Day 2 World Championship Snooker Extra

Hello and welcome to snooker extra, extended highlights of the 2017

Betfred World Snooker champion chip. It is the first round and our match

tonight sees the 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy taking on Yan Bingtao.

Kenny Doherty and Dennis Taylor are your commentators.

He didn't want to catch the brown. He is a devastating ball Potter but

it is early doors and it takes time getting used to the table but it

would be nice to start off knocking this one in.

Struck that lovely. Hitting the back of the pocket. Probably hit it too

well, he has overrun the cue ball. Makes this trickier than he would

have liked, the blue. Not quite sure whether the Blackwell

pot into the right-hand corner pocket. Well, maybe it will. It's a

bonus if he can get on it from you. -- if you can get on it from here.

Surprised he played it that way, I thought he might have stand it and

tried to take the black into the same pocket. The reason he cannoned

into the other red is because he missed the red to the right.

Just on Shaun Murphy's last shot, cannoning into the couple of reds,

knocked the black into a safe position, can take the pink here.

He won the world amateur Championship at the age of 14. Quite

incredible. You used to say, in the 60s, to learn to become a top

snooker player, top amateur, takes at least ten years. It's amazing how

it has changed around these young players coming through. Great to

see. You can see their he had a bit of

safety in mind, also attempting that difficult shot with the rest.

APPLAUSE That's a very useful little flick on

the brown that's put the young Chinese player in quite a bit of

trouble. That's what he is faced with.

He will try to nestle onto the red. Just behind the black. Will he be

OK? Just about. That's a bit ambitious. He was

looking at taking that on to the middle pocket, hampered slightly. If

he could drop it onto the pink you might have a go at it.

He's just got to be careful, don't want to get the cue ball up. He's

got to be careful coming off the cushion, could run into the blue.

Decided against that shot now. What a pot. What a pot that was. It was

worth the wait. Hampered like that and to knock that in the middle

pocket was a bit special, I can tell you. He couldn't see an easy safety,

so he thought, why not? Look back, bridging over the red and

black. These are quite little pockets. Got to be absolutely spot

on. It was the follow-through as well, the cue ball up as far as the

blue was quite incredible. Peter and John were talking about

his cue action. It is quite special when in full flow. Very nice

pendulum cue action. It's hard to believe Shaun Murphy

turned professional in 1998. We were talking yesterday about the school

of excellence he and other players went through when they first turned

professional but this one is a model professional. He's done everything,

as a professional player, should do throughout his career, modelled

himself on the old type professionals. Always very modest in

his interviews. That is a lapse in concentration, he

took his eye off the Potts. -- off the pot. They are bouncing around a

little bit but that was a little lapse of concentration.

Not ideally on the blue. Shaun Murphy can look so good at some

times but every now and again, he throws in a particular shot and you

can't believe he could miss such an easy pot. Don't know where his focus

or concentration is. It's quite prevalent in his game and has been

for quite some time. Here is one of them. OK, he is trying to get on the

black but this one was almost unmissable.

He's got to be careful in this match, Murphy, he is obviously a big

favourite playing a debutante, but you don't want to give away too many

easy chances with this boy, get himself settled early in the match

and try to keep the pressure on as much as possible.

He is such an attacking player. Look at this shot her selecting here.

Maybe this time, might have been better off trying the easy shot to

get back to the reds, but that is how he plays the game. He normally

would pot that nine out of ten but it is his first experience at the

Crucible. Maybe a hit of nerves which is quite understandable. That

was a great chance to punish Shaun Murphy format. -- for that.

APPLAUSE Not

what he intended but at least he got a possible red up into the left

corner pocket. If he can take that in such a way he is not cannoning

into the two behind the pink, he will have a go at it, it just

depends on the angle. Green, brown and blue pretty good

targets to try to get behind. If he tries to pot that coming he would

run into the other two rates. He couldn't get over behind those three

on this occasion. Settling for the jaws of the pocket.

This looks pretty good. Excellent safety shot. Pretty tight against

that cushion. This is very good. This is very good

indeed. Excellent shot. Nice tap on the table.

