Last 16 - Part 4 UK Snooker Championship


Last 16 - Part 4

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LineFromTo

# You know my name, you know my name

# It took you a lifetime to get

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where you got...

# If I had my way, be came for a

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day...

HAZEL IRVINE: Evening all! We're on

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the eve of the quarterfinals in the

Betfair United Kingdom jumper. Live

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long and prosper is the usual mantra

of the top seeds and names in any

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major Championship, but not this one

because only two out of the top 16

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have made it through to this point.

One of those is Ronnie O'Sullivan

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Huddlestone on course for a

record-equalling sixth UK crown. He

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is due out here very shortly in the

Barbican centre, and these are the

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guys that he is aiming to join in

tomorrow's line-up.

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DENNIS TAYLOR: Joe Perry beats Mark

Allen.

Mark King goes through to the

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quarterfinal...

It's On Fire Stephen

Maguire!

He's produced the goods

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when it mattered the most.

The

result is all that matters, and

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Martin Gould wins 6-4...

Shaun

Murphy, former champion, and he goes

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through to the quarterfinals...

So,

the two remaining places up for

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grabs this evening in the last

eight. Mark choice, the man who

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knocked out Neil Robertson, taking

on the world number 82. And the

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lowest ranked player left meets the

highest, with Sunny Akani taking on

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the man he calls his idol, Renny

O'Sullivan. And Ronnie is trying to

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muscle in on this man she loves

record of six titles here. It is an

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extraordinary Championship so far?

That's right. When it first to a

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best of 11, people said it would be

more of a lottery, but now we are

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seeing some of the lower ranked

players coming through to the latter

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stages of a lot of events, but you

would not have thought it for the UK

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Championship.

You wouldn't. And who

is the man who can beat O'Sullivan

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this week?

The one who stands out is

obviously Shaun Murphy. I think of

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the players I've seen so far who

have been playing well, I think

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Stephen Maguire and Ryan Day have

looked impressive as well. Anybody

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who is in it can still win as leader

best of 11. But I think it would be

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fair to say, Ronnie O'Sullivan, as

we currently speak, could win this

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tournament with an average

performance. I don't necessarily

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think any of the other players could

win the tournament with an average

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performance.

And I, on paper,

Ronnie's match looks like a bit of a

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mismatch, with the greatest of

respect to Sunny Akani. He has been

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in just 1/4-final since turning pro,

he's 22, he has done some damage

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this week and he says this is his

dream matchup, he's a charming

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individual?

What a fantastic event

this is for him, he's probably got

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millions of fans back in Thailand.

Azizul Awang guy and what a dream

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come true. You never know what a

player is capable of. He's got and

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unusual cue action, a bit like a lot

of the old time players in the game.

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It will be interesting to see how

Ronnie copes with something slightly

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different perhaps.

And he turned

over the world number eight Barry

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Hawkins 6-0 in the last round, so

this guy knows what he's doing. His

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real name is a lot longer. I think

the commentary team is a lot happy

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that he goes by his nickname Sunny

Akani. And no doubt Rob Walker as

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well!

Good evening, ladies and

gentlemen. What an atmosphere we

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have in the Barbican centre tonight,

as we look to complete the line-up

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for this year's quarterfinals in the

UK Championship, a massive blend of

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youth and experience right here,

right now in Yorkshire, it's

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Showtime!

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Please welcome first of all, a young

player brimming with confidence

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after making his first banking event

semifinal in Northern Ireland last

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month as a teenager. Already beaten

Marco Fu and Peter Ebdon en route to

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this fourth-round appearance in York

- can he rise to the occasion once

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more, it's Lyu!

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And his opponent, enjoying the best

season of his career so far, bidding

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for his third quarterfinal of the

current campaign and his first at a

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UK jump Egypt in seven years.

Knocking out two-time winner Neil

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Robertson in the third round, this

is a tournament that tends to bring

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out the best in Mark Joyce!

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And on table one, please raise the

roof for a player in merging for the

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biggest match of his life and the

biggest individual payday of his

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career so far. Here after

whitewashing multiple ranking event

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winner Barry Hawkins, he is about to

face his boyhood hero. So, take the

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roof off for the man proudly flying

the flag for Thailand, Sunny Akani!

