get the

match over and done web as quickly as possible, the more arrest the

better, because he has two Win seven matches to win the Championship. For

Ronnie, it is an easy start for him. Rhys Clarke has a lot to think

about. What would you say to him? Just to try and blank out what has

happened and relax and go one play. 99 times out of a hundred, you will

lose this match, just try and play and do something and come away with

good memories. Just something you can take from it. We have seen a bit

of craft from him. Yes. If they can take something, but a few good ball

then. What ever happens, it is about enjoying it and he will remember

this day even if he does lose. He will remember this day for the rest

of his snooker life. He has a long way to go, but we will come back and

see how the second half of the match goes. You might think that the top

16 rankings are a thing of the past. If you think they are a thing

of the past, you could be half right, because they are still

important as the go-ahead to events like the Masters tournament and the

World Championship, because they still require you to be in the top

16 in order to qualify. This happens to be the last counting event before

the Masters in January, so the scramble is on for places. At the

bottom you have the likes of Graeme Dott, Joe Perry, Matt Stevens, all

wanting to make sure they earned their place. Ronnie O'Sullivan,

right now in the rankings, he is number 29. That does not make any

difference for the bookmakers, because they see him at the start of

the day, as the outright favourite to win this event and win it for a

fifth time. He is the favourite. We have Neil Robertson and Ding Junhui

highly fancied and Mark Selby. What do you make of the odds? There are

no mistakes from the bookmakers. It is exactly what you would have

thought. I did not see any mistakes. You could argue that Allister Carter

plays well in the UK, Stuart Bingham is in the form of his life. I think

Barry Hawkins is a player who is very capable. If you're looking for

bigger odds, generally the way they have it is right. Who do you fancy?

Mark Allen is a good outsider. Look at John Higgins. You would not have

go back a long way before you would have got odds like that with him.

Look at Mark Williams. Another UK winner. Big odds. John Higgins slept

in Sheffield because he could not find a hotel room in your! He is

sleeping in Sheffield. Hopefully he will manage to make his way here. It

is full of Christmas shoppers. It is all happening in this amazing city.

So far, so good. Ding Junhui is enjoying his visit because the last

we saw of him he was 2-0 up on Antony Parsons. Antony is trailing

as we rejoin them and it is back to Dennis and Neal. He is ready to

play. That is not bad. He deserves a little bit of luck, the cue ball has

travelled on a bit. He will maybe go for the blue. Very difficult to

clear from here. If he takes the green, he has to

force it up near the red. Worst possible outcome there. But

unlucky, but if he had potted the blue, the White would not have gone

near the pocket. Ding is not going through the ball as well as he

would. And playing the safety shot, Antony will avoid going into the

blue. Probably around the back of it would be the best way. He has done

that. The red not going over the middle pocket, so that is all right.

Well, I think he played something like that. Certainly, the cue ball

he would have intended to get behind the baulk cover.

It just caught the pink first beer. -- there.

It is pretty comfortable for Ding at the moment.

45 the difference. Antony is coming to the table.

Antony Parsons made a good run in the next. The last before the

interval. He is 65 points in front on this one.

Nice pot. The colour might be awkward.

He is doing everything he can to tighten up this frame. Still 75

points on the table. He might have to chance his arm

here. This is all round the houses. A

great escape. Has he not had one? -- hit one. That is pretty unlucky. A

great effort. He hit a lot of cushions, a lot of distance.

Seven. Antony will just try to drop this red. At least he can go to the

midsection feeling a little bit more comfortable.

Ding concedes. Andy Parsons -- Antony Parsons has won the frame.

Antony Parsons can feel pretty pleased with himself. He will be

very pleased. A similar situation to the other guy. But so much different

when you go into the dressing room 3-1 down. I remember being in a

similar situation playing Steve Davis, I can remember being stuck in

the chair, watching this course. -- watching a scoreboard. The top

players do not notice everything around them. But Antony Parsons will

feel about ten feet tall now. Do you start to genuinely believe you can

do something now? Every journey starts with a single step. Once you

get one frame on the board, your confidence lifts. You put a little

doubt in your opponent's mind as well. You just never know in sport.