Would have been nicer, had he been tied to this round, an easy escape

and he has to be careful he doesn't leave a red to the opposite corner

pocket. It's not a big deal hitting this red over this left-hand corner

pocket. Has to be careful he doesn't leave the red to the opposite

corner. He has left a tempter here for Shaun

Murphy. This is doable but it is very risky, this red. Shaun Murphy

is also a very attacking play. He is taking this one on.

He made that last shot look very easy.

Purposely held the pink spot. It is open into the bottom right-hand

pocket. He really wants to get on the pink because he can use the pink

to dislodge the two rates above the pink. That's a nice angle now he has

got. Just pot the pink and stone into the left of the two read above

it. That worked out pretty well. Big

pots. After a couple of easy misses from

Shaun Murphy, that excellent return to safety has given him the

opportunity to win the frame now. He will want to clear all the balls

up here just to give him that little bit of confidence, just to say... He

has looked pretty good but missed a couple of sitters in this frame.

Didn't take advantage. Watch how he screws back for the

yellow, with very little effort. Hardly hit that and look at the cue

ball, the way it spins back. It is all about timing. A little bit like

a golf shot when you get the ball to spin back on the green.

Doesn't matter about missing the blue. In the end, that was a nice

break. 52. From the former world champion.

A packed audience today, every day, tickets were sold out during the

Championships last year. I wonder, like when both of us first

came here, playing at the Crucible, you could hear the noise from the

other table, sometimes it can take players a bit of time to get used to

that. I know it took me a few frames to get used to it and of course, the

proximity of the crowd so close to you. Yes, they are used to multiple

table situations these days but there is nothing quite like this,

look how close the tables are. The people on the other table could

grab your cue, in fact, sometimes you wish they could do that if you

are playing badly! It would be interesting to see how Yan Bingtao

will settle into this match. An excellent pot from Shaun Murphy,

flicked the black into play. It will be interesting to see how long it

will take him to settle in and get used to the surroundings.

Jason mentioned at the top of the show that Yan Bingtao leads Shaun

Murphy two victories to one. Add a couple of close deciding frames in

the internationals and also in the German Masters where Yan Bingtao won

baton. He also has eight 4-0 victory over Shaun Murphy in the champion of

champions so Shaun Murphy knows he can't afford to make many mistakes.

He made a few in the opening frame but looks pretty comfortable and

pretty relaxed out there at the moment.

A nice angle on the black, a couple of loose reds he can still go up.

Decided to try and open them because he had a nice angle. Hasn't worked

out as well as he would have liked. If anything, he got with too much

action into that shot. He looked at clipping back into the corner was so

thin. He can't just glanced off the roads

near the pink up the table. He didn't want that red to kiss on

the other red and knock this one close to the corner pocket. He won't

exactly know where the cue ball is going here, he has to try to avoid

the reds on the way back. He ran into a red but it turned out

nicely. He certainly would be happy with that. You always trust a little

bit of luck, having such a fine cut on the red.

Needed to travel just a few more inches thick, trying to get on those

two reds, just below the black. He will feel better after that good

pot now, can he get on these two reds below the black? The angle, you

will have to force it in from the left-hand side.

Looks pretty composed. I like this young player's style and his cue

action. That's a pretty good stance as well, keeps everything still,

head perfectly still. That's OK, the cannon has worked out nicely for

him. He looks a classy player. This young man.

Needed a bit more action on that, it is the wrong side of the blue now,

it means he will have to leave a medium-range pot. You want to get to

the right side of the blue line as you look at it. Back to the reds.

APPLAUSE No problem, right in the centre of

the pocket. That's what he's looking for. 66 as

you see on the side bar. So far, no sign of nerves really.

He's got to keep fully focused and he is not rushing things. Which is

the correct way as well. This is the red he was trying to get

on earlier. A couple more roads with colours

will secure the frame. He is taking these very nicely indeed.

Once he gets the frame out of the way, it is not often a debutant

makes a century at the Crucible but he will certainly have a chance here

in the second frame. Just got to be careful, he wanted a

little angle on this black but he only needs the blacks are just make

sure of the black. Excellent. Nice shot. Now the

possibility of a century. It's amazing, we've only had one

century so far. This would be a real bonus for Yan

Bingtao, certainly settle him down very nicely into this match. You

would think he has been here for ten years! He's just so confident and so

comfortable out there. He has only made 11 centuries in his

short career. Didn't quite screw back enough there. But should be OK.

