:00:00. > :00:09.left the arena on Monday night, in fact Tuesday morning, five past
:00:10. > :00:15.midnight, looking distraught, yet you can see there there is almost an
:00:16. > :00:22.inner contentment. I had a chat with him when he was
:00:23. > :00:26.practising before the match and he said he should have been beaten, on
:00:27. > :00:31.the way home, and I said how many times have you seen that happen when
:00:32. > :00:34.people have gone on to win the tournament? He is a lot more
:00:35. > :00:41.confident and he will be feeling better after that. Your thoughts on
:00:42. > :00:45.Mark's performance? That was clinical, what the country expects
:00:46. > :00:51.from him, and the only frustration for a player is how it can change
:00:52. > :00:56.that quickly. It is difficult when you ask questions about your form.
:00:57. > :01:02.You have your winning form, your competitive form, but it can change
:01:03. > :01:06.so much, you can play marvellously in practice and not on the match
:01:07. > :01:10.table, and you can be worried about the game in practice and on the
:01:11. > :01:18.table it all falls into place. It could be just as easy as knocking in
:01:19. > :01:23.the first ball of the day and I can ask the man himself, why the change
:01:24. > :01:32.of fortune? As you left the arena I was watching you closely, you came
:01:33. > :01:37.in for a chat after playing against Jamie Jones, and today you had a
:01:38. > :01:43.nice smile and you know how well you play this afternoon. It is all very
:01:44. > :01:47.well winning but the way I played, I was fortunate even to get through,
:01:48. > :01:52.Jamie played better than me and as I said in the press conference I don't
:01:53. > :01:58.know how I got through that game. You can't always play like that. Did
:01:59. > :02:02.you feel different today? You practised for several hours, you
:02:03. > :02:06.were here for a good three and a half hours. I needed to to get a bit
:02:07. > :02:10.of rhythm back and I was telling myself that if I had a chance on the
:02:11. > :02:17.ball I would pick up the tempo and try to get on with it. A bit of
:02:18. > :02:21.sympathy for Dechawat, even that he finished in the early hours and had
:02:22. > :02:25.to be back on the arena for just 11 o'clock. He probably would have been
:02:26. > :02:30.tired, like you say. He wouldn't have had that much difference to
:02:31. > :02:37.freshen up and come back. There is not much he could have done... You
:02:38. > :02:44.said you're stall out from the very first shot. You parted a great long
:02:45. > :02:49.ball, got on the baulk side of the colours and got into motion
:02:50. > :02:53.straightaway. The way the game is now, you rarely have a chance of
:02:54. > :02:58.banging in the balls, you often have to hit a long ball to get yourself
:02:59. > :03:03.in, because that is the game we all playing, and that I was -- that is
:03:04. > :03:07.what I was practising yesterday. You got off to a good start against
:03:08. > :03:13.Jamie Jones, it makes it harder if you don't in the first frame or you
:03:14. > :03:17.go 2-0 down, but it felt like it was a bit flat out there, you never got
:03:18. > :03:28.the adrenaline pumping. Today obviously you got off to a good
:03:29. > :03:31.start. Is won the trigger for the other or... We all try to work it
:03:32. > :03:35.out, what do you think is the trigger? I don't think there is any
:03:36. > :03:38.key to it. When I got a chance I thought I would pick the speed up
:03:39. > :03:42.and get into a rhythm and I was missing balls and when I came back
:03:43. > :03:46.to the table I thought I would slow down and I was missing again and I
:03:47. > :03:51.got to the point where I didn't know what to do, and with Jamie playing
:03:52. > :03:56.well it all seemed to add onto that. We will talk about the quarterfinals
:03:57. > :04:01.in a grander context in a moment but let's get your view on the table
:04:02. > :04:09.conditions. We saw Dechawat have a kick which allowed you back in in
:04:10. > :04:14.the final frame. Let's have a look at this. You can see how sick he is
:04:15. > :04:18.high that kick. What is your view of the table controversy? A lot of
:04:19. > :04:24.people said it could be the oil in the cloth, a lot of people said it
:04:25. > :04:28.could have been the chalk, the referee's gloves. I know we put a
:04:29. > :04:35.new cloth on one of the table to stop the kicks but if it is the
:04:36. > :04:38.chalk we never going to stop it. It seems to bother more players than
:04:39. > :04:46.others. You don't seem to in that camp of players who want to put the
:04:47. > :04:52.boot into the game's governing body and say the tables should be
:04:53. > :05:00.burned, why not? If you are going into a match you will get one kick,
:05:01. > :05:04.you have to allow that you will, sometimes it will be important,
:05:05. > :05:09.other times not, but that is the game. From a spectator's point of
:05:10. > :05:14.view it is probably not bad because it looks like somebody has won the
:05:15. > :05:19.match, they get a kick, it turns the game and the other person has a
:05:20. > :05:24.chance. Do you think too much is being made of the table conditions,
:05:25. > :05:34.Barry Hawkins said that the tables should be burned. A few years ago
:05:35. > :05:39.when I started as a player you got some kicks, you probably get a few
:05:40. > :05:43.more now, but I think it is part of the game. I think Barry Hawkins was
:05:44. > :05:49.going on a lot more about the cushions bouncing. I think there can
:05:50. > :05:54.be more structure to an end the bounces of the conditions rather
:05:55. > :05:59.than the kicks. -- amends. The kicks have been in the game ever since I
:06:00. > :06:05.was a player, I don't think we will ever get to the end of them. Whether
:06:06. > :06:10.there are sports fans watching now getting increasingly frustrated,
:06:11. > :06:14.over the past couple of tournaments you have had high profile players
:06:15. > :06:18.blaming conditions. You could blame conditions in any sport but it seems
:06:19. > :06:22.that in snooker it has become part of the debate in any tournament,
:06:23. > :06:28.which is surely not good for the game. It isn't, but I think the
:06:29. > :06:33.cushions are more calming than the kicks. You expect to get one or two
:06:34. > :06:44.kicks in the match, but you expect the tables to play as well every
:06:45. > :06:48.time you go out there. Sometimes it plays higher on the blue. You go out
:06:49. > :06:57.expecting the kicks to happen at some point. Does Mark X -- deserve
:06:58. > :07:02.round of applause for saying let's just get on with it? Snooker table
:07:03. > :07:09.obviously has the potential, not exactly like a golf course, it has
:07:10. > :07:13.the potential to make it absolutely perfect, there is the possibility
:07:14. > :07:20.you can make it dead level, which was a problem one at -- once upon a
:07:21. > :07:24.time, now I think they are as level as they have ever been. We have
:07:25. > :07:29.asked for faster cushions, we have been given them, the outcome is
:07:30. > :07:33.possibly because they are fast they are susceptible to bounces. The
:07:34. > :07:42.balls are arguably better than they have ever been technology wise, but
:07:43. > :07:46.there is also some concern that they are as well finished from the
:07:47. > :07:51.factory, but if you look at the game of 9-ball pool, played with a
:07:52. > :07:58.slightly different type of cushion and cloth, they don't seem to get as
:07:59. > :08:04.many kicks, but their balls are heavier so they may steam-roll over
:08:05. > :08:08.the top of it. We are all at a bit of a loss and Mark might be right,
:08:09. > :08:14.we have to get on with it, but we can try and find a solution. One
:08:15. > :08:18.common theme is that players going into the interviews and complaining
:08:19. > :08:24.about cushions and table conditions are the ones who have just ain't
:08:25. > :08:28.beating. That is not always the case. Shaun Murphy is still in the
:08:29. > :08:33.tournament and he would argue his case. Everybody is entitled to their
:08:34. > :08:38.opinion, everybody has their own theory and we are trying to reduce
:08:39. > :08:42.it as much as possible. Let's look ahead to the tournament, look at a
:08:43. > :08:46.possible showdown with Neil Robinson if you get through your
:08:47. > :08:51.quarterfinal. I am not looking too far ahead right now, I have the
:08:52. > :09:00.quarterfinal to play, it could be Luca Brecel or Matthew. Either of
:09:01. > :09:05.them will be tough. Leicester City, top of the Premier League. It is not
:09:06. > :09:15.too bad, is it? Thank you for speaking to weak -- to us. We looked
:09:16. > :09:23.at Stuart Bingham taking on David Grace, who will paint the town red
:09:24. > :09:27.if he plays today. I have been a professional for quite
:09:28. > :09:32.a few years, playing on tour, but I have never done any good in a BBC
:09:33. > :09:36.event, which is probably why people don't know who I am. It is
:09:37. > :09:42.unbelievable even to have got this far. I know the top players are
:09:43. > :09:46.winning tournaments and that, even the last 16 in a tournament this
:09:47. > :09:57.big, for somebody like me it is like winning the tournament. If I lose
:09:58. > :10:02.the tournament and have a few weeks of a gap I might do some painting on
:10:03. > :10:07.the side. I did it at school and then I went full-time at snooker so
:10:08. > :10:11.I left it alone for years but a few years ago I started to pick it up
:10:12. > :10:15.again, showing a few paintings, I did one for my niece, I did one for
:10:16. > :10:20.a charity auction of Neil Robertson and I signed it and so many people
:10:21. > :10:27.were impressed by it that I started getting some commissions for work.
