Day 1 World Championship Snooker Extra

Hello and welcome to the Crucible, the first Snooker Extra of the 2014

World Snooker Championship. We are focusing on match between Steve

Mcquire and Ryan Day. The choir has been a semifinalist here in

occasions. They has been a three-time quarter-finalist. Let's

get straight to the action. What a close matchup this could be

two great players. Day breaking of. They will both be very nervous.

Steve Mcquire has been struggling over the last few tournaments with a

bad back. Allegedly it is feeling a lot that are now. He needs to try to

get himself fit. I expect this to be a very open

game. Both are very attacking players. Yes, and Steve Mcquire has

found out that the table is running very quickly. -- Maguire. The bow

flight to go for those shots. They are the type of players that like to

do breaks when they get the chance. He is just trying to play two

cushions and rest into the pack. You could always go wrong. Not too bad.

That was a very good shot. He has always been an aggressive rate

builder, Maguire. The top players always go for the throat and try to

win the frame at one visit. I do know how many years she has

been here, but you can count on one hand the number of mistakes she

makes. A very good referee. I don't think he played to catch the

knuckle of the middle pocket. Maguire had a bit of back trouble at

the Welsh open this year. It comes with the profession, I'm afraid.

Next back problems. But he is better now.

He is telling me now that he is fully fit again.

He still has the pot available in the middle. But to keep that wreck

going, he will have two go for the blue. -- the break going.

If he screws it back, he might be able to get onto the black. He is

trying to screw it back but there is not a lot of room to get back onto

the black from here. What a shot. What a great shot. I would have to

say, we are very early in the tournament, but who do you think

will win? That was another very aggressive

shot. His number one asset is when he gets into the balls, he scores

very quickly. In five or six minutes, he could find himself a

frame in front. Surely the pink is not available in the middle. He is

holding his hand up to say that it is. That is amazing. It just opened

up between V reds to get the pink. Unbelievable. It is surprising how

quickly his facial expression changed when he thought he lost

possession. He apologised to his opponent.

Steve Mcquire spent most of his early career practising with Stephen

Hendry in Stirling -- Maguire. He will be very good in the

break-building department learning from the top man.

Stephen Hendry, when he was playing, he was looking for an opportunity

all the time. He was very aggressive and going for

shot is that others wouldn't. Also splitting the pack up very early.

He needs to slow down a bit. He is a cave. -- OK.

This is good from Maguire, just the start he would have been looking

for. Taking your practice table form onto the match table. He has been on

the practice tables for little while earlier on. Apart from the good

fortune he had when he got up to the pink in the middle when he wasn't

expecting to, he has placed the rest of this break absolutely first

class. -- played. He can now concentrate on making another

Crucible century. Maguire breaking of frame two. The

frame takes about five minutes. Ryan now has the pace on the table.

It is the only red he can see. He may as well take it on.

He has taken the green on the centre.

He is swinging the cue ball, trying to get the white in between the

green and brown. Just missed the kiss on the blue. He needs some

help. But he hasn't got it. Another chance for Ryan. It is a typical

type of safety shot that Maguire likes to play. He opens the balls

very quickly. If he gets it did cue ball down the bottom, he puts

pressure on his opponent. -- a good cue ball.

This is an excellent chance to level the scores. The reds perfect. -- are

perfect. Both these players were expected to win the frame.

The pink looks available into the two corners.

He has got so much cue power, he is able to make an angle.

He just slightly underhit that one. He would have liked it to be a

little straighter. He doesn't really want to kiss into

those two reds. He has three open reds really.

Seeing him play like this, it is a wonder that he is down to number 20.

He was number six a few seasons ago but he lost his way little bit. I

think he suffered a bit with a lack of confidence. Once you lose a

couple of matches, it tend to doubt yourself a bit. But he cues

beautifully. He is a great player to watch.

He has clinched the frame. The crowd at the Crucible always enjoy the

centuries. It is nice to see both players and

fabulous form. A break of 71 from Maguire in the draw. This has been

excellent as well. Ryan Day made 24 centuries this

season. 218 century breaks in his career. He is one of the leakages.