This is the tricky bit now. A long way from the brown, this is a test.

Great shot. Don't go in off their... How is that for a positional shot?

And he has done it. Have a look at the break. This is

fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. There you go.

A lot of support here and what are finished. Fantastic century from the

young man making his debut here at the Crucible. What a start. It is

1-1. That was a great safety. And he's

left Sean with a little bit to think about here. No easy path right down

the table. Clever to avoid those reds down the table. With the help

of a few of those reds he has somehow got the white back down the

table. I think Shaun when he eventually

played the shot and tried to get around the back of the reds he

realised he had made a complete mess of this. But a good outcome.

Such a good outcome, that it is difficult for his opponent to get

back down the table. The one off the red to the right of

the black, he does not like them. Without doubt one of the best rest

players we have had in the game, he misses very few with the rest.

If he could try and get on a couple of reds to the left of the pink and

try and free the pick-up into that pocket and that is what he is trying

to do, but he overran it slightly -- free the pink up. Just make things a

little bit easier for him. Just held the cue ball from the red

to the left of the pink. He just had a look there, of what

would pot into the bottom right-hand corner when releases this red. --

when he releases this red. He will have another look again and think

definitely the middle red of the three to the right of the black at

the bunch at the black spot will pot.

This is one of these type of breaks, each red that he pots, will open up

another red as he goes on. He could have kept that a little bit

better. -- he could have hit that a little bit better.

And there you see it, he has done it again. He got a couple of easy balls

and it is as if he seems to lose a little bit of focus. These shots are

bread and butter, it has to be a lack of focus. It is amazing how

many times he does it though, every time, just when you least expect it.

He did all the donkey work to get himself into that position. Got

himself into the perfect position and then he will throw in just a

little casual one. Got away with it in the first frame, but whether he

will get away with it here. ... I'm not sure if he can just drop

this in for the black, he might have to head up for the blue, let's see

what sort of angle he has got. As well as -- as long as he gets the

right side of the blue, he is OK and this time he has, and there are two

reds to the right. He's just underhit that slightly and

it is left a little bit awkward and that is why he is looking at the one

on the right corner. And I think if he can go on to

clinch this frame, it will give Shaun something to think about,

because he has missed another sitter, he did not get punished in

the opening frame. Oh! That is the first Perlis won that the young

Chinese player has put in. -- that is the first careless one.

That is relieved Shaun Murphy that comes back to the table. -- that is

a relieved Shaun Murphy. Wiped its feet. I wonder can he play

a little, potting this red. Will you try and knock the other

reds off the top cushion -- red. -- will he try and knock the other red

off the top cushion? This looks pretty good, plenty of

room in behind those are two reds, he will get this red nicely into the

centre pocket. He would liked it to have been a little bit straighter

but he should be APPLAUSE. He is working out exactly

what he leads -- what he needs. So this final red, it is in the open,

that is all he needs, with the colour, he will not need the

difficult one that is on the cushion merited the left of the black. --

that is on the cushion to the left of the black.

Nicely played. APPLAUSE.

He missed a sitter of a black and it is Shaun Murphy who now leads 2-1.

Thank you. Shaun Murphy to break. The last frame before the

mid-session interval, Shaun Murphy breaks off. He would love to go into

the interval with a 3-1 lead. I'm sure this boy would like to

level things up as well. Oh! That was pretty close and that is

unlucky. You never really know where the red will finish, but that is a

little bit unlucky for him. He was quite close with this pot.

