Saga Insurance Masters 2007
Final : Ronnie O’Sullivan vs. Ding Junhui
Commentators : Clive Everton (CE), John Virgo (JV), Dennis Taylor (DT), Willy Thorne (WT)
(...) = a longer pause
[...?...] = unintelligible
===================================================================
FRAME 1
CE : Good afternoon Ray, good afternoon everyone and welcome to match of the day - relentless efficiency versus unpredictable genius. Ronnie O’Sullivan, the greatest natural talent the game has ever known, versus Ding Junhui, the standard-bearer of the Chinese revolution.
O’Sullivan arrived in the final with a six-four win over Stephen Macguire last evening. Macguire played very poorly, O’Sullivan showed only glipses of his best. Ding was a six-three winner, a six-two winner I beg your pardon, over Stephen Hendry yesterday afternoon.
JV : Well quite an ambitious long pot there from Ding Junhui. I don’t think he will be frightened of Johnny at all and he will take his shots on, well a little bit closer that that! But he has never played in an atmosphere like this before, Ding Junhui. Played it for the top pocket. By playing it there there was an air of the only red he could leave was the one he was playing. Yes, just gong back to the atmosphere, I played Jimmy White on a few occasions here at Wembley – okay, this is Arena, not the Conference Centre, but fair play to World Snooker who set it up very very similar. And the majority of these people will be rooting for Ronnie, being from London, and Ding Junhui, well, has to just be on is guard against getting distracted. As I say, it’s an atmosphere, I know he’s been to a couple of finals, won a few ranking events, but he won’t have played in an atmosphere like this too often.
CE : Whereas Ding, I think, has the sort of personality that he feels more or less the same every day, O’Sullivan is notoriously up and down. I think it’s safe to say that the better he feels, the better he tends to play. But, as it has been well documented, he sometimes does sink into depressive moods, which can be self-destructive.
Not the usual pattern of play because there are reds in the baulk aerea.
JV : Yeah, it’s not the type of frame that either of player would like to play. But first frame... a bit cautious, both players. There will be a pot on soon that one of them will have a go at. If it went in, then it could be a frame winner, but just a few safety shots probably before that. Well, is there a possibility here of a red to the left centre – I’m not saying it’s easy by any means. But he’s so close to the cushion, it’s going to be hard to dig in and get that cue ball back to the top cushion behind the black. So this is where a player may be forced into playing a pot. It don’t look as though he is. I can’t see what he’s playing. Well, just rolled that red away and to nestle it onto another red. Not quite as planned, so it’s easy for Ronnie to get the cue ball back behind the black again.
Slight advantage there to Ronnie. It’s not the easiest of safety shots for Ding Junhui, although as this cue ball is tight against the cushion it’s a lot more difficult. He’s played that pretty well.
CE : Five minutes, forty seconds. No ball potted.
Well, that was a fluke.
JV : Yes, and it could be a fluke he might only get a point off of here, if he doesn’t take the black on to the right middle, but if he nestles up behind the black, Ding Junhui is in big trouble. Well, he’s going for it. Is it there? No. An easy snooker he could have layed, decided to take advantage, and that fluke, as it turns out, having missed the black, could well have cost him this first frame.
CE : It was a reasonable risk though, did finish on it straight, and I think he would have potted it more times than not.
Amongst Stephen Hendry’s many complimentary remarks about Ding Junhui, after losing to him in yesterday’s semi-finals, Hendry said that Ding is one of only two or three players in the world when you consistenly feel that even with thirteen, fourteen or fifteen reds left, you’re unlikely to get another shot that frame. And this could be such a frame.
Jan Verhaas is called foreward to clean the cue ball for the first, but I’m sure not the last time today.
(...)
Whether it’s after a long safety duel, or whether an opponent is keeping him in his chair for long periods, nothing much seems to effect Ding’s break-making when he does get a chance.
JV : Well that might, because he’s got the wrong side of the blue. That’s a little bit careless and he’s decided to play the pink. Full strectch – this is missable.
Whoo, only just. Only just!
Well that was a classic case of whiping its feet. Anyway, he’s back on track now.
(...)
And after this blue, which will put him 53 points in front, he’ll be looking for... well, another red and pink or black – if he can’t get pink or black he’ll need two more reds. Well just screwed too far – has the yellow got in the way? It has. So he’s having to play this one with the rest. He’s good with the rest, but there’s a little bit of pressure on this one.