-- big hitters. Wonderful stuff from Ryan Day. It is level again. One

frame each. The opening two frames have been of

a very high standard. Ryan Day off at frame three.

I think these pockets have got a bit bigger all of a sudden! Great stuff.

A lot of people think you need to have contrasting styles to get a

good match but you don't really. You get to people like this, very

aggressive, great long potters. When you have two players playing at the

top of their form, there is no weakness. Starting with a good long

red shows that Maguire is not worried about what happened in the

previous frame. He is trying to win the frame at this visit but that has

gone astray. Beautifully played. He needs to get

a cannon to dislodge the black. Very impressive stuff from both players.

It is very early on in the championship, but we have seen some

wonderful stuff already in this match. Either player when the draw

came out would have been looking forward to it. There have certainly

been a lot easier draws than this Maguire. It is nice to see him

playing well again having suffered with that back problem.

These two players have led each other seven times and Stephen

McGuire has won six of those. It is quite surprising really. The only

vendor that Ryan Day had was in the year 2000. Stephen McGuire has won

the previous six matches that they have played. You would think, either

styles, they would be close. I don't think Ryan would be too worried

about that at the moment. When he is straight across, he is slightly

restricted. What he can do with the cueball. It is slightly off its

line. Looking at those results you just

talked about, it seems strange, doesn't it? This style of play suit

Stephen McGuire. This open, attacking play. You would have

thought that Ryan Day would have a slightly wetter long potter it

obviously that is not a case with the results. -- better long potter.

These are never straightforward. He would like to punch this around to

cushions to get to the red. But because he has to budget of one

question, it makes it a bit more difficult. He has played it nicely

though. It is not straightforward at all. Stephen McGuire is one of those

players that want to play at deep screw here. He has just had a look

at the scoreboard and knows that he needs at least another two reds.

He played the loose one, which surprised me a little bit. He may

wish he went straight for it on the last shot. I'm not sure what he's

going to do there. Not good on this black, is he? He is

blessed with a lot of two power, playing for the one loose red. --

cue power. Obviously stopping just a little bit

of movement in the crowd. Luckily it didn't make any difference. 68 in

front with 67 on. When he decided to go to the pack or play safe?

The red into the right corner is difficult. You can't get position on

that. The one into the left corner looks available.

He has had to raise it a bit in the air there. It is a lot more

difficult. He didn't quite pull it away. How could he hit a shot so

good and not be on a colour? That was very well played. Well cute. --

cued. The one behind is a little bit risky but it looks like he wants to

take it on. I'm not sure he should do. It was such an easy safety shot

of the yellow, when a man is in form like Stephen McGuire is, you don't

want to give them chances. He knows he's playing well, Ryan Day, but

don't give him chances. Sometimes if you are forced into playing that

type of shot, he feels he deserves to put something else and get a

break. There are times when you have to turn them down. After saying

that, if he had potted it we would have said what a great shot.

That just shows what happens again. Sometimes this game kicks you right

in the teeth. I was about to say that sometimes you feel if you are

2-1 in front you can take a risk. That is undoubtedly the best flick

of the tournament so far. -- fluke. Ryan Day is crouching up on his

feet, I just saw him shrug his shoulders. If you could see Ryan

Day's case at the same time as I could... All, Hallo, maybe there is

a little bit of justice. That came out of nowhere. The first

easy bull we have seen missed in this match. It wasn't a certainty

but, with the form that Ryan has been showing, you would think it

would be. Didn't have a great contact there.

The referee is cleaning the cueball. Very rarely do you have a chance of

winning a frame when you miss to blacks of the spot. That is the

scenario here. This is his third chance in this game, the first two

frames, the players had one chance. He looks to be finding a problem

here. Just play off to cushions and comeback for the blue in the same

pocket. Very well judged. This is a great

chance to get a sizeable lead in this frame.