:10:28. > :10:31.It is similar to snooker in a way, you have to prepare well and
:10:32. > :10:37.concentrate, just stick at it really. I generally use acrylic
:10:38. > :10:46.paint on canvas. I have not done that much sketching so I was quite
:10:47. > :10:50.happy with how that came out. He is as tough as they come, hard as
:10:51. > :10:55.nails, I have played him before so I know what to expect but it will just
:10:56. > :11:00.be a tough game. I don't think you can have too much of a game plan
:11:01. > :11:08.other than to play your own game. Obviously I am not finished yet, I
:11:09. > :11:13.will do my best, but it is all over in a minute. His opponent, Peter
:11:14. > :11:19.Ebdon, has a distinguished record at the UK championship. The 45-year-old
:11:20. > :11:25.who turned professional in 1991 has been in quarterfinals, semifinals,
:11:26. > :11:28.and he won in 2006, four years after winning the World Championship at
:11:29. > :11:34.the Crucible of course. He beat Stephen Hendry 10-6 in the 2006
:11:35. > :11:36.final and caused a huge upset in round three on Monday by knocking
:11:37. > :11:42.out the current world champion Stuart Bingham. This fourth round
:11:43. > :11:44.match got under way earlier this afternoon, we join it in the early
:11:45. > :12:09.stages. COMMENTATOR: That was a good part,
:12:10. > :12:14.that, played at the right pace. -- pot. Had to be so accurate. Forced
:12:15. > :12:36.the cue ball up the table. Nice solid pot. As soon as you can
:12:37. > :12:40.get your hands on the table and start knocking a few balls in,
:12:41. > :13:24.somebody likes you. He would certainly have had a few
:13:25. > :13:36.butterflies coming into this game at Helix to have settled nicely. -- at
:13:37. > :13:40.he seems. Didn't get the desired screw on the cue ball but it helps
:13:41. > :13:45.that the yellow is not on its spot because if he plays the cue shot and
:13:46. > :13:50.misses the yellow or he can play a cannon on the yellow or the red and
:13:51. > :14:04.he is most bound to be one of -- on one of the two reds in baulk.
:14:05. > :14:22.That is about the most awkward place he could have finished, he has still
:14:23. > :14:29.got the red to the left centre, but playing it into a blind pocket,
:14:30. > :14:38.Baylor very easily when they go in. -- they look. Played it nicely and
:14:39. > :14:47.found the gap, it just needs to slow up a bit. He overran it. This
:14:48. > :16:57.black, if he decides to take it on, very difficult.
:16:58. > :16:59.I thought it was the wrong choice, with the other red he could come up
:17:00. > :17:14.for the blue no problem. Playing cushion first, that gave him
:17:15. > :17:20.a chance to get the cue ball to manoeuvre around. Not that, he has
:17:21. > :17:44.this red to the right corner. -- not bad.
:17:45. > :17:56.Oh, the dreaded miscue. That was bad cueing. Trying to hold it, played
:17:57. > :18:03.with a lot of bottom on the cue ball, but he just deaccelerated.
:18:04. > :18:20.That mistake could be costly. We always say, when you miss when
:18:21. > :18:25.you are in, but not only did he miss he set up David Grace for a nice
:18:26. > :18:58.opportunity to possibly win the frame at this visit.
:18:59. > :19:02.Not settled, has he? That was a shot you would expect him to get ten out
:19:03. > :19:17.of ten. Bit fortunate to have left the red
:19:18. > :19:57.cover and also Peter hampered on the other red.
:19:58. > :20:08.That was always tough when you are using the spider. Particularly he
:20:09. > :20:13.will feel a bit aggrieved that David Grace had left the EEC red over the
:20:14. > :20:24.corner and it was covered, so David gets another chance. -- easy red.
:20:25. > :20:28.More straight on the blue would have been ideal, but with the red over
:20:29. > :21:22.the corner pocket no problem. I don't know whether the table is
:21:23. > :21:29.playing a bit damp but when they are playing to get in to the cue
:21:30. > :21:33.ball... He left that very straight to get onto the blue. I don't think
:21:34. > :21:45.they are getting into the ball enough at the moment.
:21:46. > :21:54.Oh, dear. This is a fluke tom though. That will work. You can't
:21:55. > :22:11.beat a bit of luck. He put his hand up to apologise but
:22:12. > :22:25.he won't apologise in getting enough points here to win the frame.
:22:26. > :22:35.He didn't play a good positional shot off the blue for that red. As I
:22:36. > :22:39.have said many times, once the cue ball starts having to travel up and
:22:40. > :22:49.down the table you can quite easily lose good position.
:22:50. > :23:09.46 in front, still a possible 67 remaining. Two reds needed.
:23:10. > :23:17.Nice angle to play a cannon but there was no need because after this
:23:18. > :23:31.blue one more red in the corner was all that was required.
:23:32. > :23:56.52 ahead so pot this and go 53 ahead with only...
:23:57. > :24:01.He needed a bit of help from his opponent but he has got there in the
:24:02. > :24:20.end. A bit straighter on the black than
:24:21. > :24:28.he would like but he does have the red available in the middle.
:24:29. > :24:31.This will certainly settle what ever nerves he did have coming into the
:24:32. > :25:26.match. It was too straight on the black,
:25:27. > :25:27.that is why he played the pink to get up for the yellow. Played it
:25:28. > :25:40.nicely. There is no pressure on these shots
:25:41. > :25:45.of course but it's settles you down, as Willie said, and the more table
:25:46. > :26:27.time you get early on in the match the more you benefit from it.
:26:28. > :26:43.Well played, 84 break, he needed a few chances and he was given plenty.
:26:44. > :26:46.David Grace leads 1-0. STUDIO: A good start for David
:26:47. > :27:22.Grace, who has never eaten Ebdon. COMMENTATOR: Had an excellent run
:27:23. > :27:30.over Stuart Bingham in the previous round. I don't think there is
:27:31. > :27:38.another player in the game who plays this way and allegedly it helps with
:27:39. > :27:45.the throw of the ball. Have you ever played with one? I did early days
:27:46. > :27:50.when they came out with the two piece cues. Cliff Thorburn always
:27:51. > :28:11.used to play with a fiver feral. It was always used in Canada. I am
:28:12. > :28:21.not certain about the availability of the black. I can only assume it
:28:22. > :28:25.doesn't go because if it did Peter would be down rolling this red in
:28:26. > :28:34.and playing for the black. He is having a look now. It goes. Well, he
:28:35. > :28:43.should have potted this red and the black by now.
:28:44. > :28:51.Just leave yourself a nice angle on the black and screw black and play
:28:52. > :28:52.for the red immediately to the left of the black in the same pocket.
:28:53. > :29:23.Good chance, this. He played the run through trying to
:29:24. > :29:28.develop the red but the problem with that is you could always push the
:29:29. > :29:39.red into a position in potting it going away from the black. He's had
:29:40. > :29:44.a bit of a result there, to be honest. He could use one red to hold
:29:45. > :29:46.the cue-balled but he wasn't holding it that well until he hit the third
:29:47. > :30:01.red -- the cue-balled. Anyway, still has a good chance of
:30:02. > :31:19.getting enough points to win the frame here.