CE : Rescuing the situation after an uncharacteristically careless postional shot for his intented red.
JV : 59 points in front now, with 59 left on the table. So this red to leave Ronnie O’Sullivan needing a couple of snookers.
CE : So although Ding lost position a couple of times he has done the business in securing this opening frame, after O’Sullivan missed a black to middle from its spot.
JV : Well there’s one thing clear: if Ronnie O’Sullivan is going to win this match he’s going to play well, because Ding Junhui has brought his A game to the table, that’s what it looks like.
CE : Didn’t have the angle to develop the last red, but with that 77 break Ding Junhui leads Ronnie O’Sullivan by a frame to nil.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 2
CE : Ding Junhui has already won three world ranking titles before his 20th birthday, and he’s made a good start towards winning the game’s most prestigious invitation tournament.
JV : Poor breaf off shot from Ding, so what can Ronnie do with this long red? Good pot! There’s certainly a challenge here to Ronnie O’Sullivan and it would be very interesting to see how he reacts to it. This has all the makings of a tremendous match up between the two, being without doubt the two best players in the world at this moment, but, well, has Ronnie just run a bit too far? He’s having to bend this with a bit of side – it’s a little bit careless! There’s no other red to go for – it has to be this one! Well good shot. It was a good shot, he had to bend it a little bit, couldn’t do a lot with the cue ball. Plenty of right hand side. Didn’t play the stun which he would have done if he could have got through to the red clearly. That’s why he finished up a canon on the black. Needs a good shot now to get on the next red. Well he feels that if he’s just far enough he could be on one on the right corner, but I don’t think he’s hard enough for that... no. Just a safety.
CE : Ronnie must’ve been worried about disturbing the bunch too much and leaving Ding a long red, maybe that’s at least partly why the cue ball isn’t back down the baulk line. Very big crowd. Around 2000 I would say. This is Wembley Arena, across the road from the Conference Centre, which was the home of the Masters from 1997 until last year.
JV : Coming off the side cushion to rest into the bunch of reds. There’s no path back to baulk. Shouldn’t leave anything playing it this way.
(...)
CE : Might have been trying to clip that red into the black to prevent it going near the corner.
JV : Not perfect on the pink. Straighter he just could have rolled it in for the next red but there’s a little bit of work to do here with the cue ball. He played that nice. And he’d probably be thinking he’d brought more balls into play, but beautifully played and he just deserves: nicely on the red to the left corner.
(...)
He’s looking to leave an angle on the black. He’s probably a little bit lower than he would have prefered.
And he’s just about on this red I think to the right corner. Played it well, got a nice bit of backspin so that when the cue ball hit the red it was still moving. He’s just about on this red.
CE : Clear frame-winning opportunity.
(...)
JV : Well he couldn’t hold for the right angle on the blue here, so he’s coming in and out of baulk. There’s plenty of margin for error, but he’s just going to get the pace and line right. Got the line right, and the pace perfect.
Nice angle on the blue. There’s a few reds available, he didn’t have to play any canon so I’m sure he can hold the red, er, the cue ball for a red in the right corner, or the left corner as it turns out. So you wouldn’t expect any mistakes here. So he’s won the safety battle in this frame, after Ronnie has had first chance. He only got 16 points. He sets a very high standard, this young man from Shanghai and Ronnie is going to have to compete with the safety and when he gets his chance, make them count as Ding has done in the first two frames.
CE : Just one more red required.
JV : He has to go 48 ahead with only 43 remaining. Good stuff. As I say, I was a bit concerned Clive about how he would handle the atmosphere in front of this very large crowd, but at the moment, this large crowd had nothing to cheer about as far as Ronnie O’Sullivan is concerned.
CE : Well everything I know about Ding suggests that he’s got a first rate temperament to supplement his excellent technique and high level of consistency honed by hundreds and hundreds of hours of practise.
Ding’s succes rate 98%.
Ding required only one scoring visit in each of the first two frames; a 77 accounted for the first, and 109 for the second. Two-nil to Ding.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 3
CE : Just a moment to say that the media appreciated Ding’s few words of English the other evening. It must be very difficult for him in many ways in a foreign land, but he’s just starting to pick up to supplement the efforts of his interpretor.
Didn’t catch that safety as intended but has done no damage.
(...)