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APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

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APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

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And finally, to the man who has been

thrilling snooker crowds for a

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quarter of a century. First lifting

this trophy in typically, he has

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since gone on to amass a record

seven Masters crowns among many

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others. Ronnie O'Sullivan!

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APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

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APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

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HAZEL IRVINE: A fantastic crowd in

tonight to see this match, and both

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matches live on the website. As

Storm Caroline sweeps across the

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country, let's see how sunny it gets

in the Barbican centre! Dennis

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Taylor, over to you.

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in the Barbican centre! Dennis

Taylor, over to you.

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DENNIS TAYLOR: Welcome to the

Barbican for this intriguing

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encounter between Ronnie O'Sullivan,

who's breaking off, and his young

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opponent, Sunny Akani. What a

welcome they all got, but especially

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for this delightful young player

from Thailand.

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STEPHEN HENDRY: Yeah, when they

shook hands, he almost looked

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apologetic when he shook Ronnie's

hand.

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Just hit that a little bit too hard.

This was the handshake that Stephen

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was talking about. A very modest

young man indeed.

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APPLAUSE

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He's a long way off this attempt,

Ronnie O'Sullivan. It will be a test

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for Ronnie's focus and concentration

tonight, because playing somebody

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ranked 84 in the world, and someone

that everyone probably expects

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Ronnie to win, even perhaps his

opponent. That's nice, for Sunny to

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get his first pot in before Ronnie

got his. Just unfortunately

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travelled the wrong side of the

blue. But he's on the pink, I think.

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Which would be a good ball to play.

A little cannon on the two reds that

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are touching each other.

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Chance to score a few points here.

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The green tape around the bottom of

his cue. Sometimes when you're

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starting of it gives you a guide as

to where to grip the cue. It's a

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decent start for the man from

Thailand. He looks pretty composed

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around the table. We said he looked

apologetic when he shook Ronnie's

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Han Solo he looks up for business

now that he's on the table. -- when

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he shook Ronnie's hand, but he now

looks up for business.

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Coming across the table to could

have done with just another 6-8

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inches, would have made it much

easier. He's just got to be careful

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of the red that he's leaning over.

That green tape that Stephen was

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talking about. Very good.

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I was on the other table when he was

playing Barry Hawkins, but to beat a

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player of his standard 6-0, must be

very talented.

Yeah, I don't think

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we've had a top player since James

Wattana I think got into the top

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four the rankings 20 years ago.

There's not been many. Lots of

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players are coming from China. It's

great to see different nationalities

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in the latter stages of these

tournaments.

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Yeah, when Steve Davis and myself

went to mainland China back in 1985,

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there were no Chinese players, we

played a couple of amateurs and they

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couldn't even make a 20 break. Who

would have thought that just over 30

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years later, there are so many top

players from that part of the world?

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Meanwhile he's just got slightly out

of position here. But a very

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difficult plant if he's going to

take but one. With that distance

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between them, this is far from easy.

Very well played. Very well played

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indeed. Cool as a cucumber so far.

Absolutely. Why not go for these

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shots?

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Speaking

shots?

0:15:570:15:58

Speaking to

shots?

0:15:580:15:58

Speaking to some

shots?

0:15:580:16:00

Speaking to some of

shots?

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Speaking to some of the

shots?

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Speaking to some of the players,

shots?

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Speaking to some of the players,

everyone got the impression that he

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was a very slow player, but... When

the game gets bogged down you can

0:16:020:16:09

perhaps slow up, but at the moment

it's a pretty decent pace he's

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playing at. Wrong side of the blue.

Baulk cushion, touch of left-hand

0:16:150:16:25

side.

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REFEREE: Foul. Sunny Akani, 34.

Ronnie O'Sullivan, four.

He'll feel

0:16:350:16:45

a lot better, having had that visit

to the table.

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Played that as a shot to nothing.

He's got a good cue ball, as you can

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see there. And he's covered the one

that's near the right corner pocket.