:31:20. > :31:31.He played that quite nicely. The choice of reds, one to the right
:31:32. > :31:35.corner and want of the left corner. -- one to the left corner. You would
:31:36. > :31:42.favour the one to the right corner because you can leave yourself a
:31:43. > :31:48.nice angle on ink or black, as it turns out. You just don't want to be
:31:49. > :31:54.straight on the black. He will probably play the pink now. But as I
:31:55. > :32:01.say he had choices of colours to play on. He has a 45 point lead with
:32:02. > :32:08.a colour to come. As we said earlier on commentary, he's had over 340
:32:09. > :32:12.competitive centuries, two maximum breaks in tournament play, 11
:32:13. > :32:16.centuries this season. He's not a natural break-builder somehow.
:32:17. > :32:26.Sometimes he plays it different to other players but, boy, he still
:32:27. > :32:32.gets them. Overrun a little for the desired red. Yes. I think he played
:32:33. > :32:38.for the one in the middle. He's on the red to the left corner, but he's
:32:39. > :32:44.running into other reds, if he plays the want of a left middle he will
:32:45. > :32:55.run into the other reds. This could go wrong.
:32:56. > :33:03.Well, I'm not quite certain that is what he intended, but he will settle
:33:04. > :33:09.for it. He obviously completely miss hit it, he went for the gap between
:33:10. > :33:17.the black and the reds to come onto the black and because he missed it
:33:18. > :33:22.he can end into the reds. He will play a cannon into the pink to hold
:33:23. > :33:24.the cue ball. He held it without cannon in the pink. Peter is not
:33:25. > :33:55.looking settled at the moment. Would you believe it? The one thing
:33:56. > :34:04.you could never accuse Peter Ebdon of is missing a shot because of
:34:05. > :34:08.being careless. Just de-accelerated on him so easily on these clots,
:34:09. > :34:12.that if you get through the cue ball it drifts away from its intended
:34:13. > :34:22.target. That was a good chance missed -- cloths.
:34:23. > :34:33.That was a good chance missed. David Grace comes to the table 60 points
:34:34. > :34:39.behind. A few reds in the open, but those two reds on the left-hand side
:34:40. > :34:44.cushion as we look will take some negotiating. He's going to need all
:34:45. > :34:48.of them if he is going to have hopes of winning the frame at this visit.
:34:49. > :34:59.I suppose he will concentrate on just reducing the deficit. That is a
:35:00. > :36:20.good chance it could finish up on nothing, and it has done.
:36:21. > :36:32.It is not a natural gap to get into baulk, so I don't know if he's
:36:33. > :36:37.taking this on. I don't know why he quite pushed the boat out there 57
:36:38. > :36:43.points in front. That was a strange choice. May be thinking the only red
:36:44. > :36:44.that he could leave was the one he's playing, and that's the one he's
:36:45. > :37:05.left. 57 points in arrears. Not certain about the availability
:37:06. > :37:15.of these two reds near the top cushion. The outside one will pot to
:37:16. > :37:18.the left corner. He's just having a look now. If it did then that would
:37:19. > :37:36.make matters a little easier. And it must pot. Yes, clearly. He'd
:37:37. > :37:42.like to have a little bit more angle than this, he may have to play the
:37:43. > :37:46.straight screw back and play for the black in the same pocket. He won't
:37:47. > :37:55.be playing for the red that is closest to the top cushion.
:37:56. > :38:03.He tried to force it over, but I think he would have been better
:38:04. > :38:05.served trying to play the deep screw, trying to play the black into
:38:06. > :38:30.the same pocket as the red. Good pot but how is the cue ball? He
:38:31. > :38:37.conceived the bottom of the two near the pink shot to the corner so he
:38:38. > :38:43.can play a shot to nothing. He'd rather finish outside baulk. He has
:38:44. > :38:51.a choice of two reds he can play. I suppose he can swing it around
:38:52. > :38:55.nicely for the blue and that would leave the shop to nothing. He's
:38:56. > :39:24.decided to play into baulk for some reason -- the shot to nothing.
:39:25. > :39:34.That's an excellent pot. He may have a bonus the fact he has nicely got
:39:35. > :39:41.on the pink to the middle. He's 42 points in front. That just shows a
:39:42. > :40:45.lack points in front. That just shows a
:40:46. > :40:47.bit wary of this. No problem, he played it with a touch of right-hand
:40:48. > :42:03.side just to widen the played it with a touch of right-hand
:42:04. > :42:09.in his seat. Both legs bent. -- Mark King. Peter Ebdon levels the scorers
:42:10. > :42:34.with that break of 52 at 1-1. Peter Ebdon gets frame three under
:42:35. > :42:39.way. Both players looking a little bit edgy at the moment. I think it's
:42:40. > :42:44.the occasion that is making them a little bit edgy rather than who are
:42:45. > :42:50.playing. This is a big match for both of them. I know Peter Ebdon is
:42:51. > :42:54.former UK and world champion, but he's not been getting the best of
:42:55. > :42:55.results of late and this is a big opportunity having knocked out the
:42:56. > :43:10.world champion. On the other hand, of course, for
:43:11. > :43:13.David Grace this is an opportunity to go to the latter stages of one of
:43:14. > :43:20.the biggest tournaments in the snooker calendar. But as you say,
:43:21. > :44:11.the occasion can increase the pressure. And the importance.
:44:12. > :44:16.That's twice he's played a similar shot, played it in the middle,
:44:17. > :44:25.caught in the knuckle. He had won in this corner and now one in the far
:44:26. > :44:33.corner. Peter looks on in disgust. -- he had one in this corner.
:44:34. > :44:41.Lots of players would go into the pink but I don't know if David will
:44:42. > :44:46.play that, he's playing to hold it, that was not a natural hold shot, he
:44:47. > :44:51.had to really get into the cue ball. Second prize, landing on
:44:52. > :44:56.Birech to the far right corner. It looks straight enough -- landing on
:44:57. > :44:59.the red. He doesn't have to do a lot with the cue ball to get onto a
:45:00. > :45:13.colour. Nicely played. As I say, lucky to
:45:14. > :45:42.land in such an advantageous position.
:45:43. > :45:52.There may be a red at the bottom of the cluster immediately above the
:45:53. > :45:56.black. May be running into the other reds he will not be certain where
:45:57. > :46:01.the cue ball will finish, but make certain of the pot.
:46:02. > :46:08.He's done that and he's finished on the black. Well played. He judged
:46:09. > :46:55.the pace of the second reds very nicely.
:46:56. > :47:01.There is a slight angle on the black, he complained for the loose
:47:02. > :47:06.red in the middle or play the cannon on the outside red to open it up a
:47:07. > :47:16.little bit more. He's bound to be on one to be on want of -- bound to be
:47:17. > :48:32.on one to the middle whatever happens.
:48:33. > :48:39.Just one remaining loose red so it's essential to land on the black,
:48:40. > :48:43.preferably half ball. He doesn't have to do too much with the pack,
:48:44. > :48:50.it is a loose pack, there is only five reds. He will have to go into
:48:51. > :48:59.them at pace to push one towards the middle. He has got the perfect
:49:00. > :49:03.angle. He didn't want to hit the middle-of-the-road full ball, hit
:49:04. > :49:08.the middle red and the right-hand dreadful stop if he doesn't he will
:49:09. > :49:12.push one over the left-hand middle and over the right-hand middle. It's
:49:13. > :49:15.almost impossible not to get on one here. He needs to get the joint,
:49:16. > :49:34.that's what he needs to do here. That's what happens when you hit the
:49:35. > :49:38.outside of them, you Cameronette away. Once again he's been extremely
:49:39. > :49:43.fortunate to get on the one in the middle. -- you can run away. Pretty
:49:44. > :50:25.straightforward cannon into the bunch. 51 in front and counting.