You might get a little break on. This evening, we have a mixture of

first and second round matches as well.

Dylan's family is coming to watch, except for his mother who is too

nervous to watch. And Shane Castle is only 15 years of age. His talent

was first spotted by a surgeon Jimmy White. We caught up with Shane

Castle a few minutes ago. You are taking on Mark Selby. How

are you feeling? I'm feeling great. I'm happy with my game at the

moment. I can't wait to go out and play. Did you get any sleep last

night? Yes, about two o'clock in the morning. What about your

preparations coming into this event? I'm excited to play. You must be

buoyed by some of the shocks that have happened? Yes, it proves that

anything can happen. I did not expect Marco Fu to lose, but let's

hope the same happens. Tonight, you will be nervous, your family is

supporting you? My dad is up here, but my mum is at home, sitting in

front of the television. All my family is there watching, behind me.

You're feeling confident? You have done some practice today. I have not

had a chance to practice today. -- practise. From all of this year,

enjoy tonight and the best of luck. He is playing Mark Selby tonight in

the main arena. We wish him all the best, 15 years of age. Apparently, a

real talent. Let me quickly update you with events here. We have tables

five, six, seven and eight. Very quiet and hushed in there. Sian

Sullivan... Feargal or Brian is 3-1 down to Mark

King. There we are, rightly or Sullivan -- Ronnie O'Sullivan is 4-0

in front. This was the first championship that Ronnie O'Sullivan

one at the age of 17. Andy is playing Rhys Clark. Rhys is hoping

to settle down. There is a holding prize for the

tournament. 55,000 I believe it is now.

Played nicely however. Just finished up with the perfect angle on the

black. I'm not certain what is available.

You would think he would be looking for a nice angle.

Plenty of action on it, but the reds did not move as he would have liked.

Just watch the reaction. We know he is going to play for the black.

The critic you ball has finished. Safe as houses. -- look where the

cue ball has finished. Went into them, but it has not

worked out that well. 83 remaining. Rhys Clark gets another chance. Not

as good as the last one. The green is out of commission. The green he

missed. It does not look the most solid of

bridges. A bit unfortunate there, he hit that

one nicely. Just 59 remaining, but not for

long. Rhys Clark has had a couple of chances in this frame. He won't be

getting another shot in this frame. The average time for Ronnie, 12

seconds per shot. But is quick. -- that.

Those last two screw shots of the black have been hit beautifully.

That was close enough. Ronnie is having to do a lot to get the

chances because Rhys Clark is not taking his opportunities. He just

needs one more frame. Ronnie is cruising, but not the case

for Shaun Murphy. He is up against Paul Davison. He is 3-2 up on Shaun.

He did not qualify for India. He knows what it is like to be under

pressure, and he is clearly under pressure here. I spoke to him

recently, he has lost a lot of weight, he is very fit but he has

struggled so far this season. He is on a break of 20 here. What could be

some of the problems? I noticed at the start of the season he is

playing with new cues. Possibly chopping and changing between cues.

He has struggled this season for a man whose cue action has been so

good. And Paul is a capable player. Shaun Murphy has it all to do. And

Rhys Clark trying to stem the tide with Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Good cueing needed here. Just at the wrong side of the red.

He is going to put a ball here that he has had trouble with in this

match. -- pot ball. Maybe could have done with more

angle on the black and he has got. Having to force the cue ball up the

table. He needs to be straight on this red. I think he will be OK. To

get position on the black. It is all know about finding a good angle on

the black. He may have to play for the one loose red. Just looking now

whether to play for the far right corner.

He would be really annoyed with that last shot.

Just a little bit awkward. He is looking at bigger things here.