He has just gone a bit further than he wanted, he wanted to bring the

reds interplay and because he finish straight, he couldn't, but now he

can. He will get plenty of action on this, it is not an easy pack of reds

to go into. Stuck in the back of the reds, but perfectly placed to open

up there. It is a bit of a free shot, but it

is a very tricky one into the pocket. Well, the only one he

thought he could leave was the one that he tried. He did that, missed

it and the red has come back again. If it hit the near one, the Bernabo

would be safe, but once it hit that one, it was always going to be

pottable -- the reds would be safe. He will want to put that sitter of a

black he missed in the previous frame out of his mind. One good shot

here could split the pack, there are a few loose reds. Did not have to go

into them very hard and that has worked out OK. He has got a red to

the right centre and the left centre. Very nicely controlled. He

can get this red in and go right back on the black. Oh! Wow! Did not

expect that. I was just about to say, that this is how you would set

the ball is up for a practice session and then he puts that onto

the near job, at any sort of pace, the middle pocket will not accept

them, that glorious chance and you can tell by the little shake of his

head, that he is disappointed. Got a nice angle on the green here

to get back up to the reds. The black will not pot into the bottom

left-hand corner. He can get on the black, into the right-hand corner

pocket and that looks pretty good. He can try after potting the black,

trying and get onto this red at the right-hand pocket because that will

release the black. You could say, another lapse in

concentration from Shaun Murphy, he should win the frame from this

position. I was thinking exactly the same thing. Has to keep his

concentration fully focused and make sure that you clinch the frame at

this visit, there is no reason why he shouldn't.

20 seconds for the average shot time and Shaun is doing better this

season than last season, he had 25 centuries this season compared to 24

last season. Once the frame is safe, he will try and go on and make a

century. -- he will try and go on and make a

Certainly playing with a very fast pace, when he gets motoring. Very

free-flowing action. Very quick. He is introduced as The Magician and

he is certainly waving his magic want at the moment. -- waving his

magic wand. Just the two century so far, Ronnie O'Sullivan got 122

yesterday. Yan Bingtao made the other one. That was in the second

frame here. Smiles all round. Nearly spoiled the century there. But this

is where the game is so tough, you have got to sit in your seat and

watch your opponent do this and you know you had the first chance. The

crowd applaud the century break. The third in the World Championship this

year. It is building up nicely, Kenny. Yes, it has been top-quality.

An excellent little exhibition shot and now, where is the black going to

go? Calling all pockets here. Get in their! Oh! Unlucky. It didn't go in

but still a magnificent 112 from the former world champion Shaun Murphy

and he goes into the mid-session with a 3-1 lead over Yan Bingtao.

Yan Bingtao to break. The young Chinese player gets this

first frame after the mid-session underway and it wasn't too much

separating both players. Both playing well, both missed a couple

of sisters, especially Yan Bingtao, he missed a black off the spot, but

95%, that is going some and the young Chinese player, 90%. There is

another one. Is he going to get a kiss on the brown? Not quite. Great

cueing there from not far of the cushion on the cue ball. Just out of

position. Just nudging in the behind the

brown, and out of breath Ken Doherty who is back in the commentary box.

He is a fast mover. Look at my little legs, Dennis! I saw you on

Strictly, I saw you moving pretty well as well! Twinkle toes!

Average shot time from Shaun Murphy is now down to 19 seconds, 20

seconds for Yan Bingtao, that is a good pace.

This is a real test with the rest, he has to get so much action on this

to try and get onto the black but if anyone can do it with the rest, it

is Shaun Murphy. He has not missed one yet, five out of five. Make that

six out of six. Glad they didn't have stats around

in my day! I was useless with the rest.

Doesn't have to go in to the park. -- into the pack. Tried to get onto

that red directly above the black and he has played it perfectly, an

excellent shot. Should try to leave a nice angle on the black now. And

screw into the pack and he will always be honest red to the right of

the black so he can bring more reds into play.

Didn't get into it as much as you would have expected. The cue ball

pulls back just through those reds. If he's onto this red left-centre,

it's a bonus. The problem about this red to the right of the black is if

you go too close to the black, you will be posting it. -- potting it.

Nicely played. A bit fortunate to be on that red on the left centre.

Certainly opened things up now. We all know what Shaun is like if he

can get a couple of frames ahead, like a steam roller against his

opponents. Doesn't matter who he is playing against, when he gets into a

run like this and gets his nose in front. Takes some stopping.

Can get himself up onto the black again here.

That is his target, 68, as you can see on the side bar.

I know it's early days but we could see another century here very

quickly. Concentrating on winning the frame first obviously.