:50:26. > :50:33.Inching ever closer to the winning line in this third frame, 55 points
:50:34. > :50:42.is the lead. He will still need three of the remaining reds you
:50:43. > :50:56.would feel, to be certain. Maybe two with high value colours. That's
:50:57. > :50:59.nice. This pink will put him 62 points in front, so another red and
:51:00. > :51:06.a colour would be sufficient. And he's perfect on the pink. Let's not
:51:07. > :51:10.forget this came off a fluke when he played the one in the middle and
:51:11. > :51:18.went down the cushion. Ebdon will not be liking this at all. The red
:51:19. > :51:24.and the Blackwood blame 70 points in front with 67 remaining and the pink
:51:25. > :51:38.would put him 69 points in front with 67 remaining.
:51:39. > :51:50.Snooker required. But he knows Peter will carry on, so he will give this
:51:51. > :51:55.one full concentration. Nothing you can do about it when Sandy gets a
:51:56. > :52:02.fluke like David did -- somebody gets a fluke like David did. I was
:52:03. > :52:07.going to say it is perfect on the pink to disturb the three reds, but
:52:08. > :52:13.he's just come a little too straight. That's why he's going for
:52:14. > :52:27.the blue and trying to cannon the three reds. Decent effort. He put a
:52:28. > :52:33.lot of side on the cue ball. 75 points is the lead, just 59
:52:34. > :52:42.remaining. I wouldn't put it past Peter to carry on. But for quite a
:52:43. > :52:45.few snookers it should be all over and 2-1 to David Grace.
:52:46. > :52:55.STUDIO: It was all over, David winning that frame, in frame four
:52:56. > :53:12.the Leeds man is back at the table trailing by five points.
:53:13. > :53:31.Good pot on the pink, couldn't do anything with the cue ball because
:53:32. > :53:37.it was the natural angle between brown and yellow. This is a chance
:53:38. > :53:43.to get at least 40 points. The black is out of commission but the pink is
:53:44. > :53:47.available to both corners. And after this it is available to both of the
:53:48. > :53:50.middle pockets. I can see five reds and five pinks coming up quickly.
:53:51. > :55:02.It's all about the reds around the black. Points all square now.
:55:03. > :55:10.Now the work starts. He needs to get nicely on the next red. Ideally he'd
:55:11. > :55:14.like to get onto the green. If he gets high on the green he could play
:55:15. > :55:23.the little cannon onto the red and get closer to the black. I'm not
:55:24. > :55:28.sure how straight he is on the red, if it is to straight it is no good.
:55:29. > :55:31.He has not got a good angle on this. It is no good running through to
:55:32. > :55:37.force the black into play because it will hit the red so it might not
:55:38. > :55:40.bring the black interplay. He's playing the slightly more difficult
:55:41. > :55:48.cutback. I still fancy him to make this.
:55:49. > :55:57.He played it nicely and he's got a nice angle on the blue. It is now
:55:58. > :56:04.imperative he gets a nice angle on this red. We know that it pots. What
:56:05. > :56:10.you do with this type of shot is look to get the cue ball ounce a
:56:11. > :56:15.fraction of the top cushion. And if it did it could flip the red away
:56:16. > :56:18.from the green, so if he gets the positional shot right he has every
:56:19. > :56:21.chance of bringing the green interplay, or getting rid of the
:56:22. > :56:27.green and getting it up the other end. Yes. Maybe just a little bit
:56:28. > :56:37.too much bounce. Can he force it over to cannon that red that is next
:56:38. > :56:47.to the green? Don't miss the pot, don't get too greedy. No, he didn't
:56:48. > :56:53.have the angle to stun across. He has a chance at the pink, he has A27
:56:54. > :56:59.point lead, but even if he potted the difficult pink eye. Nowhere the
:57:00. > :57:03.red ball come from. -- the difficult pink, I don't know where the red
:57:04. > :57:17.will come from. Tucking it up against the side
:57:18. > :57:19.cushion as a little bit of insurance, should Peter Ebdon get a
:57:20. > :57:59.chance. REFEREE: Foul and MS, David Grace.
:58:00. > :58:06.There is no need to take this. I can't believe it all he has got to
:58:07. > :58:09.do is nudge it into the black, get behind the brown and you have a
:58:10. > :58:17.snooker, and if you haven't the green is blocking the path back to
:58:18. > :58:25.the baulk end. I'm surprised Peter tried to play this so thin. Mistake
:58:26. > :58:37.there, David. You shouldn't have had this replaced.
:58:38. > :58:46.And that's the reason why. That's your own fault, David, I'm afraid,
:58:47. > :00:40.my friend. Well, that was a long, long way
:00:41. > :01:10.away. But he played the pot, believe me.
:01:11. > :01:17.Even though the lead is 31 points for David, he would be pretty
:01:18. > :01:22.pleased he has got the yellow safe. Because these three reds are all
:01:23. > :01:25.becoming available, so should Peter Ebdon get a chance, you could see
:01:26. > :01:29.him getting three reds and three colours, which would get him back
:01:30. > :02:03.into the frame. That was why it was important to put the yellow safe.
:02:04. > :02:09.The dreaded bump. Normally it's not a good thing to happen, but it's not
:02:10. > :02:48.worked out too bad. No harm done. Well, that is to Peter Ebdon's
:02:49. > :02:51.advantage, that the yellow is away from the side cushion, but what is
:02:52. > :02:57.not to his advantage is that there is a chance now for David Grace to
:02:58. > :03:05.win the frame at this visit. He's got this mid-distance read, just
:03:06. > :03:10.overly half hour mark. -- he's got this mid-distance red. Just over the
:03:11. > :03:16.half hour mark, which makes it the longest frame of the match so far.
:03:17. > :03:21.He slotted that in. Did not really hold the cue ball as he would have
:03:22. > :03:26.liked. The black would put him 39 points in front with still 43
:03:27. > :03:28.remaining, so he needs another red after the colour, that is why he has
:03:29. > :03:46.elected to play the pink. And I can only assume that this red
:03:47. > :03:52.will pass the black. And this red, that does go past the black, is all
:03:53. > :04:06.he needs to go 39 points in front with 35 remaining.
:04:07. > :04:33.He has to make sure he gets close to putting this red. He knows that
:04:34. > :05:32.Peter Ebdon will carry on. So this is to get to the interval
:05:33. > :07:45.JOHN VIRGO: well, I'm amazed he didn't take it on. I really am. But
:07:46. > :07:54.as I said earlier on in this frame, if you don't fancy them, you don't
:07:55. > :07:55.have to play them. But at the highest standard commercially if
:07:56. > :08:02.he's going to win the match... -- at the highest standard, surely
:08:03. > :08:23.if he's going to win the match... WILLIE THORNE: He probably played
:08:24. > :08:25.the blue into the black, there. It's the easiest shot to play but he
:08:26. > :08:57.might not want to play it. Well, he had a chance, Peter,
:08:58. > :09:02.before, when I thought he could have gone for the blue, and he refused
:09:03. > :09:11.it. He might not get another chance now. This blue for the frame.
:09:12. > :09:24.No. It's one of those frames, Willie, you're thinking, does anyone
:09:25. > :09:29.want to win it? Peter is looking up to the gods. Goodness me, he's
:09:30. > :09:36.refused three or four shots. You can't think that's bad luck. He is
:09:37. > :09:44.lucky to be still in the frame. He can just play thin off this one. The
:09:45. > :09:51.referee has obviously called touching ball.
:09:52. > :09:56.So, trying to come round and get in behind the black here. Nowhere near
:09:57. > :10:36.behind the black. Got to be a little bit careful if he
:10:37. > :10:41.plays the blue onto the black, he might knock it in. Whatever
:10:42. > :11:02.happens, you don't want to be putting the black safe.
:11:03. > :11:12.Well, you've just seen how a little slide side lance to the left
:11:13. > :11:17.middle. Surely he's not playing the double? Is he!
:11:18. > :11:27.I'm not quite certain what he played in the end. I think it was a
:11:28. > :11:42.half-hearted attempt at the double. Now, will Peter take this one on?