In an ideal world, you would want to lose that red. Play for the other

reds. This black were pretty and 76 points

in front -- will put him. Just a bit too much. He will have to play the

red over the middle now. He has missed the red. He cannot

leave out. -- he cannot believe that. 76 points in front, 75

remaining. Rhys has had a few opportunities.

Let's hope he can do better than that from this chance. He would be

happy to take these reds if he could. He is not on the red that he

played for. Followed that up with a pure safety.

That was probably his last shot in the UK championship. Our shame. I'm

sure he came here with, possibly not high hopes, but really looking

forward to it. But there's nothing he can look back on our part from

the experience. Just Mr Potts to reflect on --

missed pots. Let's hope that Rhys can put this experience behind him.

Ronnie O'Sullivan wins no problem. Exactly right. When you think about

it, he was trying to get something out for the maximum in the last two

frames. Yes, he had a couple of chances. It was looking good. But I

think he will be pleased to get the match done and dusted and get ready

for his next one. We talked about it being an inconvenience for him, but

it is more of a warm up? You want to play well, even if your opponent is

not playing too well, there is pride in your performance. You want to go

out on a high. You just knew that he was looking to chase the maximum

break. And there is a nice price to go with it this year. ?55,000. For

Rhys Clark, a learning experience. What is the most valuable lesson he

will take away? Just walking out there. Sitting on that arena, being

on TV. You always remember your first time on TV. Even if you do

lose to someone like Ronnie O'Sullivan. It is always something

to tell your mates and talk about. It was a bad experience, but it will

stand him in the long run. What did you take away from an experience

like that? The next time he goes out on TV, he will not be so

intimidated. The most intimidating person you can play, they all look

up, all the young guys look up to Ronnie O'Sullivan. Going out to play

him in the first round is very daunting for any young kid. But he

would remember it for the rest of his life.

It was tough, a big venue, he had never had that experience, he has

probably never played like that. It is hard. I knew that. You have to

take advantage of that and use it to your advantage. Were you able to

take more risks? You decided to go all out. I just thought, it is a big

prize, it is worth going for. Christmas is coming up... I had the

school fees last week, the Christmas money this week. I was thinking like

an accountant. With the greatest of respect to Rhys, it has been a good

experience for him. It is a warm up for you and there is a lot of work

to be done when you start at 128. You have got seven matches to win.

It is a tougher proposition number four. You have to play two more

matches. Roger Federer has to do it in tennis. It is the same for

everyone. Are you on track? I am giving nothing away. I am enjoying

it. I am looking forward to my next match. You're coming here on the

back of a good win last week, you must be pretty confident? This is

where it all started for you all those years ago. This is a major

event for us. I was pleased to get a win last week. This was really my

first real, what I call a decent tournament. You have to win is under

your belt out of eight games so far, but do you have a plan for the big

games? Not really. The more you play, the better you play. If you

can focus on snooker and get rest in between the games, it is getting the

right balance between practising and playing enough matches and it can be

difficult. It is OK if you are single guy with no responsibilities.

You can probably manage it better, but for me I have other stuff, but I

choose to content with, and it is about finding what is right for

yourself. You do not know when you will peak. Sometimes you have to buy

a raffle ticket and hope for the best. The fact that there are so

many tournaments now, you have to pick and choose. You cannot play in

everything. My best year, I played a lot of events. I played most of the

events. I played my best snooker. The matches do help you. I do not

want to be playing in every event, so I am just choosing and trying to

pick my own schedule. You have talked about perhaps re-focusing

your overall ambitions in the game. You talked about Stephen Hendry's

seven world titles, is a target like that something that keeps you going?