Just looking at those four reds, the two bottom reds look like the plant

into this to right-hand corner pocket. We can see from the other

angle. It looks pretty close. Even if they are not, he has got the

perfect angle to nudge the left-hand red. Only needed that delicate

little cannon on the frame. He is now virtually safe, just need one

more red. Very impressive. Missed some easy

pots through lack of concentration but the rest has been superb. He is

at 96% pot success rate. And that's going some.

Have a look at this shot, the opening shot with the rest.

Beautifully controlled. The centuries have been a little bit

slow this year. But this could be century number four. Coming up. And

a pretty quick one at that. 36 and a half minutes so far.

Ronnie had 122, ?10,000 for the highest break this year. Only 5000

if someone makes a maximum. Thought they might have offered a bit more

than that. It rolls over if nobody makes a maximum break tournament by

tournament. Exhibition positional shot from the

Magician. Don't go in the middle. It hasn't. But even the Magician could

not pot this. He can't cut this in can he? What a finish. He made that

magnificent century. Shaun Murphy extends his lead.

Didn't play the plant because he thought he could stay on the black

if you did that. Doesn't have to do too much with the cue ball.

That's very unfortunate. You can play that shot ten times and

finished nicely on a red. But it just stuck on the one red and hit

another one and left the white sticking into the back. Finished so

awkwardly. He can play a safety shot but he

can't get away with the table which is what he would like to do.

He is having a good look, Yan Bingtao.

That was a great effort. It really was. But now it could be costly but

he wasn't far away from this. That's nine out of nine with the

rest. He didn't get the action on it that one. He could still pot the

yellow but it should have been a lot easier. Just wanted to be further

across to the right so he didn't need the extension on this cue and

on the rest. Well, he's the best rest player in

the world or one of the best but maybe not the best long rest player!

Once again, I think he was concentrating on the cue ball,

didn't want to cannon the green. He's going to have to play a little

cannon eventually on those three reds above the black if he is to win

the frame from this position. He would rather play that little cannon

from the black if he could, rather than the blue. So maybe time to pot

this red into the corner pocket. Then try to bring those reds into

play. That's exactly what he has done. He's got a lovely angle now.

Just go into the little bunch of reds.

Nicely played. It was always going to be on the red into the right

centre. He's got a bit of work to do but if

he can pinch this frame, which for all the money it looked like Shaun

Murphy would win this frame. He could bring his death is it only

down to one frame and what a boost it could give him. -- he could bring

his deficit only down to one frame. He has been playing so well this

morning. When Shaun made that magnificent 108

break to lead 4-1, it looked like he might have taken control of the

match. But as we mentioned at the top of the programme, at the start

of this match, we could have a cracking game on our hands here.

Just the red along the cushion, it is away from the cushion but it's

imperative he gets nicely onto that. Just with enough angle to be able to

roll the red to get onto the black. So that will be key.

This is Shaun Murphy's only hope, maybe that this could be missed.

Went in nicely. Hasn't had much work to do with the cue ball, the

position proximity of the yellow to the left corner pocket. And showing

what we were saying, an awful lot of bottle.

He needs to keep coming with the little touch... Doesn't want to hit

the green. That means he will have to get the extension out if he

misses the green. It is straightforward. We saw Shaun miss a

yellow in the opposite corner pocket with all the extensions on. This was

the one. 21 points ahead so he just needs the

green. No. Wow. He has been lucky. It's not a snooker.

That's the last thing you would want to do, to make a 67 break and lose

the frame but as you can see, you can't see enough of the potting

angle. A big frame now in the context of

the match and this looks good. Is it hard enough? Not quite. Pretty good

effort with the snooker, though. This is a little bit sticking out

but if the white was away from the cushion, it would be straightforward

to come off the cushion from behind with a lot on the left-hand side and

hit the green. The fact he is close to the cushion, he will have to

swerve it slightly. Wanted to hit it a bit thinner than

that. When coming off the cushion. Another chance for Yan Bingtao. To

take the frame. Put everything into the pot, wasn't

bothered about position on the brown but if he can slot the brown into

the middle pocket, make absolutely certain, as you can see, 24 in

front, only one snooker needed so he will put everything into this pot.