:11:43. > :11:51.He seems very twitchy, Peter, at the minute. He's not got any fluency in
:11:52. > :11:56.his action at all. No, I agree, and with all his vast experience, he is
:11:57. > :12:00.shaking his head a lot out there. He doesn't look comfortable and he
:12:01. > :12:05.hasn't done, from frame one. And this blue will cut if he decided he
:12:06. > :12:07.wanted to have a go at it. He's just coming round to have a look at the
:12:08. > :12:23.potting angle. Blue is all he needs. Well, if you're going to miss them,
:12:24. > :12:56.miss them too thin. There's a little bit of mileage in
:12:57. > :13:00.playing this cushion first here, because the white will stay factly
:13:01. > :13:06.where the blue is. Play the up and down shot. I suppose he could risk
:13:07. > :13:12.playing it up and down and trying to push the black safe. This is what
:13:13. > :14:00.he's played. A bit harder and he would have knocked the black safe.
:14:01. > :14:09.Not a straightforward up and down here. You don't want the blue
:14:10. > :14:12.colliding into the black. Playing the cushion on one side, the blue on
:14:13. > :14:37.the other. Safe enough. The dreaded bump, and surely that's
:14:38. > :15:01.the end of this fifth frame. APPLAUSE
:15:02. > :15:06.In it goes! Is a very relieved David Grace. He had plenty of chances
:15:07. > :15:13.there. Peter Ebdon, well, he's just not playing at the moment. Things
:15:14. > :15:19.are not looking good. 39 minutes, just short of, that frame took, and
:15:20. > :15:24.neither player will look back on it with great joy, but David Grace will
:15:25. > :15:31.be satisfied. It now gives him a 4 frames to one lead. Yes, and the
:15:32. > :15:32.2006 UK champion Peter Ebdon was up against it. Let's show you what
:15:33. > :15:44.happened in frame six. COMMENTATOR: Well, that's a
:15:45. > :15:46.tremendous pot. That's a tremendous pot. Every credit for taking that
:15:47. > :16:23.on. Whatever he gets, he deserves. The black is freely available to the
:16:24. > :16:27.left-hand side. He wants to play for the black so I imagine he will be
:16:28. > :16:30.playing for pink or black. He's putting some screw on, so I would
:16:31. > :16:38.suggest he is just holding it for the pink. Now, what he wouldn't give
:16:39. > :17:07.for another sizeable break in this frame, to take a 5-1 lead.
:17:08. > :17:23.Now, if the pink pots in the left-hand corner, make sure you get
:17:24. > :17:30.high on the pink. That's a good shot because now he can bring other reds
:17:31. > :17:34.into play. Got to be a little careful in playing the cannon. He's
:17:35. > :17:48.looking at the loose red. If those two above it pot, play for the loose
:17:49. > :17:52.one. This is a great chance to go 5-1 in front. He looks as though
:17:53. > :18:00.he's left it absolutely inch perfect. Pot this red, little screw
:18:01. > :18:05.into the red to the right of it. And that's worked out pretty good. Both
:18:06. > :18:12.those reds that are close together are available. What a chance he's
:18:13. > :18:18.given himself here. And it's fair to say, a red that he took on that not
:18:19. > :18:25.many would have. Yes, you called in commentary, what he gets from here
:18:26. > :18:29.he deserves. That was for a red he potted, the opening red. The reason
:18:30. > :18:35.John said it was a bit risky, because playing it at the pace he
:18:36. > :18:39.did, it had to go in. This was the shot you're talking about, and he
:18:40. > :18:47.played it in such a way, he knows the pink and black are there for the
:18:48. > :18:55.taking, but the pace he played it, he went all out for it. Well done.
:18:56. > :19:02.Has he held it? Has he held it! I think he has. He's coming round to
:19:03. > :19:06.look at where he wants to leave himself. I thought for one moment he
:19:07. > :19:08.had just run too far and couldn't get through to the black. But I
:19:09. > :19:22.think he can just about make it. REFEREE: Foul. Well! He convinced
:19:23. > :19:29.himself he could. Can you believe it?
:19:30. > :19:42.He convinced himself he could get past the red. Well, a disappointing
:19:43. > :19:55.end, there. He had built himself a great chance.
:19:56. > :20:04.Well, once again a very average safety shot there from Peter Ebdon.
:20:05. > :20:10.He's only just reached the baulk line, never mind the baulk vision.
:20:11. > :20:39.-- baulk cushion. A little look up to the heavens from
:20:40. > :20:47.David. He knew when he was in before that that was an excellent chance.
:20:48. > :20:54.This looks a good line. APPLAUSE
:20:55. > :20:59.The only problem is with that shot, he's got the snooker but it's an
:21:00. > :21:08.easy escape, you would have thought. Left-hand side cushion, as we look.
:21:09. > :21:12.Just the other side of the middle pocket. A trace of side. OK you're
:21:13. > :21:30.always a bit frightened that you can just slip by the reds, but he
:21:31. > :21:32.shouldn't do. Well, it looks straightforward but maybe it isn't
:21:33. > :21:53.as straightforward as I thought. He's going to try and come off three
:21:54. > :21:57.questions here and hoping it jets off the third cushion.
:21:58. > :22:09.REFEREE: Foul and a miss, Peter Ebdon four. Badly misjudged. The
:22:10. > :22:16.pace he's playing at, if he misses it... What he's trying to do is come
:22:17. > :22:19.off the left cushion with left-hand side and then check into them. I'm
:22:20. > :22:22.sure he will make a better adjustment here.
:22:23. > :22:35.Well, that wasn't the shop I had in mind! And I'm looking at his face,
:22:36. > :22:46.I'm not certain that shot he had in mind! I'll ask him later. -- I'm not
:22:47. > :23:03.certain that is the shop he had in mind.
:23:04. > :23:13.Well, both these reds are available into the middle pocket. Obviously he
:23:14. > :23:17.will be worried about getting on the black, and it's no good, so just
:23:18. > :23:53.roll it in for the pink in the middle.
:23:54. > :24:06.Peter Ebdon, one. It's not a pretty sight to see a layer struggling as
:24:07. > :24:12.Peter is. -- a player. He certainly is finding it very hard work out
:24:13. > :24:14.there. The two reds at the right of the pack, that looks a certain
:24:15. > :24:19.plant. He's had a look at it. He can play this and he can actually
:24:20. > :24:43.screw back for the black. He has screwed back for the black,
:24:44. > :24:48.but he's much too straight on the black to be getting on the next red,
:24:49. > :24:53.so I would suggest that he will probably just roll this in and
:24:54. > :24:55.settle for the seven points. Because if you play them with any kind of
:24:56. > :25:36.pace, the black just won't go in. Peter looks like he's taking this
:25:37. > :25:48.red on, the 1 near the pink spot, and play up for the brown or the
:25:49. > :25:56.green. Good pot. Not a great white. Yes, it was a good pot. But David
:25:57. > :26:02.Grace, when he played safe, when he just trickled that black along the
:26:03. > :26:08.top cushion, he should have found the baulk vision with his safety.
:26:09. > :26:10.Now, has he got the angle? A natural angle to put the yellow or blue and
:26:11. > :26:31.going to the reds. Hmmm. Well, he missed the blue and
:26:32. > :26:36.that's the problem, he is missing too many balls, Peter. He had split
:26:37. > :26:42.the reds open but he has got away with it. Mark Selby struggled the
:26:43. > :26:47.other night against a very in-form Jamie Jones and managed to somehow
:26:48. > :26:51.get a victory, but I don't see how Pete at think and get a victory at
:26:52. > :26:55.the minute in this match, the way he's playing. I think he's
:26:56. > :26:59.definitely got to win this frame to have any chance. I can't see him
:27:00. > :27:32.winning five frames in a row, not on what we've witnessed so far.
:27:33. > :27:39.Well, if he's covered the path to that little cluster of four in the
:27:40. > :27:45.middle of the table with the yellow, that could be quite a
:27:46. > :27:51.telling safety shot. There is a pot on. There's a gap between yellow and
:27:52. > :27:54.pink to be playing this red. But he would be running into the black.