It is a big mountain. I am coming 38. It is asking a lot. I do not

look at it like that. It is an unrealistic target. To win one world

title is hard, when you know what is involved in going to win one,

sometimes it can be demotivating. It is not just about your play, it is

about your mental state and wanting it bad enough. I just enjoy playing

and I am not sure I want it as badly as they used to. I am happy with my

career and want to enjoy it. How are the book sales? I think they are

doing well. It is an interesting red. You have Adam Duffy in the next

round. He was up until 2:30am to get through his first-round match, so he

might be a little jaded! You get some sleep and we will see you

soon. Getting back into the main arena. We are getting into that Ding

Junhui match. Antony Parsons had nicked a frame, 3-1 up, going into

frame five, Antony is leading by 11 points. That looks to be excellent,

first-class. He may have got a little bit of the jaws of the pocket

in the way. Just the knuckle of the pocket

preventing him, not that he could get to the red, but the green

perhaps. Just the nose of the pocket, the Parsons knows. Look at

this shot. He attempted that, he normally hold his hand up to

apologise, but he did try that, he could not have played it better. He

was in a lot of trouble there. Even if he had got the safety shot part

of it, there is no guarantee he could have covered all the reds.

That would have turned things around again. Just when he was looking a

little lacklustre. If he could have won the frame at this point, it

would have been... Even more of a mountain to climb for Antony. Look

at that, that is another ball that he has missed. Ding is another ball

that he has missed. Cabbages really struggling.

Another chance has slipped past for Antony. He is trying so hard.

I have never seen Ding play so scrap bully. He is all over the place at

the moment. He has not left anything, but he is looking

confused. Nine. Antony felt he had heavy

contact there, should not be a problem, he wanted to be a little

bits straight on the yellow or the blue, but one of those three reds is

available. In fact, when he removes this, it will help free the one next

to it. So make sure you screw back and get the right angle on the blue

this time. 12. He has overdone it slightly, he might be able to drop

this blue and leave the reds for the right corner. Slightly hampered. No

problem though. A good chance, this, and who knows? It could turn things

around as he could get back to one behind. Ding is struggling. We keep

saying he could raise his game, but will he? Certainly a cold that all

shot on the blue. He will need that red, write cushion. That will be a

potential stumbling block. He is not there yet.

That is not bad. That is a good angle he has on this next red for

the blue and it will all be about finishing top side. He has struggled

with the pace of the table. He has played on the black. I can

understand him playing that. He definitely had to play up for the

blue because it is a better angle to get over to that last difficult red.

You cannot get anywhere near it now. I suppose he is hoping that in

potting the black, he will go 36 in front. That is probably what he

tried. I can understand that. He needs to put it, I suppose. Two

different ways, it was more difficult to slant the black than

the blue. If he gets behind the red, off the blue, the frame is one. He

is hoping to get to the point where there is one snooker needed. The

frame is won. I didn't realise he just needed the black, but why did

Antony not just roll the black in? It is baffling. That would have put

in 36 in front. Anyway, if he knocks this end, it is all over. -- if he

knocks this in. APPLAUSE.

Before the start of the match, if someone had said to Antony, you will

meet Ding Junhui and you're only going to be one frame behind, he

would have taken that. So, from 3-0 behind, now he is just one down. So,

slightly worrying times for Ding Junhui. He will be very comfortable,

well Antony, and he takes the frame. He is now just one behind.

3-2 to Antony. Antony Parsons holds down a full-time job as a warehouse

manager in Middlesbrough. He practices at his parents house and

he is giving a decent account of himself. Again, he has missed. He

has missed three of those shots into that pocket now. He is giving a lot

of chances. APPLAUSE.

That is a success rate with the rest, 17%. One.

Again, he lets a straightforward part, that he normally would not

going... He cannot afford to keep missing them. You feel it is a

matter of time before Ding starts performing.

One of two people have queried the fact that he is on an unbeaten run

of matches. Including the PTC 's, which you do get minor ranking for.

As far as the big tournaments go, it is that long since he was beaten.

Applause -- APPLAUSE. .