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So, if he plays a safety shot here,

he's got to make sure he covers

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that, so that Ronnie can't get to

it.

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Well, that's a bit unlucky, because

he had covered it, but he's knocked

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another one over the pocket, which

Ronnie can get through to.

Ronnie's

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been paying some attention to his

cue tip for the last couple of

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minutes.

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He lost control of the cue ball

there.

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Hike can't see there being a problem

with Ronnie's cue tip, he was in the

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practice room for well over an hour

this afternoon. That's looks like a

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beautiful tip to me.

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This is a beautiful shot, it really

is.

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It's very, very tight as to whether

he can get past the yellow just to

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snake this red. He's had a look from

both ends. Just that little bit

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sticking out, by the looks of it.

Yeah, well played. Very well played.

0:20:240:20:37

Just a little bit more pace and he

would have had the snooker behind

0:20:370:20:40

the yellow. With the green off its

spot, there's nothing over the right

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side of the table as we look at it.

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Well, Sunny has got a red if he

plays a shot-to-nothing to the

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corner. But he has to be careful he

doesn't leave one to the other

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corner. He needs to get a good few

ball here.

0:21:220:21:30

He's keeping it pretty tight.

Ronnie's not had anything to go for.

0:21:430:21:48

Similar shot here...

0:21:480:21:51

DENNIS TAYLOR: It's quite unusual

the way Sunny Akani gets down into

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the striking position. It's quite

deliberate. I've never seen a player

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do this. He is not slow by any

means, but it's just when he's

0:22:090:22:14

getting down into the striking

position, watch his little

0:22:140:22:16

mannerism.

0:22:160:22:20

Where is that red bowing to finish?

0:22:270:22:35

Where is that red bowing to finish?

STEPHEN HENDRY: Yeah, it's almost

0:22:350:22:36

like when he first took up snooker,

coach told him to do that, and he's

0:22:360:22:41

just kept on doing it.

If he takes

that pot on to the right middle

0:22:410:22:50

pocket, he's going to come up and

cannon into the pink, that's what

0:22:500:22:57

he's concerned about, otherwise he

would have already taken it on.

0:22:570:23:02

Just keeping things tight.

I'm not

sure what he played there. Whatever

0:23:090:23:21

it was, I'm sure he wasn't planning

to leave the cue ball there.

0:23:210:23:28

Now, have been told when he uses

this extension, he holds the cue

0:23:330:23:37

rather unorthodox. Now, that looks

very unusual. Never, ever seen that

0:23:370:23:47

before.

0:23:470:23:50

Itched just like the same grip that

you would normally hold the cue

0:23:590:24:07

with.

Whether Ronnie is not

concentrating, or he's edgy or

0:24:070:24:16

whatever, but he's yet to get post

to any pot he's taken on so far. --

0:24:160:24:26

yet to get close.

Yeah, maybe lost a

little bit of focus, because it's a

0:24:260:24:34

very scrappy opening frame, the way

the reds have finish up.

0:24:340:24:43

That's cost him a four points, ye

hasn't left anything, but...

0:24:480:24:59

He needs a thin contact. Wouldn't

want to hit it on the thick side, so

0:25:070:25:14

he doesn't mind giving four away

with the first attempt to.

0:25:140:25:20

The way this frame has panned out,

it's not a bad thing for Sunny

0:25:430:25:46

Akani. It's given him a chance to

acclimatise. This time, Ronnie DOES

0:25:460:25:56

hit it far too thick. And he can

take this red and get on the brown

0:25:560:26:01

and then back up for the red. So, in

a couple of shots' time, this Thai

0:26:010:26:07

player could have a decent opening.

Yeah, he's got an angle on the brown

0:26:070:26:16

to come off the side cushioned

hopefully disturb a few reds and the

0:26:160:26:22

black.

Yeah, the mannerisms he's

got, things like playing the rest

0:26:220:26:28

the way does, it can frustrate you

if you're sat in your chair watching

0:26:280:26:32

him, if you're not properly focused

on what you're there to do. That's

0:26:320:26:37

what happened with Barry Hawkins. I

think that's what Sunny Akani does,

0:26:370:26:45

speaking to the players - he makes

frames awkward.