JV : Not a bad hit that from Ding Junhui, I don’t think he’s give Ronnie a path back to the baulk end which he’d like to do. He’s just going to have to roll up to the reds and leave Ding the opportunity. I just feel that Ronnie sooner rather than later needs to get his hand on the table in amongst the balls, exert a little bit of pressure on his opponent. I’m sure that Ding Junhui that if he makes a mistake, he’ll make a frame winning clearance, which Ding Junhui obviously knows that Ronnie is capable of that but on the day – today’s the day – at the moment, it’s all about the young man from China. And that doesn’t look the best safety shot from Ronnie. Needs a good length with the cue ball. Has he covered this red near the corner pocket?
[...] It was a dangerous safety shot because he was hitting the reds thick and he was opening all the reds, but you don’t want to push one towards the corner and I think Ding Junhui can pot this red. In it goes! Now where’s the cue ball going. Whers’s that cue ball going!
You see what I mean about the atmosphere Clive – it’s not nice when you go in off and everybody’s cheering. And as I say, that’s the sort of atmosphere that Ding Junhui has probably never played in front of before.
CE : Needed to clip that thinner.
The first world ranking tournament of the season, the Northern Island Trophy was very early, it was in late August. These two players got to the final and Ding prevailed 9-6.
JV : Well that’s a nice little kiss – well I say it’s a nice kiss, I don’t know whether there is a red available to the right corner on the right hand side of the table, there may well be. But the one near the left corner would be a lot easier - if he can just get through to pot this – tough pot though, and he’ll have to be playing a deep screw to get back up for the blue, so it’s got to be very accurate. And was. Brilliant shot, top drawer. In fact he’s cued it too well! He’s cued it that well and watch, hardly any movement at all. Cued it through straight as a gun barrell, head still. Just got into it too much. That’s why he’s not on an colour.
Well has he left Ronnie a chance of this thin snick to the left corner? He may have done, if he has, that’s a little bit careless.
(...)
CE : Decent chance even is black isn’t ideally situated. Or the pink, for that matter. But that sounded like an extremely heavy contact.
JV : It was a terrible contact wasn’t it. Cue ball and object ball lept in the air. He still got this red to the right corner but this is a tough one. I know he’s good with his left hand but he will need to be, because he can’t just roll the red in – well, unless he played for the black, but surely he’d want to go back for green or blue. Playing it left-handed as I said doesn’t make it any easier. He’s just got great confidence in the fact that he can play either-handed. There’s a little bit of pressure on this. He knows what Ding Junhui can do if he gets a chance. Tough shot.
(...)
Well there you go, he’s missed a pot he went for. And he’s left this for Ronnie. Struck that nicely, but he’s not good again, he’s got a very similar yellow to the one he had last time when he got the heavy contact. You know, if he’going to play it, has to play it left-handed. Can he reach? Well, just about. And ran that cue ball too close to the cushion.
Well that’s not a bad kiss. Okay, he’s not perfect on the blue, but but for the kiss on the pink there he could have finished on the side cushion on nothing. But he couldn’t get good on this red so he’s looking for a good pot here. And good cue ball control.
Kiss on the pink will do nicely, thank you.
(...)
Yes he’s just having a look round, Ronnie there – the reds are spread but they all seem to be covering one another for the corner pockets. And in the end, decided to play for the one just to the right of the pink. He’s okay, I think his bridge hand – he can just bridge this – the other side of the green and not be cueing too long. He could play for the pink again, he could play for the green, it doesn’t matter. As I say, he could just get into bridging that.
Bit short.
Played for the red to the left corner but he’s still on the one to the right corner. The problem is with that one in potting it you’d run into the black – I don’t think he wants to risk playing for the black, black’s a tricky shot, I think he’d rather play for pink and green. He’ll settle for the green.
CE : Prefers – well, yes, it looks as if he’s going to take the black along the rail.
JV : Tough shot. It’s a tricky shot this. The black’s not tight on the cushion. It’s just off the cushion. I think the green is the better shot personally.
CE : Without a doubt the more certain pot and with a good control of pace nicely on choice of reds.
JV : Hm, just underhit it. He’s looking for this pink and one more red. And he’s just – if he could have played it he’d play for the red near the top cushion – not now. Trying to disturb this red... Oh! Well played! Terrific shot! He’s had to dig in here, Ronnie. The black was always out of commission. This red for the frame. And a good, good solid response from Ronnie O’Sullivan. Well played.
CE : Yes, his first task in this break was to get rid of reds around the pink to make it available into all pockets. So a half century is what got O’Sullivan into the match, having dropped the first two frames. So a closing round of applause for that winning 55 break, but he still trails by two frames to one.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 4
(...)