He took a little bit more time over that black. He missed an easy one.

It hasn't been a lot missed. From either player. Not much tactical

play in this frame so far, it has all been break building.

He took his eye off that one. That is three blacks Terry in one frame.

That is cute dutifully. -- cued beautifully. Stephen McGuire has not

played that well. He looked like he would pot it easy enough.

He tends to wallop those into the middle of the pocket. Always been

the same. It is amazing how some players would

prefer to strokes that in, to give that pocket chance. Doing it that

way, there was a small margin of error. If you look at him play, he

plays with a very long backswing, always has. If he were to/ it in, he

would have to slow the delivery down. He does like to give them the

sump. -- thump. McGuire came into the professional game with high

hopes. He is certainly one of the top players in the game. He would

like to win this World Championship. When he got up to world number two

we all thought he was the next big thing. The next Stephen Hendry is.

He beat Ronnie O'Sullivan twice in the big tournaments. Everyone

thought he would be the next big thing. He hasn't quite fulfilled his

early promise yet. He still has time.

He would like to take the red into the middle, kissing it into the

green. He may be able to push the green little bit further closer to

the pocket. I didn't see him missing that one. He has been fortunate to

cover the long red up. Somehow, Ryan Day is still eight points in front.

Is he on a colour? Can he pot that green? It looks like it. He deserved

to be on a colour after that one. Just trying to do a bit of mental

arithmetic to find out how many reds he needs. He is going to need

virtually all the four reds to win the frame. He may decide to bring

that bred out that is nearest the cushion. -- red. He doesn't have the

angle to do that this time though. Not the best shot that because he

needs the other red. He is just looking now to where he can get the

cueball. Somewhere between the middle pocket and the black.

Somewhere in that area. How good is he at that? He hit that so well I

can't tell you. I don't know how he managed to get that angle from what

he had on the pink to get on the inside of the red. This is a tricky

one. 22 point in front, he is taking it on. Very dangerous. Played it in

such a way that the... Didn't want that on the green there.

There is now a chance for Ryan Day. 32 in front, he just wants the red

to be safe. When you need that one ball, coming

times can you miss that shot? You would expect Ryan Day to make that

nine out of ten times. In normal circumstances. When it is the pot to

win, it makes it different. Look at this. Right in line with the

centre pocket. Surely he can't miss this one.

Good sets from both players. We have had some high-quality break

building. A few misses in this frame but it doesn't make any difference

now. Now time for the midsession interval. It is two frames each.

I don't really know why he doesn't play in behind the pack of reds, it

looks like a straightforward shot to me. He can go right in behind the

pack there, off to cushions, no chance of leading anything on.

Ryan has to question whether he could see the red for balls because

he knows the referee will tell him he needs to make contact on a red

this time or he will lose the frame. The one next to the pink. No, this

site. -- side. He has been given a warning now, he has to place in

different. -- play something. A bit of reaction from the crowd there. As

it happens, he couldn't have played it better. What happens if you

missed cue? The problem with playing scene of

the red is the blue. If you play this way around, the blue is still

the problem. As long as he misses the blue he

should play a good safety shot here. Missed it by a fraction. He has not

left the red in a safe position. Ryan can get through to this red, I

think. Maybe not. He has done pretty well there, Stephen. To get out of

that. As it has turned out now, if Ryan Day takes that on and misses

it, he guarantees Stephen most of the balls. He has come down now to

see if he could get to the red nearest corner.

Not too bad. Once again, he should be able to judge this OK. That is a

good shot. That is nicely controlled. Their art

to reds he could play for there. He has his flow on at the moment.

Obviously Maguire was massive odds on to win that match. It would have

been a body blow to his hopes. This is not helping when he sees a player

playing so well. Yes, he lost to Maguire one year

when he was 9-7 in front. He had eaten Ronnie O'Sullivan a few times

that season. -- beaten. I think it affected him. Then he played John

Higgins. He didn't quite get over the line. It didn't get easier.