Well, it's not there but barring that snooker I mentioned, this young

Chinese sensation is going to be one frame behind.

That brown will keep Shaun Murphy in his seat. Worth another look at this

one. Shaun is coming back to the table.

With the pink and black as they are, it's going to be very difficult to

get the two snookers he needs to tie.

Looking for snookers, you want one of the colours a little closer to a

cushion to try to get in behind. He wants to keep the blue on the

table but if he potted the blue, he would be two snookers on the pink to

win, of course, he would only have the one ball...

He walked around the table as if he played that!

He might send the black into the same pocket as the pink but not

quite. It might, it's not finished yet, coming back towards the pocket.

No. He was 4-1 down from the last two

frames and now Shaun Murphy leads by 4-3. Shaun Murphy breaks off in this

eight frame. Probably be a little baffled

himself, Shaun Murphy, the fact he has done all the running in this

match and has made all the big breaks. Yan Bingtao made a wonderful

109 in the second frame but Shaun Murphy, 412 among others.

He has potted some cracking long balls but I think the fact he is now

just one frame ahead, they are far from easy those shots but he so good

at them. He didn't get away with it and the black was tied up after the

break-off shot but it is not tied up now and this is an early chance.

You know when you seem to be doing all the running, but you don't have

much to show for it, you can't tighten up a little bit,

particularly when your opponent keeps coming back at you.

APPLAUSE. Contemplating some of those misses that he should have

converted. Could have easily been 6-1 ahead by

now, but he is in a match now all of a sudden.

Nice angle to go into the pack if he wishes. Might go up for the red and

baulk. Didn't catch them as he would have

liked. Just let the white slip away, he

still has a couple of parents he can go for. -- he still has a couple of

heads he can go for. He knew straightaway, he did not

push the cue through in a straight line. It is only fractions but that

is what he did there, he did not push that cue through in a straight

line. Yeah, that is telling you that there

might be a little bit of tension there in the backhand. That is quite

understandable, it is his first time at the Crucible Theatre.

That was a wonderful positional shot. Nicely on this red, in the

right-hand corner pocket and get onto the black.

Don't think it has gone far enough for the red. No. Going to take the

outside one. This is far from easy. He has got a red into the left

corner which will require very good cueing. I did see him loosening up

his back and when he went back to his seat, let's see if he can push

that cue through on a straight line this time. That's perfect.

APPLAUSE. That will quickly make him forget

about the previous one. That's a bit unfortunate. Still I

red that goes, the one next to the pink, but he is close to the cushion

and this is another test when you are close to the cushion.

But he hasn't left anything. Always difficult from there. John Parrott

was the best in the game at potting balls when the white was tucked up

in the cushion. Cushy Parrott, we used to call home, probably because

the cue ball was always on the cushion when he was playing. He was

a fantastic cushion player. He used to play with a massive big tip, it

was ten millimetres. Nice angle on this thread, he can

bring out the red, knock it towards the left centre pocket -- red.

Caught it to full, wanted to capture to quarter-ball, knock it up the

pocket. Caught it more a half ball. Just watch it, where he catches the

red, almost full ball. He is back in the frame.

APPLAUSE. GROANS FROM CROWD.

APPLAUSE. What a clever little shop that was.

Nicely judged. -- shot. The problem Shaun is if he tries to

play a safety shot of the two reds, he could knock one out into a

portable position for Yan Bingtao. He has got to be careful here. He

has got to kiss one onto the other and knock it over into that corner

pocket. Has he left his.? He may have. -- has he left his pot? He

could be playing this of course with safety in mind, but there is the

bonus of the green close to the corner pocket if the cue ball goes

back into the Balkan area. There is a chance of this going on -- the

baulk area. It was a similar type shot to the

previous one although this term I don't know if he can take the pot

on, if he hits it on and off, he could miss the black, but it is

similar to the one he attempted previously. He got closer as well,

but it is a pretty good cue ball. Shaun can get back down the table

off this pot -- red, but he has to be careful where he sends the red,

he has to be careful of where he sends that red and if he hits the

brown... In fact, I think the two cloches off the popular finished

awkward, but he got straight one. -- the two reds.