CE : Didn’t mean to catch the jaw of the middle pocket but no harm done. Except that it made it an easier task for Ding to play a better safety.
JV : Well, he’s caught that much too thin but it’s obvious straight away that neither player, unless they probably got their hand on the table, are going to play any real attacking safety, i.e. when you play safe half ball on the reds, open the reds up, that’s because they’ve got great respect for each other’s ability. You can’t afford a mistake at this level. But that’s a poor shot from Ronnie. The number of times he keeps knocking balls over the corner! – is quite amzing really and it’s only just reached the baulk line. Safety play needs to sharpen up a bit.
CE : Hm.
(...)
Yes, the cue ball finished at a friendly angle for that – having snicked in the red that O’Sullivan left over the corner.
Thumping kick. Would have been above the blue but for that.
JV : Yes and now he’s got the wrong angle, ideally – well I suppose either side of the table you could come down. He’s going to be a little – well this is what hawkeye says where he should have been but for the kick, that’s where he’d had been. Well in the end decided not to play for loose reds, played to bring other reds into play. It’s gone wrong. End of break.
CE : Yes, there were loose reds at the back but played at that pace he was going into the bunch with the intention of opening them.
JV : Yes and it’s not the best safety shot. He didn’t find the baulk cushion and there’s a chance for Ronnie here to the left corner. And we’ve seen in the first three frames: just half a chance is all it takes.
CE : Attempted a pot safety but hit the pot element too thick.
JV : Better shot from Ronnie. Bit more conviction in that one, he didn’t seem to be too bothered about getting the reds open, made certain he played it positively, got a good length with the cue ball. Give Ding Junhui a little bit to think about here. Well it stands to reason Ding Junhui has only been a professional – what is it now Clive, two, three years? – Ronnie should have the edge in the experience. And Ding Junhui can’t get back to the baulk line here so he’s got a little bit of a problem, all caused by the good safety.
And he’s not played that too well. Now what’s he left. Anything that Ronnie can pot to get on a colour?
Well, there’s obviously a red he can pot, the one that’s along the top cushion to the right corner, but you wouldn’t want to play that, not unless you’re guaranteed position on the colour, it’s too difficult a pot particulary playing it at pace. Is there anything else?... If not, find that baulk cushion again.
(...)
CE : Well that was a terrific pot, and Ding also calculated that if he got the potting angle very near it, it was a small gap for the cue ball to come through. The jaw was also a haltering there but he’s played a poor positioning shot off the green.
JV : Yes, that is a surprise. What a tremendous opening red, but it just shows you an attitude of mind, doesn’t it. Ronnie played the safety and all that he was looking for was a way to pot something, and made it a shot for nothing but there’s no excuse for that – that was a very – well, it was the only bad shot he’s played in all fairness.
(...)
Yes, he couldn’t really, because the black was in the way he had to go around the back of the black with a bit of side and catching the red thin, there was too much pace in the cue ball to leave it safe – chance for Ronnie.
Not inch-perfect on this pink, will he take the chance come in into that cluster of five or play for a loose red? Played for the loose red. I don’t blame him but a lot will depend on the potting angle on this red now. A bit straight.
Well that’s a beautiful shot, helped by the fact that the pink goes to the left middle. And stroked it in. And position perfect.
(...)
Hm. It looked as though he couldn’t go wrong but it has slightly. He’s not on an easy red. The three of them there, they all seem to be covering one another to this corner pocket. He’s got one further up the table, a thin cut. He thinks he can just get to this – it’s tight! It’s very tight! No, it’s the one further up the table. It’s a thin cut, so he needs to pot it really. Now he needs to be on a baulk colour – he’s not. He’s got an easy snooker behind the green or is he tempted by the cut on the brown?
Well! A little bit of nice rub of the green there for Ronnie. He was coming down towards those two reds near the top cushion, if he would’ve just caught it a fraction fuller he would have been on nothing. Now, every reason to suspect he’s going to level the match.
CE : So O’Sullivan very nicely in after Ding ruined his chance with a poor positional shot.
JV : Played for the pink in the left middle and he’s played it once again inch perfect. 39 points the lead now. Red, colour, red would be enough. And this is a good reply from Ronnie. Ding was, well, in absolutely brilliant form in the first two frames, never looked like missing, Ronnie had to do something, did it in the last frame with a marvellous break, and in this one. That’s the red he needed! Well played! We’ve got a match on now!