I watched him beat Anthony Hamilton in the first session a few years

ago. He had breaks on every frame. He played to a very high standard.

This is the one that is missing. If he could win the World Championship,

I think he would be happy when he retires.

Ryan Day certainly has the upper hand at the moment.

As far as the draw was concerned, I thought he would be one of the

rookie players and have a terrible draw.

Obviously Ryan Day has a good chance of winning this match, and you would

have to say that Dominic Dale, if he qualifies, and there is a few

matches where you could see in on seed they are winning, -- an

unseeded playwe winning. I think there were nine out of the 16

players who lost in Sheffield. Nine of them lost.

You drink it into the top 16 unless you are a very good player. -- you

don't get. On one of the blocks I was doing, I thought at least 14 of

the main seats would go through. -- seeds.

The new system is having a bit of an effect now on the players. There are

a lot of young players coming here for the first time do we don't see

that often. But there is quite a number this year. I think it is five

or possibly. -- five or six possibly.

He moves that white ball very easily.

It is so nice to watch. He didn't quite get into the cue

ball. He needs a black and another red colour. Unless he plays a cannon

into the reds, he is not going to get onto a red. Just thinking about

putting a wall colour safe. -- baulk colour.

That was a good break. He's in a very good position. For the first

time in the match, we could have somebody going to Maguire and in

front for the first time. -- two frames in front for the first time.

The black has been covered. He can't pop the black and get onto the pink.

-- pot. I think is going to have to take the loo on. -- blue. He has

decided to bring the brown into play. He feels he can still get back

into the frame. That is not his best. I expected the

cue ball to a beyond the cushion behind the green and the brown in

open play. The brown is in a better position. But he won't be happy with

where the cue ball is. I can understand him turning the

blue down because he hasn't had much table time this year.

The one next to keep pink is pottable.

50 points in front. Any colour will do. If he can see the yellow and he

feels like he can cut it in without any problem, he will take it on.

Otherwise he will be putting the round on the cushion and playing

safe. He certainly won't be playing to position on the red.

Very well done. He's cueing extremely well.

Once again, Ryan Day looks to have done enough to take a two frame lead

at 4-2. He is certainly looking the better

player at this moment. That is the end of that frame. He

now goes 4-2 in front. Ryan Day should be pretty pleased with his

work so far. Leading 4-2. How many more frames can he take in this

session to make the gap a bit more difficult for Stephen Maguire? We

know how determined Stephen Maguire can be. He is now going to have to

step it up little bit. That red has gone a bit further than

he wanted but I think he has covered it.

How is your luck? Not very good. You can see that often.

He didn't have quite the right angle to get behind the black. Well

played. Being 4-2 in front, the black looks a certainty. But you can

see him missing it. But he played it dead weight. The way he started the

match, it would be unusual if it did not score enough to take the frame

from here. The reds were absolutely perfect. I would imagine he would

play a slow for the black or up for the blue.

There is a lot of pressure on this frame.

He looks a bit used that the cue ball has travelled a couple of

inches farther than he wanted to. -- a bit used. His back should be OK

now. He has under yet that as well. He has got the cue ball under

control. He seems to be having a bit of

trouble with this cushion all of a sudden. It appears to be causing him

a few problems. That was a better shot. He couldn't

have played it more perfectly if he had picked it up by hand. The ball

is an absolutely perfect position for not only a frame winning break

but a possible century -- the balls. You wouldn't have expected him to

miss that one. He will be very disappointed with that of all the

good work he has put into get to this position. -- after all. Just a

misjudgement. But it has cost him. He is 56 in front.