:27:55. > :28:02.This isn't a shock to nothing. You go for it, you have to get it. And
:28:03. > :28:03.he's just throwing himself at it. I mean, there's so much movement going
:28:04. > :28:19.on. This is very unlike Peter. Just watch the movement here. Back
:28:20. > :28:24.arm went, head lifted. I'm just wondering, does he have a back
:28:25. > :28:30.injury? I'm just working out the reason for the different stance. Has
:28:31. > :28:33.he got a back injury? I don't know, I saw him the other day after he
:28:34. > :28:36.beat Stuart Bingham and I said hello and he said he's playing well and
:28:37. > :28:46.practising hard. Obviously couldn't get through to
:28:47. > :28:55.get to the potting angle of that red. This long pot, it's a shock to
:28:56. > :28:59.nothing as far as he brought the cue ball all the way back into baulk,
:29:00. > :29:05.but the way he's playing, I would be a little reluctant to play it.
:29:06. > :29:11.That's the one I'm thinking of. He's going to play the other one, the 1
:29:12. > :29:23.nearest the pink spot. But if he pops it he will do well to miss the
:29:24. > :29:25.red on the left-hand side, off two cushions. Once again an awful long
:29:26. > :30:22.way. cushions. Once again an awful long
:30:23. > :30:34.red can be cut to the middle, it looks a little bit past the pocket.
:30:35. > :32:15.But it's catching. All of a sudden David Grace is starting to miss.
:32:16. > :32:19.It's one of those things where you are excited to see your opponent
:32:20. > :32:25.playing so badly you think, I'm going to win the match. But you've
:32:26. > :32:37.got to play one shot at a time, don't see the winning post too soon.
:32:38. > :32:53.I think the reason he's playing the yellow and not the blue is that the
:32:54. > :33:03.blue, if it went back on its spot, could tie up the pink. Would you
:33:04. > :33:09.believe it? Would you believe it? I mean, he's going as though he got a
:33:10. > :33:19.kick but normally if you get a kick you hit them too thick, not too
:33:20. > :33:30.thin. It's hard to know, I'm not a lip reader. I don't know!
:33:31. > :33:34.David Grace will never get a better chance of getting into the last
:33:35. > :34:22.eight of the tournament than this. Just not getting through the ball at
:34:23. > :34:26.the minute. He's getting so excited realising he has a chance to get
:34:27. > :34:29.through to the quarterfinal his cue action has gone, he was trying to
:34:30. > :34:39.get onto the pink to the middle pocket. 25 points the lead. Just
:34:40. > :34:50.cute this pink straight, doesn't have to do much with the cue ball.
:34:51. > :34:55.-- Kew. In it goes. 31 points is the lead, two reds and two colours and
:34:56. > :35:21.he will be one frame away from victory.
:35:22. > :35:30.He will be excited inside now. He just has to remind his work. Pink,
:35:31. > :35:39.red, high valued colour, he will be 5-1. I'm surprised he played for the
:35:40. > :35:47.bottom red, why not play for the top red, which is a little easier?
:35:48. > :35:58.Looking at his body language, he's on neither of them. Hang on a
:35:59. > :36:05.minute, I think he can get through to this red. He's playing with
:36:06. > :36:15.bottom, he will have to run around off to cushions -- two questions.
:36:16. > :36:20.That's as well as he has struck any shot, well in the last couple of
:36:21. > :36:30.frames, anyway. This black to go 46 points in front with 43 remaining.
:36:31. > :36:33.In it goes. He kept his head down and played it well, that was a good
:36:34. > :36:37.shot, surprised he played the screw back and not the run-through but
:36:38. > :37:00.it's always the same, he got on the black.
:37:01. > :37:08.He keeps glancing at the scoreboard. David will be getting excited now.
:37:09. > :37:12.He's done what he had to do, winning the frame in one visit, second
:37:13. > :37:19.visit, of course, but at least he did what he had to do to get past
:37:20. > :37:21.the winning post in this frame. He's been pretty consistent when he has
:37:22. > :38:07.the balls in open play. It is sad to see a player struggling
:38:08. > :38:09.as much as Peter is today. I can only assume he has a back problem
:38:10. > :38:26.with the way he is standing. Another break up of 54 David Grace,
:38:27. > :38:30.his third of the match so far. -- 50, four David Grace. Well done,
:38:31. > :38:34.David, this has been a good clearance, missed a couple early on
:38:35. > :38:44.in the frame but he did it when it matters most, he leads 5-1. Four up
:38:45. > :38:48.with a possible five to play. STUDIO: Grace is playing well and
:38:49. > :38:53.he's never beaten Peter Ebdon who is the 2006 champion and fighting to
:38:54. > :38:57.stay in the match. Into the next frame and Peter Ebdon is at the
:38:58. > :39:02.table reading by 38 points. COMMENTATOR: Yellow mac just enough
:39:03. > :39:10.room between the red and the blue. He can get through to the red. He is
:39:11. > :39:19.taking on the pot. He's got to be careful he does not foul the red
:39:20. > :39:29.with his cue. That was the thing that was putting him off slightly.
:39:30. > :39:33.Now you are more concerned with pushing this cue threw in a straight
:39:34. > :39:40.line and bringing it back in a straight line. This is a chance
:39:41. > :39:45.here. It might be a bit tricky. The fact he has asked for the spider
:39:46. > :39:50.doesn't make it any easier. But the thing is with the red he doesn't
:39:51. > :39:55.have to do anything with the cue ball, just drop the red in and you
:39:56. > :40:01.are bound to be on the black. It is tricky with this spider.
:40:02. > :40:09.He played it well, he played it very well. OK, he doesn't have a good
:40:10. > :40:13.angle on the black and he will have to play for one of the loose reds
:40:14. > :40:23.but in the main cluster there is one red sticking out. As we watch this
:40:24. > :40:28.again well played. If he wanted to be perfect on the next red he would
:40:29. > :40:32.like to believe little angle to bring the others into play, but he's
:40:33. > :40:35.gone too far. If he gets onto the colour here, which could be the
:40:36. > :40:39.black, he has got to be careful playing the run-through, that is why
:40:40. > :40:44.he's playing the screw up for the pink or the blue. If this works this
:40:45. > :40:53.is a frame and match-winning opportunity. Because, all of the
:40:54. > :40:58.reds are perfect now. Just got into it a little bit too much, he's not
:40:59. > :41:04.on the blue and not ideal on a baulk colour. But the reds are all there
:41:05. > :41:11.for the taking. He's looking to see if he can drop the blue in and
:41:12. > :41:20.cannon into another red. The most important thing here is to pot the
:41:21. > :41:26.blue. Which he has done nicely, and nudged the red over the corner.
:41:27. > :41:31.Couldn't have done it better with his hand. This is deep breath time
:41:32. > :41:40.for David Grace and his supporters. He has a chance of beating a former
:41:41. > :41:42.UK and world champion in the latter stages of a second major. He's just
:41:43. > :42:00.got to hold himself together now. He left himself a little bit
:42:01. > :42:07.hampered but I think he can get through to it. Just slightly
:42:08. > :42:12.hampered, you can see him cueing high on the cue ball but nothing to
:42:13. > :42:41.do with the white, just off the cushion.
:42:42. > :42:49.That's OK. Again he will need the extension.
:42:50. > :43:02.Red and black would make the points all square. That would leave four
:43:03. > :43:08.reds. OK, one of them is near the top cushion, that should not provide
:43:09. > :43:12.too much difficulty. The one near where the rest is now. But those
:43:13. > :43:20.four reds with high value colours would see him get to the snooker is
:43:21. > :43:27.required stage. -- snooker is required. This lack makes the points
:43:28. > :43:29.all square. Frame and match -- black makes the point all square. At his
:43:30. > :43:48.mercy. Essential to leave an angle on the
:43:49. > :43:53.black this time to get onto the two reds. I don't think they are both
:43:54. > :44:02.available to the left-hand corner. He needs a good angle. He does not
:44:03. > :44:12.want to be straight, otherwise he will have to play for the middle.
:44:13. > :44:15.That wouldn't be a bad thing. I don't think he's got the perfect
:44:16. > :44:27.angle. I think you are right, he will have two playful one of them in
:44:28. > :44:33.the middle. -- play for one of them. If he plays for the pink I'm
:44:34. > :44:41.not sure where it will go when it is re-spotted.