CE : O’Sullivan has taken this chance in a very assured fashion. It’s not been a break without difficulty, but O’Sullivan has already shown that he’s feeling well enough today and in good enough form to win this title for the third time. Very near it!
JV : Ding made a century break in frame two, can Ronnie make a century break in this last frame before the mid session interval? Every chance! This yellow could be the only problem.
CE : Hahahaha! I’m afraid that is a foul! So no century break for having both feet off the ground. But the 99 break brings O’Sullivan level at two-all at the mid session interval. Now, Ding had first chance in that frame, but this was his positional shot from the green. He was playing to the right of the blue, that would have left him on an easy red, and Hawkeye showing you there what he was intending to do. Got into the cue ball too much and finished behind the blue and didn’t leave himself that easy red to continue his break.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 5
DT : Good afternoon to you Ray, Steve and John there. Fasciniating chat in the studio, as always. There’s one thing for certain: if it goes the distance, it’s still not going to take very long, this final.
Well, can this high standard continue? Breaks of 77 and 100 from Ding, and Ronnie responding with 55 and 99.
Although I think Steve in the studio might be doing himself a little injustice because when he was dominating the game, you give him one chance you went to your seat and you got ready for the next frame. So I can’t see how you can play much better than that. But the standard is superb and there’s alot more of them these days.
(...)
And the atmosphere here is terrific, and a great response for that super pot there. Good early chance now. Okay, a little bit unlucky to knock the pink up the other end and blue is slightly hampered with the red there, but... Played that very well.
(...)
WT : Yes it’s nice to see Ronnie giving it 110% having been two-nil behind and Ding playing great. It’s a really good response from Ronnie. Having the first chance in this frame five he could possibly take the lead for the first time in this match.
DT : Now that is some shot played with the opposite hand – a deep screw back, left-handed. Have a look at the way the white reacted there. Bit awkward though, the reds, he doesn’t really want to go into them... he’s... he’s got enough loose reds to leave that awkward bunch of reds alone for the time being.
WT : Yes he wasn’t imagening that he’d get the kiss like that, he’s left himself a little bit more to do here but it shouldn’t be any problem to go up for possibly yellow or if he overhits it green. It’s always nice when you got a big margin of error when you’re playing into aereas like Ronnie was there, if you overhit it of course he would have been on the green but yellow is the ball he played for.
(...)
DT : Well he may take the red next to the blue, this one is a little bit difficult to the left middle pocket but this will clear the blue.
WT : Just has still the two loose reds so once again refusing to go into them just yet but he’s slightly overhit that, can only go up for blue or baulk colour now, he wanted to be on the black there to go into that bunch.
DT : Well he just a glimpse of the red that’s at the point of that little triangle there – it is available. There’s where Ronnie would like to put the white so... That’s the red that was available.
WT : It would be interesting to see here whether Ronnie purposely finishes low on this red so he can just bring a couple of other reds into play and there you can see the prime example of him thinking so far in advance of all the other players in breakbuilding. He wanted to be about another inch there so he may not now be able to flick off the reds into play. Hm, still has done you see. He’s always thinking, brilliant shot, deserves to win the frame from that one positional shot from blue to red.
DT : Well we could be in for a real classic here because both players are cueing well and I was always hoping that they both play at the top of their game. There’s a long way to go in this final and you could see some very special snooker indeed.
Ronnie up to 92% but look at Ding at 96%. They’re not missing much!
WT : It’s a tough game when you’re at 96% pot succes rate and you’re three-two behind. That’s the standard. Should have had a century in the last frame, he’s favourite to get one this.
(...)
Very poor match from both Stephen Macguire and Ronnie yesterday evening but the night’s sleep has obviously done him the world of good. Looks back to normal now.
DT : Yes I did that semi-final, I think Stephen missed so many chances that Ronnie started to do the same thing.
(...)
The second greatest break builders of all time, Ronnie O’Sullivan, he’s made 463 centuries, Stephen Hendry is almost at 700.
WT : I can’t think of any other sports really that when you see two players at the top of their form at snooker and especially breakbuilding as it is is so good to watch.
DT : Just coming up to eight minutes for this clearance.
Absolutely superb stuff from Ronnie O’Sullivan! He’s come out after the mid-session interval and what does he do? He clears the table. He’s made that magnificant 128-break and he goes into the lead for the first time at 3-2.