Yeah, he wasn't too

0:26:450:26:53

far away from opening up the reds

and the there. Backer -- and the

0:26:530:27:00

black there. Again, most unusual.

When you think about it, you would

0:27:000:27:10

think it is quite sensible, because

you're playing the same way as when

0:27:100:27:13

you play a normal shot.

Well, I was

the worst in the world using the

0:27:130:27:20

rest - never even dreamt about

trying it that way!

0:27:200:27:25

REFEREE: Foul, and a miss, Sunny

Akani, four.

0:27:430:27:50

Well, the pot is on, but can he get

himself onto a colour? He could play

0:28:170:28:26

a screw back but he's not guaranteed

to be nicely on one. He's just

0:28:260:28:29

dropping it in. All this will do

will be to give him six extra

0:28:290:28:37

points.

0:28:370:28:40

He didn't even bother taking the six

points. He's got that nice

0:28:440:28:50

advantage, and he's decided just to

play it safe. He was even very

0:28:500:28:58

modest the way he turned around and

said to the referee, I'm playing the

0:28:580:29:03

pink. Well, this is going over the

corner pocket, but blew me come to

0:29:030:29:11

his rescue. -- the blue may come to

his rescue.

Even shots like refusing

0:29:110:29:25

that pink, it was an extra six

points for him, just those

0:29:250:29:29

unorthodox shots can just put your

opponent out of his comfort zone a

0:29:290:29:34

wee bit.

0:29:340:29:39

Can he see enough of this red?

0:29:540:29:57

Can he see enough of this red? I

think he might be able to.

0:29:570:30:02

He's a bit closer to the cushion for

comfort, but he can stun this in and

0:30:120:30:22

cannon on the black even would do.

Well played. He knocked the black

0:30:220:30:34

safe, but it's still an excellent

shot.

0:30:340:30:37

This green and the loose red would

leave Ronnie needing a snooker.

0:30:450:30:54

Doesn't want to force this.

0:31:000:31:04

And that has pushed the blue rather

awkward.

0:31:280:31:32

But just the one snooker needed.

0:31:480:31:53

APPLAUSE

0:31:590:32:02

That's the opening frame, that

terrific long pot.

0:32:070:32:12

And a nice little nudge on the red,

although it didn't really matter

0:32:260:32:30

with the frame well and truly over.

0:32:300:32:33

You have to say, Dennis, it's a very

impressive first frame. Hasn't

0:32:560:32:59

looked nervous at all.

Doesn't

matter about missing that red.

0:32:590:33:05

Ronnie stays in his seat. He did

very well, it was an awkward frame,

0:33:050:33:14

but he won it, leading Ronnie

O'Sullivan 1-0.

0:33:140:33:16

STUDIO: A cool customer, the

24-year-old from Thailand. Ronnie

0:33:180:33:23

had won the opening frames of all

his previous matches here at York.

0:33:230:33:29

But interesting alignment positions

from Sunny in the frame.

Nothing

0:33:290:33:34

wrong with these shots selection or

unorthodox about the selection. But

0:33:340:33:39

he puts out his bridge hand to line

up the cue before he gets into his

0:33:390:33:43

down position. He lines up the cue

very early in the position. Some

0:33:430:33:47

players don't get lined up until

they are down on the shop. That's

0:33:470:33:50

interesting is that the second

thing, he was close to the side

0:33:500:33:55

question. Was going to play a

stunning shot. He lined up as if

0:33:550:33:59

hitting the middle of the law and

then jacked up into the air. He got

0:33:590:34:04

into position first and then came up

to hit the bottom of the ball.

0:34:040:34:08

Sometimes you find it difficult to

get the middle of the line if you're

0:34:080:34:11

looking down. So he lined up and

then jacked up into the air. The

0:34:110:34:16

idea of the rest, he is using the

same cueing action, but the only

0:34:160:34:20

thing is, if he puts side spin on,

the cue has a lot more side spin on

0:34:200:34:25

it. That can be a bit difficult to

judge.