:44:42. > :44:51.He played that nicely. I think he just has the slight angle here. If
:44:52. > :45:00.he's going to Blade Runner round off to -- two cushions, he's looking at
:45:01. > :45:07.where the cue ball is going to be. I wouldn't be too concerned about the
:45:08. > :45:10.red and moving the one near the left-hand side because it's in a
:45:11. > :45:18.portable position. He's having the cue ball cleaned, he doesn't want
:45:19. > :45:23.any heavy contact. It's all about control in this. He's going to play
:45:24. > :45:29.with top spin and run around off two cushions. It is easy to do that and
:45:30. > :45:35.snooker yourself on the pink. He needs a bounce. He was so concerned
:45:36. > :45:41.about snickering himself on the pink he has on the pink he has underhit
:45:42. > :45:46.to play for a baulk cover, -- baulk colour, which takes the pressure off
:45:47. > :45:50.the red because he will cover it with the blue. I think with this
:45:51. > :45:58.type of shot, if you don't get on the baulk colour, if you pot the
:45:59. > :46:04.ball you get to play the next shot. That is a nice case. That's OK. He
:46:05. > :46:11.put his hand up and apologised, Peter. Because, I think he may just
:46:12. > :46:16.be able to stun across to the other side of the table where the last and
:46:17. > :46:25.key red for frame and match is. I'd be wanting to play behind the red.
:46:26. > :46:33.If you screw direct and leave one pocket, underhit it or overhit it
:46:34. > :46:37.you do not leave yourself options. He hasn't done. Oh dear, there is
:46:38. > :46:45.still some life left in this frame. I don't mind him kissing the black.
:46:46. > :46:50.That can happen. Not on the way up. I would excuse him from kissing the
:46:51. > :47:01.black if he hit it off the cushion but not straight into the black.
:47:02. > :47:12.That's about all he could do, he felt. He goes back to his seat, 22
:47:13. > :47:15.points the lead, he's missed his match-winning opportunity. Will he
:47:16. > :47:45.get another one in this frame. Decision Time now for Peter Ebdon.
:47:46. > :47:52.He knows that if he goes for this and misses it it could be his last
:47:53. > :47:58.shot. And in the end he decided not to go for it. If he's got the
:47:59. > :48:12.snooker you'd have to say it was the right decision. Is there an age
:48:13. > :48:19.sticking out? I don't think so -- an edge.
:48:20. > :48:30.I mean, there is an edge, but he can't get to it. Come off the side
:48:31. > :48:39.cushion and try and get it safe. He's not got it safe. Peter, this is
:48:40. > :48:45.your chance. 22 points in it. He's going to need red, colour and the
:48:46. > :49:29.six remaining colours to keep his hopes alive.
:49:30. > :49:38.Once again you heard him immediately asking for the cue ball to be
:49:39. > :49:46.cleaned, and the shaking of the head, we've had a lot of that today.
:49:47. > :49:49.It's finished perfect on the yellow, John, whether it got a kick
:49:50. > :50:08.or not. I always feel with these clearances,
:50:09. > :50:16.as I say on many occasions, it's the position from brown to the blue that
:50:17. > :50:18.is the key. If you pot the brown and get perfect position on the blue it
:50:19. > :50:48.should be a formality. With the pink not being on its spot
:50:49. > :51:13.he was able to hold, so pink and black to pinch the frame.
:51:14. > :51:20.It goes in. Even then he complained about the contact but it won't
:51:21. > :51:23.matter, he's won the frame, David Grace had a chance to clinch frame
:51:24. > :51:27.and match and couldn't do it, good clearance from Peter Ebdon but still
:51:28. > :51:34.three behind the Leeds man, leading 5-2.
:51:35. > :53:28.David Grace breaking off in frame eight.
:53:29. > :53:37.Decided on the aggressive safety. He's got a good cue ball. I think he
:53:38. > :53:54.has left the path for this red to the right corner.
:53:55. > :54:01.He has slotted it in lovely and got a nice little flick off the red,
:54:02. > :54:21.giving him half decent position on the blue. Good Part. -- pot.
:54:22. > :55:06.Played it into the top pocket, he knew that was the best way to
:55:07. > :55:21.match, but this is not a certainty. No, but he's played the right shot.
:55:22. > :57:52.No. It is too wide, I'm surprised he stunned it, if
:57:53. > :58:00.He decided to run it off the top cushion, safer to play the screw
:58:01. > :58:04.shot. Not too bad because there is a red on the other side of the table
:58:05. > :58:05.he could play off this black. He doesn't really have to hold the cue
:58:06. > :58:20.ball. I thought he would have played for
:58:21. > :58:24.the red into the left middle. I have a feeling he may have done but he's
:58:25. > :58:36.well short of pace, and are now he has left himself a bit of a tester.
:58:37. > :58:38.Thin cut to the middle, pot into the corner, not as straightforward as he
:58:39. > :59:29.would have liked. Well, once again he wasn't happy
:59:30. > :59:32.with the contact. A thigh slapping reaction. And in the air.
:59:33. > :00:04.But as it turned out, he was nicely on the red. OK he might have been a
:00:05. > :00:06.bit closer to the cushion than he would have liked, but it wasn't
:00:07. > :00:18.really a massive problem. Well, once again... He's gone right
:00:19. > :00:22.in the heart of the pocket but he's complaining he didn't get the best
:00:23. > :00:28.of contacts. I'm going to say something here. I just don't think
:00:29. > :00:33.you're cueing well enough, Peter. I don't think it's the ball's fault
:00:34. > :00:36.every time. I just don't think you're cueing smoothly. This is why
:00:37. > :01:01.you're getting one or two heavy contacts.
:01:02. > :01:33.This red for his second 50 break of the match. He's starting to find a
:01:34. > :01:46.bit of form, but still doing a bit of complaining.
:01:47. > :01:54.Oh, you're kidding! He's just jabbing at everything. When you
:01:55. > :01:59.talked about him cueing poorly, that was a prime example. He just jabbed
:02:00. > :02:08.at that. Look at his head and his back arm. Just no confidence at all.
:02:09. > :02:14.Every time he's playing stunned shop, he's got no confidence at all
:02:15. > :02:20.in the shot. -- every time he's playing a stun shot.
:02:21. > :02:42.An unexpected opportunity now for David Grace. And sometimes, Willie,
:02:43. > :02:48.these are the easier ones, aren't they? The fact that you're sat there
:02:49. > :02:51.in your chair, to all intents and purposes you have lost the frame,
:02:52. > :02:58.and now you come to the table and it's a bit of a bonus. Absolutely.
:02:59. > :03:01.And the fact that he's behind, he's not getting excited thinking I can
:03:02. > :03:09.win frame and match at this visit, he just wants to get back into the
:03:10. > :03:13.frame, and when he gets onto the last red then the pressure comes
:03:14. > :03:17.about the frame and match. He's just got to mind his work. He had a
:03:18. > :03:22.chance in the previous frame to pinch it.
:03:23. > :03:30.Wasn't a bad idea, that. I think he was thinking he may have had a
:03:31. > :03:36.choice of two reds, but obviously he got too close to the 1 that would
:03:37. > :03:41.have been a possible maybe into the middle. But he's on this and he can
:03:42. > :03:44.just stun out and play for the pink in the middle. Just got enough
:03:45. > :04:01.angle. This break would put him 23 points
:04:02. > :04:06.behind. He would like to have been a bit straighter on this pink. He may
:04:07. > :04:11.have to play a little cannon now to develop the red that's just below
:04:12. > :04:16.the pink. Don't take your eyes off the pot.
:04:17. > :04:28.Played it beautifully. Good shot. APPLAUSE
:04:29. > :04:33.After the last red, hopefully he will be able to play for the blue,
:04:34. > :04:39.which makes it a lot easier to get to the yellow, or even baulk colour.
:04:40. > :04:46.Doesn't matter. So this is now the key shop, I think. Yes, and if he
:04:47. > :05:11.gets reasonably high value colours, he will not need the black.
:05:12. > :05:19.He's got a nice angle to get onto baulk colour. If he rolls it in, he
:05:20. > :05:23.will be on the green or yellow. He's putting a bit of back spin on which
:05:24. > :05:29.makes this slightly more difficult than it needs to be. He caught the
:05:30. > :05:36.near shore, but it's gone in. Not too nicely on the blue. Just caught
:05:37. > :05:42.the near jaw. Look at this thread. That's nervous for you. -- look at
:05:43. > :05:47.this red. If he plays to hold it he will be OK, but if he plays to go in
:05:48. > :05:55.and out of baulk, whatever you do don't hit one of the baulk colours.