And he played a shot in that frame there where he was on the yellow. Now he’s playing it left-handed. Now there’s not a lot available into the left corner pocket, so he’s trying to screw back to leave one of these reds in the middle. That’s hawkeye there, and we’ll show you where he hit it. Even though he’s playing it with his left hand, he’s right down there at 6 o’clock so as he can create the back-spin, and he must push the cue through and the way he played it was absolutely to perfection, really.
And this is the shot... That’s a bit special Willy, isn’t it?
WT : It’s tough enough when you’re playing with the hand you regularly play with, but as you rightly say, there was just the bottom red that would possibly pot into the corner, but he played it wonderfully well and went on of course to make the 128.
FRAME 6
Bit of trouble with the score-board at the minute. Jan Verhaas is just telling the players that there is only one score-board available, just as so to stop them wondering and probably spoiling their concentration if they look at the wrong screen, but Ding Junhui breaks off in frame 6 and having to play catch-up for the first time.
DT : Look at the average shot time. Ding at 18 seconds and Ronnie at 16. Not a lot of tactical stuff being played at the moment. One mistake and the frame is over.
WT : I will agree with Steve and John on one thing, they’re definately quicker these days than they were.
DT : I remember Terry Griffiths playing – just a straight-forward escape – I remember Terry Griffiths playing Cliff Thorburn a best of three frames, Willy, over two days. A hell of a match that was.
Just talking about Cliff Thorburn, he’s still the only overseas world champion. I wonder how long that will last because with the young man at the table, Ding Junhui, I think it won’t be long until he lifts the world title.
And it’s quite amazing Willy, we’re not certain to see him at Sheffield in the World Championship this year, he’s got to win a qualifying round.
WT : Yes it’d be the last time we’d lost a player there and he’s lost in quite a few qualifiers at Pontins where we play the qualifiers. Seems to struggle a little bit in the arena with only twenty or thirty people watching. Seems a lot more at home in an arena like this. Magnificent arena this, we’ve moved from the Conference Centre which as you know is been renovated for the new Wembley complex and this is the Wembley Arena where they have all the pop concerts, but they’ve looked after us marvelously well and the player’s conditions are superb.
He won’t play it, but the red down the cushion, there’s a big pocket there with the black being where it is but he’s looking at the safety exchange. In behind the brown is what he’d like to play. Just a little bit too thick, that’s why a. he’s hit the blue and b. the red’s gone into the black, that wouldn’t have happened if he’d hit it thin.
DT : Yeah he wanted a much thinner contact. He hasn’t left a great deal. He’s looking at his tip there but I don’t think there’s any problem with that, probably just one of the little fibres that just on the edge of the tip there, he’s just smoothing it off. It’s a bit of an awkward frame this, with the pink and black tight up now, and that’s an useful nudge.
Well there’s been very little tactical play but we might have a safety exchange here for a few shots.
(...)
The ruling is: no matter how close he gets to this red a miss will be called if he doesn’t teach it. If he was to slip past the red then the referee could think about whether to call the miss or not.
This looks better.
WT : Yes and he can’t get in behind brown and yellow now where the cue ball has finished, so he may have to use the green as a snookering ball but he has to be careful of the red that’s loose on the left hand side, he’s got to cover that one up. He’s trying to get the finest of contacts to try to get in behind brown and yellow but I don’t think he hit it fine enough to do that.
DT : There’s one way of doing it, if he was to raise the butt of the cue and just swerve it a little bit he’d get it there, because that red near the pocket, there’s not a lot on even if he leaves that. You see the red he can see, but where would the colour come from? As I say pink and black tied up, he might be able to chip the other one next to it in and he can avoid canoning into the red.
WT : Well that’s a bit careless, he played to swing the cue-ball around the back of it but he’s been fortunate, he’s got a good white. He’s definitely got a little fibre sticking out of the edge of the tip – one way of getting rid of it is getting a lighter or a match and just kind of light it, he’d just quickly burn the edge of the fibre away, that would take him only seconds, because it’s annoying, when you get down on the shot and you can see something sticking out of the edge of the tip, it is annoying.
DT : Bit risky that Willy, you don’t want to be setting fire to your tip in the final of the Masters.
(...)
WT : The pot’s no problem but there’s just enough room if just plays it plain ball to go in between the gap of the reds on the black spot and the loose red. Any sort of side and he will make contact with one of them here. Just enough room you see, plain ball.