We go back. The forecast is

0:34:250:34:33

Sunny so far!

0:34:330:34:37

DENNIS TAYLOR: I love that, Hazel.

Delightful young man, and what a

0:34:370:34:45

start for him.

0:34:450:34:48

STEPHEN HENDRY:

it's a long time

since I have seen Ronnie O'Sullivan

0:35:030:35:06

make such an uncertain start to

match. Can't play a shot right at

0:35:060:35:10

the moment.

0:35:100:35:13

Good pot. Just letting the cue ball

drift. Solid pot. This black is

0:35:210:35:30

dangerous.

0:35:300:35:32

He's aiming down on the cue ball, so

we'll be making contact with the

0:35:350:35:39

reds. It's there.

0:35:390:35:50

They have never played each other,

these two players. I suppose Ronnie

0:36:070:36:11

wouldn't know that much about his

opponent. He certainly knows quite a

0:36:110:36:17

bit now.

0:36:170:36:20

That an attacking shop. Brilliant.

Absolutely stunning shot.

0:36:320:36:39

If Ronnie had played that, everybody

would be raving about it, saying,

0:36:430:36:50

what a player. Sunny knows the

shots.

0:36:500:36:53

What they can see has given himself

to win this second frame. -- what a

0:36:560:37:02

chance he has given himself.

0:37:020:37:07

Can bring the cue ball back for a

choice of pink or blue.

0:37:550:38:02

I think before this match started,

Dennis, most people were thinking

0:38:220:38:28

6-0, 6-1. Doesn't look like that at

the moment. I suppose 6-0, 6-1 the

0:38:280:38:36

other way!

As we mentioned, beat

Barry Hawkins 6-0.

0:38:360:38:45

It makes this match even more

intriguing now.

0:38:500:38:57

Doesn't do that routine at every

shot. I don't know what the criteria

0:39:100:39:15

was for them to do it. Certainly not

every shot where he does his

0:39:150:39:20

pre-shot routine.

0:39:200:39:25

He is cueing superbly well.

That was

a very delicate little touch there

0:39:380:39:43

to stay on the black.

0:39:430:39:48

And we've got a packed audience here

at the Barbican. The crowds have

0:39:520:39:58

been fantastic since the television

started on Saturday. They really

0:39:580:40:03

have come out in their droves here.

Most of them will not have seen this

0:40:030:40:12

young man play before. He got a

terrific reception when he was

0:40:120:40:16

introduced. He joined his hands

together, the Thailand tradition to

0:40:160:40:20

say hello. That's lovely to see.

0:40:200:40:36

Always looked to have a bit too much

angle on the blue to be able to

0:41:360:41:43

hold.

He has this red to the left

middle. Looks like he would need a

0:41:430:41:50

cushion, use a cushion in that shot

to gain good position. Just gets on

0:41:500:41:59

with it.

0:41:590:42:06

Terrific shot, it really was. Had to

find the gap and play this at pace.

0:42:120:42:21

Missed the red and found the gap

between yellow and brown. Excellent

0:42:210:42:25

positional shot.

0:42:250:42:30

His highest break in this year's

Betway UK championship was a break

0:42:460:42:53

of 79.

0:42:530:42:58

There is still a possible 67 on the

table. This medium pot on the red

0:43:030:43:09

will secure the second frame.

0:43:090:43:13

I keep on waiting for him to hit a

shot badly. The first frame or two

0:43:400:43:49

you might play above yourself, but

he looks so calm.

0:43:490:43:55

Faced with a tough red. What a start

for this young player from Thailand.

0:43:590:44:08

He takes the second frame. 2-0 to

Sunny Akani. HAZEL IRVINE: what a

0:44:080:44:18

story. Hector Nunn, all of the great

snooker writers, tweeted the other

0:44:180:44:22

day, on the first couple of

impressions, it's difficult not to

0:44:220:44:25

like Sunny Akani. Respectful and

calm, but also confident and very

0:44:250:44:30

cool.