Still a lot of work to do. Yes, but if you have a debt on this frame,

you would say that Ryan is favourite. -- a bet. Just about

being close over the line when he gets to that end of the table. This

will really hurt Steve Maguire if he loses this frame now because he has

controlled it. He doesn't have the perfect angle on

the blue here. He may cannon into the pink. He just needs to hold the

cue ball more than anything else. He has played it a different way. But

he has one in the middle. He needs to move those two reds into

position. The same problem as before. The

angle on the blues is not good. Once again, he has to judge the gap in

between the reds near the pink but is going to have to get the gap on

the way back as well. This is tricky, this next positional

shot, because the red next to the pink Allport in the corner. I'm not

too sure of the Allport in the middle. It is going to be a good

positional hook shot. He has played for the two reds in the opposite and

has not hit it. It certainly doesn't support in the right-hand middle. --

doesn't pot. He can play it in such a way that he

can get onto the black. You can't hit the ball better than

that. Into the heart of the pocket. Well played.

He hook shot coming up here. -- a big shot. How many times have we

seen that type of short myths? He has been potting those all the way

through the match. 11 points in front with that red. 16

with the blue. He has done as well as he possibly

could but he is not really on it. He has got pot the green and brown.

A bit of a thicker kiss on the blue meant it would have gone towards the

corner. Maguire is 18 points in front. It doesn't really make any

difference. Whoever pots the green probably will win the frame.

An excellent shot. Excellent shot. It could be a frame when. -- winner.

Using the brown to stop the green. He needs a bit of luck now. At first

glance, he looks OK. The cue ball is going to be coming little bit low

which makes it a very difficult ground. But it think there is any

advantage taking this in the middle. -- I don't think.

He is having a look down towards the side of the table. He needs to play

with the lot of side to hit the green. Not an easy shot. He almost

potted it. He needs the green to run on a bit.

We've Ryan Day 's power, he might be able to put this and screw around

the ground. He needs so much cue power. -- the brown.

That is brilliant. You can't hit the ball better than that. He has played

two or three shots in this frame that have been absolutely

outstanding. And now the miss on the Black will be perturbing Stephen

McGuire. This has been excellent from Ryan

Day. And that young man is in trouble now. Very good from Ryan

Day! It looked like he would lose the frame on several occasions but

he now leads 5-2. We didn't see this coming when

Stephen led 2-1. Since then, he has been outplayed and outscored. He has

just broken off in a frame that I feel he must win. There are two

frames to go in this session. He would love to win both, but

certainly at least one. Otherwise it could be a bridge too far.

That is amazing. He managed to get the screw off the pack after having

not even gone into the pack. Amazing. If headed kitten nicely on

the black the way the reds, he thought the way it was going, he

could have scored very heavily indeed. He missed a black like this

a few friends ago and didn't miss the frame. Surely this is too thin

to take on. I think he's taking it on.

If he is not on a red here he has been very unlucky. What an excellent

pot. That was close. He looks at the

moment as if he can pot anything. Not a good pot. Again, he is on the

black. He made a 49 break in the previous game and lost it. He really

needs to get going now. He is not one to turn pots down very often.

If you play that is slowly better off the far corner. With pace, that

would have stayed out. Not quite sure if he is good on this

red. Not quite sure about the position on the side. If you can get

the cueball past is to reds to the black on the corner. That was a very

poor shot. Very poor. For his high standards, this is what happens when

your opponent puts you under pressure. You see there, he has got

the first red, knocked into the second one and nothing.

Decision time. Does he make him play again or does he take the long red

on? It takes a bit of pressure off the pot, playing for a colour. I

don't ever seen anyone hit this shot better than Ryan does, apart from

that one of course. He has not flipped it surely. Surely not. --

fluked. That was so difficult to hold that

cueball to the black. He had to stroke that in so slowly. Beautiful

queueing. -- cueing. He now has a great chance to go in front. 6-2.

He just has to be careful here. Nothing careless. And he will go 6-2

in front. I didn't fancy Ryan Day to win like this. I thought he was

going to win it would be very close. I'm sure people are used to Ryan Day

playing now, he has been playing well for years. It makes you wonder

somehow why he has not won anything big. Maybe a little temperament

problem. He is as good as most in the break building department.