As far as the big events are concerned, there has been a real

dearth of British players figuring in the finals. Only John Higgins has

made a final at a big ranking event. Neil Robertson has been in a

couple, Marco Fu has played in a couple and Ding Junhui has won three

of them. British and Irish players have not been performing and I think

that changes now that we get to the UK part of the tour, with this, even

though it was not a regular event, which Ronnie Sullivan managed to win

last week, then after Christmas... 15. Ding Junhui has been the player

of the season so far, no doubt about that. This time he looks to be in

perfect position. 23. He has got the reserve to the right

middle. He is not able to be got on. 38. He got to the table as a result

of Antony missing a comfortable ball. 39. It is only a matter of

time before Ding Junhui took advantage of that mistake. The

suspicion is he will pick his game up if needed and that is probably

where we are at now in this match. He picked the pace up a little bit

and he was a bit more businesslike the way he was walking around the

table. He is growing in confidence. They are all there for the taking,

there is not a safe ball on the table, there is only the red next to

the pink which is awkward. That little triangle of Fred 's -- of

reds, when he pots the one closest to the pink it will free them up. A

possible chance for the first century in this match. 51.

64 breaks at the break. This is more like the Ding that we know. 65.

He could go on and make a century if any of those red or pottable. If he

can get to the bottom one... Ding has been a professional for ten

years and he has made 335 centuries in what has turned out to be a very

illustrious career. There was only that World Championship which has

eluded him. He has made 35 this season already. It is not a record

anything like that, because 61 is the record for Judd Trump. Heery are

at the end of November with all these months of play ahead -- here

we are. This is a welcome break for Ding. It is amazing how one shot can

turn the whole thing around. Antony had the chance and missed a 30

comfortable pot. All of a sudden, Ding is looking like the player we

have been watching for the last three or four macro events. He is

close to 101. That is also a really good shot.

That was a lovely break. Ding Junhui now leads by 4-2. The man who has

won three major tournaments on the trot over the last few months,

perhaps sensing the danger from Antony Parsons and moving up a gear.

Into frame seven and it is Antony at the table. Is he going to swing over

towards the reds? It is far too thin. This white, if it keeps on

running, and the red passes the blue... It is a bit of a chance. I

think he was thinking more about the cue ball than the pot they are.

This next shot could open those other three reds up as well. If the

shot works out, it could pave the way for the frame for Ding.

Certainly one of the reds will part, the bottom one will and that is the

key. -- pot. It looks very tight to me.

Only just got there. It look like it was going to stop horribly short. I

do not think he meant to play at this slowly, I think he half hit

that, but he held for the black. He did not push the cue through as he

intended. He has left himself straight on the black. If he has,

that is a pretty bad shot for Ding. He has got a slight angle so he may

be able to get this in and come off the side cushion and get over

towards the reds. He is 34 in front. The black could make it 41. Now,

that is going to have to wait for another chance. Having said that, he

could try and pot this at the cushion, it would be a shot to

nothing. He has an easy safety there. Ding Junhui, 28. 41 the

difference, but there is still a possible 51 on the table. He needs a

good shot here, it does Antony. That is pretty good. In fact, that

is excellent. That is a very good pot. It is most

welcome at this stage, with the position nicely on the blue. He was

in trouble there. That is why he took the pot, there was no real

safety shot available. To win this frame from here, where the balls

are, but red down on the black cushion, it is difficult to get on

where it is. If you can get on at the blue here... It is played for

the pink, but it is the same sort of result. He can play a cannon, free

the black, part the plaint, if he does not knock at the black too

far-away, he can roll the final red in -- pink. The frame has opened up

and it is all about the shot. No, no, he took his eye off the pot. He

did not quite get on the pink as he intended. He was thinking of a

cannon on the black and took his eye off the pink. Divided

concentration. If you could miss the pink, you could miss it on the thick

side of the pot. It is the cannon he is trying. He is not prepared to

take a risk. That is a good shot from Ding Junhui. I think he may try

to roll that red in. That could have been very costly. 34 in it. Antony

can still win. While the balls are on the table, it is a possibility if

the chance came. The flick on the brown has given Ding the chance to

win the frame at this visit. A lot of players would have taken

that up into the corner, but Ronnie favoured the middle pocket -- Ding.