I think he was trying to play that in such a way that he screwed back

to leave an ankle on the black and possibly get to the difficult reds

but might have been better making sure of the pot now -- to lead an

angle on the black. He needs this to pull up. I think he

is just OK, can just get through to the green, thought he had covered it

there for a moment. You set yourself targets when you

are playing along much like this, little mini sessions, you try to win

the session, 3-1, then try and push on from that and you always know

when you get to five, that you're going to have an overnight lead.

Shaun is well on his way here. To getting to that number five. He used

the whole of the pocket there. 15 ahead, so just up to the brown.

That will leave his opponent needing a snooker and this will certainly

steady the ship for Shaun, because it is a couple of frames that he has

let slip and that his opponent back into this match. -- and let his

opponent back in. This will ease the pressure slightly. He will be

certainly very much relieved. In goes the pink and he will not

bother with the black. Shaun takes the frame and now leads Yan Bingtao

by 5-3. Yan Bingtao gets the final frame of

this session underway and he could do with this one, to just be one

frame behind going into the final session tomorrow afternoon. It has

been a thoroughly entertaining match between these two players and he has

done very well, the young Chinese player, on his debut year at the

Crucible. -- on his debut here at the Crucible.

6-3 behind, he could still be in with a shot, it is the first to 10,

5-4, it would be all on for tomorrow, can he starred off with

the nice opening pot here? -- can he start off here. Look at that. He was

right on the black. The first chance in this final frame

of this session for Shaun Murphy. He's got maybe four nice comfortable

reds before he would have to play any cannons.

Doesn't have the ankle to go into the pack, so people get on the loose

red. Needs a nice angle after this red. Hoping for a slight little

nudge off the bottom of the pack, take a look at this. The cue ball

has gone through, wanted a little neck off that red to slow it down.

He is going to play this with pace, that requires excellent cueing.

Just made sure of it and left the red up into the yellow pocket. Four

reds and I'm not sure if he will try and stay on the black here. Well, he

is and what a fantastic pot that was. Brilliant shot. He has got a

wonderful angle as well. Five red and five blacks, he is no stranger

to the maximum break, he has done it on five occasions, one of the best

break-builders in the game. He has covered it now, does the pink go,

never mind the maximum break. More important that the pink pots,

because it is all about the frame and to have a three frame advantage.

And the pink did pot. Yes, you could see the disappointment on his face,

couldn't you? He was not on the black, you could see what his

intentions were. You could certainly set a very high

target for the rest of the players to chase here. As Dennis said, he

would want to have won the frame first of all, but still a possible

1461. 122 is the highest, Ronnie O'Sullivan made that yesterday.

First thoughts are on securing the frame, obviously.

That is what he is looking for, you can see. 72 was the magic number and

here is just the wrong side of the blue slightly, but at least they

reds are nicely situated. It will be a comfortable pot, you would say, to

keep the break going here. Just a little bit of noise coming

from behind the commentary box, someone is wandering past and making

a bit of noise. Do they not realise that there is a couple of tables

with four players out here in the Crucible? John waiting -- shone

waiting until they disappear. Yes, all quiet directly behind Ken and me

now. Such a small theatre and 970 people, as you can see there, so if

someone was wondering backstage, having a friendly chat, the players

would hear them. Yes, and I'm glad he sort of kept

his concentration, it did not disturb him too much, because it was

quite a pivotal time during this frame.

APPLAUSE. Good stuff in this match, in this

first session. Shaun is on his way for his third century, he made one

in the forward frame and then another one in frame five, and this

should be a special way to finish the session. Doesn't matter if he

does break down now, he has got that 6-3 advantage, always nice to finish

with a century. APPLAUSE. Oh! I was expecting that

just ?2 off the cushion a little bit more. This red into the green

pocket, keep the break going. Such a shame. No century break. The young

Chinese player did very well, but smiles all around for Shaun Murphy,

he will be very pleased with the session and he takes a 6-3 advantage

into tomorrow's second session. It is Shaun Murphy with the 6-3 lead

going into the final session, which you can see live with us later today

on BBC Two. From all of us here, bye for now.

You are the cream of the French aristocracy.