He has what a lot of players

is imported, a pre-shot routine to

0:44:300:44:35

go through that makes every shot the

same. That's what you're trying to

0:44:350:44:39

do, really. You don't want to make

every shot different. It's the same

0:44:390:44:44

process of getting there. This

pre-shot routine might come even

0:44:440:44:48

more important. Line up the cue and

get down. Perhaps the next

0:44:480:44:52

generation will all stand up, then

go like that and have a little hair

0:44:520:44:56

clip.

That's the fashion,

definitely. We have seen it in other

0:44:560:45:01

sports. You mentioned Jason Day in

golf, a definite set routine before

0:45:010:45:05

he hits the ball. And somebody like

Marco Fu has always been deliberate

0:45:050:45:09

in how he addresses the shot.

You

want to have people who can play

0:45:090:45:14

with flair. And when players have

this pre-shot routine it looks more

0:45:140:45:20

like you are trying to be like a

machine, a robot. Unfortunately the

0:45:200:45:26

games of snooker and golf are

robotic games where you try to

0:45:260:45:29

compete all the time. Fortunately,

players off the table have some

0:45:290:45:34

personality, but when you play the

shots, for the people who like

0:45:340:45:40

watching snooker, they don't like

the players who seem methodical, but

0:45:400:45:44

the game lends itself to that.

It is

fascinating and its workings so far.

0:45:440:45:48

Back we go.

0:45:480:45:51

DENNIS TAYLOR: the break of shot put

the reds next to the black and it

0:45:530:45:58

has tied it up. As a potted a ball

for more than 25 minutes. -- hasn't

0:45:580:46:08

plotted a ball.

0:46:080:46:09

That's not a bad one to start with.

0:46:140:46:20

That's not a bad one to start with.

I was watching Sunny when his red

0:46:200:46:29

went in the middle. He was shaking

it, disappointed to have left it.

0:46:290:46:34

First scoring opportunity for Ronnie

O'Sullivan.

0:46:340:46:38

GROANS FROM CROWD

0:46:460:46:51

GROANS FROM CROWD

Unexpected miss. He had the perfect

0:46:510:46:54

angle on the blue to then try to

bring some more reds into play. The

0:46:540:46:59

red catching the right to the jaw.

0:46:590:47:10

That was quite an attacking shop.

Just played a safety shot, but

0:47:130:47:17

wanted to bring the black into play.

Didn't envisage leaving this red.

0:47:170:47:24

If this runs on and he is on the

yellow, knowing Ronnie O'Sullivan,

0:47:320:47:38

he would go straight into the bunch

of reds and open the game up as much

0:47:380:47:42

as possible here. He caught the pink

first. Can still pot the red near

0:47:420:47:52

the right-hand corner. I think he

has a slight angle.

0:47:520:47:57

He's got enough angle. He can go to

the same pocket.

0:48:110:48:24

The two reds above the pink, stun to

the left one.

0:48:310:48:37

Played this to perfection.

Was very

unlucky. As we show you how the reds

0:48:450:48:53

ended up. The White went a little

off, but this was a stretch for

0:48:530:48:57

Ronnie and he needs a bit of action

on the cue ball. And he's got it.

0:48:570:49:04

All of a sudden, a great chance.

0:49:080:49:13

It takes a while, but The Rocket has

lifted off.

0:49:220:49:29

If you are Sunny Akani, this is what

you expect will happen when Ronnie

0:49:360:49:40

gets in. No point dwelling on it.

You are expecting to just look

0:49:400:49:48

forward to the next frame. Get ready

to take any chance that comes your

0:49:480:49:54

way.

0:49:540:49:58

A bit like the 80s and 90s, playing

Steve Davis, you make a mistake, sit

0:50:060:50:11

down and get ready for the next

frame. Same thing with Stephen

0:50:110:50:16

Hendrie in the 90s. One mistake, and

the number of times you sit out and

0:50:160:50:21

just get ready for the next frame.

0:50:210:50:24

Certainly doesn't take him long to

win a frame, does it? Already 53

0:51:070:51:12

ahead. Not that many more pots away

from getting his first frame on the

0:51:120:51:21

board.