It does not really matter are that the brown. Antony did have a slight

chance, but Ding is now one away from victory.

This is the situation life here at the Barbican Centre in York. We can

enjoy this match live now. Ding has the balls perfectly

placed. But Antony Parsons was a bit unlucky. He played this red, and the

red jumped and straightened up. And that is the result. A bit unlucky if

he goes out without shot. Yes, a bit unfortunate. The shot you so as you

joined us was the one that made this possible. It opened the pack. You

would not expect him to get it wrong here. We saw him make that century.

A couple of signs of the forum that has taken him to such great Heights

this season. -- form. Perhaps get all of the bad odour of a system in

this one. -- the bad out of his system. Yes, he would have to do

something silly to run out of position with the reds here.

But Antony Parsons has had his chances. He just missed the odd ones

here and there. Something he cannot afford to do.

Ding looks a little bit fed up with himself. He sets such a high

standard for himself. He knows it has not performed well in this much.

He has struggled somewhat. -- in this match.

Ding is down to 83%, not nearly enough at this kind of level. On a

good day, he will be 95 or so. I think that proves something here. A

little shout of encouragement for Antony Parsons. His supporters are

urging him on, but he has not got an easy opener. This is quite

difficult. Good shot. It might not be perfect

on a colour, but he may have an angle on the yellow. That was a

terrific pot. Probably his best of the match. He has recovered the

situation without yellow -- with that yellow. Could be his last

chance in this match. Full concentration required. I am pleased

he is back at the table. The way things are, two high value

colours. I do not know if he is straight enough. Just have to get

nicely on his next colour. Landing on the final red.

Just make sure you get the correct angle on the blue and then stun it

past the black on the right side as we look at it. I think he is a bit

straight on this red. Well, he can do it from the pink. If he drops of

that thing, you will finish automatically on the red. He might

have to use the rest. Some players like the rest of more than other

players. Can you reach it? That would help. If you can get a top

spin on this, he will avoid the black. That is well played. Very

well played. Well done, Antony. He is still in

this year's UK championship. OK, he has got it all to do, but... All

credit to him. This is the best run of play in the match. The opening

red was tough, he covered the situation well. Now that has gone

in. He is starting to play. He will have to win the last three frames

after this, but he is starting to play something like his best now. A

lot of good players out there who do not have full professional status.

Good to see them on the big stage doing themselves justice and he is

starting to do that. A lot of people might have thought this would be a

6-nil wind for Ding. -- win. Just the black to finish things off. Well

played, Antony Parsons. He has won another frame. The match is still

alive. You can see from his body language

and demeanour he is starting to believe in himself. Yes, you has

picked up. He took them exceptionally well. The top players

have to concentrate. We've talking about the interval when he had got

that one frame on the board, and we wondered if he would push on and he

has. Yes, even the top players, they have to focus, Ding has lost his

focus definitely. He is another tub at the match now. And starting to

feel more pressure now. He will be thinking to himself, I should be

back of my hotel room and relaxing. It is strange because when you look

at Ding's progress this season, he has won three major events in a

row, and that has not been done since the days of Stephen Hendry. I

was sobbing and would be in the tournament... 20 tournaments is

unbelievable. After that, you can bask in the glory, but then you have

to go to -- then you have to go back to work. You cannot rest on your

laurels. There are so many top players, so many tournaments that he

would have had to pass by to achieve that success. It is a phenomenal

record so far. He has proved that he is well capable of knuckling down

and applying himself. I guess that is even more surprising when you see

him in this situation. He is not in great danger. I think he knuckles

down and get stuck in more in the tough matches. Let's see whether

Antony Parsons can take this to him. Antony Parsons can take this to him.