:05:56. > :05:56.He's played that nicely. He has played that nicely. Well, not. Not
:05:57. > :06:13.perfect. He needs up to and including the
:06:14. > :06:23.pink for a place in the quarterfinal of the UK championship.
:06:24. > :06:34.Well, that was a pressure pot. He's played it nicely. As JV is always
:06:35. > :06:38.says, brown the blue should be the only problem. But the advantage is
:06:39. > :06:52.he doesn't need the black. He will be feeling it out there.
:06:53. > :07:00.This is one of the biggest matches of his snooker playing career.
:07:01. > :07:12.Oh! He's overhit this. Needs to slow down. Just a little bit of
:07:13. > :07:17.adrenaline, there. As I say, it's not that important, but he can't get
:07:18. > :07:22.close to the pink now. But he only needs the pink. If he needed pink
:07:23. > :07:25.and black, he would have a problem. Peter Ebdon may think there is a
:07:26. > :07:44.slight chance of him getting back to the table. This pink for the match.
:07:45. > :07:53.CHEERING AND APPLAUSE It's there, it's there! Peter Ebdon
:07:54. > :07:58.will be very disappointed but he gives a warm handshake to David
:07:59. > :08:03.Grace. Peter Ebdon never found his game, but that won't bother David
:08:04. > :08:07.Grace, he is in the quarterfinal of the United Kingdom Championship. He
:08:08. > :08:11.struggled sometimes to get over the line, but he took those really well
:08:12. > :08:16.at the end. A deserved winner, and he goes through, beating the former
:08:17. > :08:20.UK and world champion by six frames to two. He's in the quarterfinal!
:08:21. > :08:26.Not only is he in the quarterfinal but he is also with us in the
:08:27. > :08:30.studio. Lovely applause from the York crowd. Being a Yorkshire man
:08:31. > :08:34.and a boy from Leeds as well. How does that sound, UK championship
:08:35. > :08:40.quarterfinalists? Brilliant, can't believe it. Lost for words really!
:08:41. > :08:44.You hung on in there today and were you surprised at how many chances
:08:45. > :08:48.you had to win that match today? Yeah, obviously Peter did not play
:08:49. > :08:51.anywhere near as well as he did against Stuart, but I was just
:08:52. > :08:57.sticking in there and trying to take my chances when they came. Last
:08:58. > :09:00.season you were saying you won ?5,000 prize money. Now all of a
:09:01. > :09:04.sudden you have quadrupled that in one hit. What is the difference in
:09:05. > :09:09.your game, it has all come together, you're being patient?
:09:10. > :09:13.Possibly patients, enjoying it a bit more. Happier of the table, getting
:09:14. > :09:19.married next year to Gemma. I think that's probably part of it. You're
:09:20. > :09:23.also at the northern snooker centre where there is a good competitive
:09:24. > :09:29.scene and some good people, Peter lines, Oliver lines... You have a
:09:30. > :09:33.day of practice in there and people think you have retired! Were you
:09:34. > :09:37.surprised how relaxed you were? People thought it being your first
:09:38. > :09:40.major TV appearance, when it goes close you might freeze a bit but you
:09:41. > :09:44.were very relaxed on the last few colours and the last few balls you
:09:45. > :09:48.ported. I have been quite relaxed, I've had the same attitude from the
:09:49. > :09:51.first round. I've been enjoying it and things have been going my Way
:09:52. > :09:55.which has helped. When the pressure has been on, I have felt like I
:09:56. > :09:59.could do it. You appeared to be so relaxed and yet Peter seemed to be
:10:00. > :10:05.very jittery this afternoon. Did you detect that? Yeah, yeah. He didn't
:10:06. > :10:10.play that great but he was getting a lot of kicks as well. The balls
:10:11. > :10:15.weren't playing that clever. I probably had the same amount but I
:10:16. > :10:22.was just trying to not let it affect me. When you got income you scored
:10:23. > :10:27.quite well, didn't you? Yeah, yeah. Peter Ebdon has just given this
:10:28. > :10:32.reaction to his defeat, once again talking about kicks. It was
:10:33. > :10:37.frightening, absolutely ridiculous. Never seen anything like it. Time
:10:38. > :10:41.and time again. It was absolutely told destroying. I thought the table
:10:42. > :10:45.played very different today than a couple of days ago, quite a lot
:10:46. > :10:48.heavier. A number of bounces and a number of kicks was just soul
:10:49. > :10:52.destroying. You had no confidence in the shots you were playing because
:10:53. > :10:57.you just kept getting bad contact after bad contact, losing position,
:10:58. > :11:01.bad bounces. It was very, very difficult. When Peter won the
:11:02. > :11:05.seventh frame, we saw Peter walking out and he was very frustrated us
:11:06. > :11:10.that he appeared to say something. Did you hear what he had to say? Was
:11:11. > :11:14.it just frustration about the kicks? I think it was just frustration,
:11:15. > :11:20.yeah. He was getting a lot of kicks. Yeah, difficult. It looked like he
:11:21. > :11:24.was upset within self, though. He was fighting with himself and the
:11:25. > :11:28.way he was playing and the table. It he was jumping up an awful lot. The
:11:29. > :11:33.boys noticed it in commentary, they said he was jabbing. A lot of body
:11:34. > :11:37.movement, more than we have ever seen from him. The modern-day
:11:38. > :11:42.techniques are a lot stronger than Peter's now. Perhaps he will have to
:11:43. > :11:47.keep his head still more on the shot. You looks a lot more solid on
:11:48. > :11:51.the shot. Yeah, possibly. Peter is still playing good snooker. He
:11:52. > :11:57.proved that the other day. It just wasn't there for him today. We have
:11:58. > :12:02.spent a lot of time talking about kicks and table conditions. Do you
:12:03. > :12:07.have a general view on how well the tables have been performing? Quite
:12:08. > :12:10.well for me! When you're playing well and winning matches, nobody is
:12:11. > :12:14.coming in here and going on television and moaning about the
:12:15. > :12:19.tables, and yet those people who are losing, in Barry Hawkins's case, the
:12:20. > :12:23.tables should be burned! From round two round they play differently.
:12:24. > :12:27.It's just something you have to get on with. Obviously the players that
:12:28. > :12:33.have balls that cost them are going to be more aggrieved than a player
:12:34. > :12:37.who might have some bad contacts but it doesn't necessarily seem to cost
:12:38. > :12:40.them. I don't know the answer but from David's perspective, if the
:12:41. > :12:44.other guy is getting annoyed, the best thing you can do is just get on
:12:45. > :12:52.with it. Let him take the hole for himself. Isn't it amazing, we had
:12:53. > :12:54.two tables out there in the arena, side-by-side, Mark Selby on the
:12:55. > :13:03.other table didn't really moan about any kicks and made so many big
:13:04. > :13:09.breaks and won 6-1 and the kicks tables they completely different.
:13:10. > :13:14.Barry Hawkins saying they should be set on fire," soul destroying" from
:13:15. > :13:18.Peter Ebdon. Strong words. He's coming in and winning and saying no
:13:19. > :13:22.problem for me! I want to buy the table!
:13:23. > :13:26.LAUGHTER You won't be able to if Barry
:13:27. > :13:38.Hawkins gets his way! Next up for you it is Martin Gould or Joe Swail.
:13:39. > :13:42.Yes, obviously it doesn't get any easier but I'm the King forward to
:13:43. > :13:47.getting back out there. What about your art? It has been fascinating.
:13:48. > :13:52.Yeah, I did it at school. I never touched it for a few years until a
:13:53. > :13:57.few years ago and then pick it back up again. That thing you did Peter
:13:58. > :14:00.Ebdon was marvellous. We've had a few artists over the years in the
:14:01. > :14:03.game and it's nice to see another one. Will you be going out to paint
:14:04. > :14:12.the town red tonight? LAUGHTER
:14:13. > :14:15.Here is a new one, he will have to come out to new music,