0:51:210:51:25

Not going to be easy to make the

century break. Playing on to the

0:52:220:52:28

difficult red this time. He has had

three so far this year in the UK

0:52:280:52:37

Championship. 132 is his highest.

Made 50 centuries last season. He is

0:52:370:52:50

some 35 this season. 909 in his

career.

0:52:500:52:59

This has just looked inevitable from

almost the first shot. As soon as he

0:53:040:53:11

got that pack opened. We knew what

was going to happen.

0:53:110:53:22

I don't think Ronnie can believe

that yellow went in.

0:53:310:53:37

The 84th century in this year's

Betway UK Championship, coming just

0:53:520:53:56

at the right time because the young

player from Thailand asked a big

0:53:560:54:03

question of Ronnie O'Sullivan,

winning the two opening frames. This

0:54:030:54:06

has been his response. Typical

Ronnie O'Sullivan.

0:54:060:54:14

Very entertaining stuff indeed.

0:54:180:54:24

Very entertaining stuff indeed.

0:54:240:54:27

STUDIO: The 104th century Ronnie has

made in the UK championship, just

0:54:330:54:39

one behind the all-time record held

by a certain Stephen Hendry. 124

0:54:390:54:45

centuries in 25 years of playing.

Another record in jeopardy. As

0:54:450:54:49

indeed are other records held by you

and Stephen Hendry. He's trying to

0:54:490:54:55

equal your tally of six UK titles.

He's getting there now.

Who can

0:54:550:55:05

judge? Possibly Ronnie's five in the

UK championship in the modern-day

0:55:050:55:11

game is stronger than my six in the

80s. The overall standard is higher,

0:55:110:55:15

that's my personal opinion and not

everyone agrees. And Ronnie has five

0:55:150:55:20

World Championships in a crowded

marketplace. He's just a brilliant

0:55:200:55:24

player. A good frame to win. Doesn't

matter how much the other guy may

0:55:240:55:29

not be able to get over the line, we

don't know how that will pan out,

0:55:290:55:33

but he has put paid to a lot of

great players' chances so far this

0:55:330:55:40

tournament, including Barry Hawkins,

Fergal O'Brien, Michael Holt. They

0:55:400:55:44

are great scallops. This would be

another one.

We will be going off

0:55:440:55:47

the air at eight o'clock. We will be

carrying on behind the red button.

0:55:470:55:53

But we will enjoy the last few

minutes of the on air transmission

0:55:530:55:57

this evening. It's been a really

interesting start to the match so

0:55:570:56:01

far, hasn't it, boys?

0:56:010:56:04

far, hasn't it, boys? STEPHEN

HENDRY:

absolutely, Hazel. The

0:56:070:56:16

contrast in the two styles has been

very interesting. The one player at

0:56:160:56:23

the table, totally natural. The

player sitting down, Sunny Akani,

0:56:230:56:27

has obviously been heavily coached

in his technique.

0:56:270:56:32

Taking his time here. Three or four

reds available.

0:56:430:56:48

Just left it a little awkward.

Having to cut it back now. Nicely

0:56:570:57:04

played. A little bit too far to take

on the yellow and into the reds like

0:57:040:57:15

he did in the previous frame. Went

on to make a magnificent break. But

0:57:150:57:22

he has a couple of loose reds here.

That's a nice want to get on, the

0:57:220:57:27

one behind the black.

Fabulous

positional shot there. Made it look

0:57:270:57:34

so easy. Deliberately finished low

on this red. It's between the black

0:57:340:57:44

and the pack. Choice of playing this

with top spin or screw. I think he

0:57:440:57:51

will probably play the screw back.

Easier to control the cue ball, I

0:57:510:57:57

feel.

0:57:570:58:01

STUDIO: The scores might be heading

to 2-2. A little taster tonight with

0:58:300:58:38

quarterfinal places on the line.

Coverage continuing on the website

0:58:380:58:43

and behind the red button. Mark

Joyce from Walsall is carried 2-0 up

0:58:430:58:49

on Lyu Haotian on the other table.

We will be back with highlights

0:58:490:58:53

later. From Steve Davis and myself,

catch you again soon.

0:58:530:58:58

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