Ding Junhui On the cusp of it early. -- of victory.

Ding has played a very good break shot. Open the reds up nicely and

got in behind the green. Not easy to come off a side cushion

and nestle into the bounce. That will do nicely. That is about all he

could manage there. Ding will be hoping to get one good

chance here and try and shut this match out. But Antony could have

other ideas. Could have done without the case on the yellow -- kiss. Ding

is not even looking at the red, he is playing a safety shot. Ding on

form might have a go on that one. He needs the cue ball to find the

perfect shot and he has done that. That was the correct choice of shot.

Got the cue ball absolutely spot on. This is horrible for Antony. The

red over the pocket is one problem. He can only get to run cushion, the

right-hand side cushion. This is not nice. I cannot see anything that he

can nestle onto. He is in big trouble here, Antony,

he really is. I remember Cliff Thorburn seeing all those years ago,

there is only one shot you and I do not know what it is. Looking to find

a way onto our reds -- onto a bed. In Lancashire we used to say, when

in doubt, give them a clout. All the technical thoughts in a shop like

this -- in a shot like this... This is a great effort. I don't know

if he has left anything. He has got it in the only sport where he could

leave it safe. What I good judgement of shot. -- the only spot.

If he tries the safety shot, he will have to be absolutely spot on or he

believes that -- he believes that red.

Have a look at this! He will certainly take that. That was a good

line on the cue ball, to be fair. Two shots on goal, he was in all

sorts of trouble. How things have changed. -- two shots ago.

That is more only is the identical shot through the one that Antony

played on the other side of the table. They are so good these days

at the angles, these players. I don't know if you can get in behind

the yellow of this red. Just concentrating on getting it closed

to the cushion. Has he gone in behind the brown? He

founded the gap, quite a good shot. Antony has to be very careful with

his shot. Same line as before. Good shot.

Antony has got a good bit of support here. He comes from Middlesbrough,

not that many miles from York. Very little chance of leaving that

red over the pocket now. I think he is just about OK. If he

can block this is the off for Ding, he can put himself in the driving

seat. Or, he has missed it completely.

I do know if he can get to our pot. I don't think so. That was amazing.

Let's have another look at this. Forced himself into a series of

cannons. A little smile from Ding there.

He has hit the wrong red. He played a cannon I hit the wrong ball

completely. He had that half ball. -- he hit. The reds are well spread.

No guarantees he will win the frame. Just get the table working for him.

A lot of reds on the right which are blocking of that side of the table.

And that is the worst possible position by the looks of things. The

fact that it is touching, puffing his cheeks...

It is so congested on that side of the table, there was always a chance

it would go wrong. It is a horrible kind of frame the way it has worked

out. It is as if he did not put all his concentration into it. It never

ceases to amaze me what can happen. He's scratching his head.

That was excellent. Using the touching boldly to its full

advantage. Perfectly judged snooker behind the yellow. -- touching

ball. I'm not even sure if he could get right in behind it. Still got

this snooker. This has been a very tactical frame.

He has called a miss. The red is over the pocket. The table is still

not absolutely perfect. What an error has he played here? He is

going to win it the hard way, this match. Just concentrating on the

plant and forgot about the cue ball. I'm pleased for Antony that he has

done so well, to get three frames against the man, the inform Ding.

It's not over yet by any means, but... A possible transfer the

middle pocket? -- a possible chance for the middle pocket?

There is a bit of mileage left in that one. Unfortunately, we have to

go. You can continue to watch this online. Barry Hawkins, this year's

runner-up at the Crucible came through. Shaun Murphy is making a

real comeback. One member of our team who has been missing is Steve

Davis. He is in the jungle right now. He's not got much to say.

Lovely to see you. Thanks very much for the company today. We will see

you again later for the highlights at 1135. Goodbye.