I think both of these players struggle to find peace with

infection. That is the best way to describe these two players. They are

very good players both of them. But they struggle to handle when things

go wrong out there. Even though Ryan is leading 5-2, he has had a few had

checked this afternoon. You would think he would be pity pleased with

how things have gone, wouldn't you? -- pretty pleased. Not quite as nice

as he wanted. Played it nicely. He is hitting the

ball very sweetly. 49 this. Another red colour after this. And it will

be 6-2. Is that hard enough? I don't think so. This is a surprise. He has

been struggling with himself in this effort here of 46, he has taken more

time over all the shots. He wasn't taking this early on. I think he's

sensing how important this is. -- this frame is. He is timing the ball

so well. He can't hit it better than he is doing today.

What can I say? It hasn't won him this frame but it has taken a much

closer. This might be one of those where he

gets a little bit petulant, Stephen, and hits it 100 mph. When

you need three reds and three blacks and all the colours to win by one

point, he would like to keep their reds at this end of the table. He

will probably just West onto them. -- rest. That is as good as he could

have hoped for. Clever little shot that. He put the

black say. And now it is almost in a position where you would think that

Stephen needs a snooker, whether Black is. -- where the black is.

Ryan will definitely take this pot on.

There is a slight chance here that Stephen can get onto the black. But

he has to hit it well. Those type of shots become a lot

more difficult when you are high -2 behind. Looking like going 6- two

behind. Pockets tend to shrink a little bit. Not for Ryan Day at the

moment though. He didn't even look at playing the

pink in the middle. That is Ryan Day's fifth on the trot. He now

leads by five frames to two. Ryan Day gets the last frame of the

session under way. What a nice position he is in, with a possible

chance of 7-2. I can't see Stephen coming from 7-2 behind. It goes

without saying, he has to win this frame. At the minute, he is not

playing good safety either. Ryan Day is certainly in command at

the moment. Keeping things tough for Stephen. Stephen hasn't missed that

many. He has just been outplayed a little bit by his opponent.

He is looking around. There is no obvious escapee. He is looking to

roll just into the reds just to the left of the pink. Two cushions. Best

of luck. It looks as if he is all right. I don't think any reds have

gone there. He needs to go through the near corner and get onto the

black. A little bit of deceleration there

in that shot. He knew it was a massive shot to take on. It took a

bit of pressure off the pot. But he has missed it now. So Stephen has

his first chance. What he wouldn't give for a 74 or above here.

He wants that cueball to slow down. That is second prize. He certainly

didn't play for that read. The angle he has on the red, it looks like

he's gone to be kissing that the red in line with the pocket. He will

have to do something with the cueball here.

Now he has a nice angle on this red to get the black, he can ease that

black back on to hit spot. So this is the key positional shot.

He hasn't hit this good. He needs a little bit of help. I'm sure he

played for the red in the middle there, trying to bounce it off those

two cushions and come out a little bit wider. This is a tough shot to

come on when you are so far behind. The natural angle of course is to

kiss it into the black. Will he bite the bullet and play safe? It looks

like he will do that. He is not taking it on. He didn't commit on

the safety shot though. That is poor not to have queued the last read up.

-- cued the last red. That is the first time he has twitched a little

bit at that shot. He knew that was a massive shot.

Has he got enough Czech side on? Yes he has. He is not hampered,

thankfully. Three more reds and three colours. He closes the gap to

three. This match comes to a conclusion

tomorrow evening. Ryan Day will certainly sleep the better of the

two. But give Stephen a chance if he wins this last frame.

This is underhit. No, it has got there. I thought for a second he

wasn't going to be high enough on this. He is actually perfect. Very

well played. He needed to dig ridiculously deep in this break.

He had a good chance in the last frame. It is now 6-3.

Advantage to Ryan Day going into the second session which begins at 7pm

this evening. We are back with live coverage from the Crucible at 10pm.

See you then. the Teletubbies, the Log Lady

and One Man And His Dog? Am I allowed to do it

before you've asked the question? ..the quiz show that unravels

50 years of programmes and forgets how to put it

back together again. Richard Osman, and a host of stars

from the channel's past and present. What happens after that

is anyone's guess.