DT : Oh it’s pulled up, he’s got a great chance here you know, to pot the green and canon into the pink and black, I think he’ll probably have a go at that there. The angle looks te be on. If he comes off the line there somewhere, he could develop those and a few reds with it. I think that’s definately worth the risk. Well, he’s taking the blue.
Well I’m not sure he did have the angle. This is a bit more difficult now. He can take the red with the rest and possibly develop pink and black.
WT : Yes he’s just checking to see if the other red would pot. I’d rather play your shot with the rest Dennis, to be honest, because he would bring both pink and black into play, the red he’s going to play now, a. it’s a tough pot and b. tough to get back round the reds or not make contact with one of them trying to get on an colour. I think this is definately missable at the pace he’s going to play it.
Well, he needed all the pocket didn’t he, you saw there how much it wobbled but he played it very nicely. Played it really well.
(...)
DT : That little kiss has put him on the red for the middle pocket but it depends on the angle he has as to whether he can get through for the blue. Yeah, he’s okay. Not a good shot here. There’s a red to the left of the bunch that he can get on here, but he could have done with getting the other side of the blue. You see it’s a much more difficult pot if he just rolls the blue in, but once again he may leave an angle to canon the pink and black. So this is the key shot coming up now. It could go wrong but the chance is there to canon pink and black – let’s have a look at the angle – yeah, he could do that.
Well played.
WT : I think the black spot is covered so if he decides to play the black it would go onto the pink spot, bringing both into play. There you can see the pink spot’s available so it doesn’t matter which one of the two colours he plays. He’s a couple of shots away from making this a frame-winning opportunity. He’s not guaranteed to score enough from this visit.
DT : He wanted a slightly thicker contact on the red there. He’s still on the pink. Eight frames to be played in this session.
WT : It was always going to be tough – that was a poor... well, the pink wasn’t the poor shot, it was the red previously that was the poor shot. Dennis mentioned he wanted a fuller ball contact and if he’d got the fuller ball contact he wouldn’t have had such an acute angle on the pink. And at the pace he played it, as you can clearly see, it was very tough. But has he left anything straightforward? The red’s not a problem but avoiding the canon into the other reds is difficult to get unto a colour.
DT : You see that was the shot there – he wanted to canon that full ball and he caught it half ball and just went slightly away from the pink.
WT : Well that was another very dull contact he got there, Ronnie. He wanted that cue ball back another couple of inches. He still has the angle on the pink though to either play a little canon – you just saw the red bounce there. I mentioned when Ding was in the balls it wasn’t a frame-winning opportunity because the reds were all in the way of one another. Even though he’s 37 behind when he came to the table this is a chance to win the frame at one visit.
(...)
DT : Yeah it looked earlier on that this was going to be a tactical game but it’s anything but that now.
The first five frames have more or less been won with half a chance and one visit – this is the first frame where Ding was in and just broke down.
(...)
WT : That was the key ball, it should be plain sailing now really – three reds, three colours to go two frames clear.
DT : Well there’s one thing for sure: Ronnie O’Sullivan can’t be behind now going into this evening’s session, because he’s got four frames on the board.
WT : Well Ronnie was surprised with the applause there, he quickly looked up at the scoreboard and think “I’m sure I need a few more to win the frame”, usually the crowd clap when it’s the frame ball. Maybe a little applause when this goes in, because it will have been frame ball. The lowest break in this match so far in the frame has been a 55 when Ronnie O’Sullivan started his come-back trail. Since then he’s had runs of 99 – should have been a century - 128 total clearance, 74 and counting here.
He’s played that positional shot absolutely to the inch, for it meant that he was able to miss the canon on the brown, so it could be, or should have been three centuries on the trot, every chance of being two on the trot.
DT : And what this is going to do is test the temperament of the young Chinese player. He knows Ronnie’s at the top of his game. I think he’s up for it, Ding, but we’ll see over the next couple of frames how he responds to this sort of play.
WT : It just does not get any better than this! This is snooker of the highest quality.
128 in the previous frame, 101 clearance in the next frame to go two clear – O’Sullivan takes a break but is leading by four frames to two.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 7
DT : Yeah the word ‘genius’can be banded about willy-nilly these days at various things, but we’ve had a lot of great players down the years in the game of snooker but Ronnie O’Sullivan is the only one I would use the word ‘genius’ about. He really is... special.
Now can the young Chinese player knock this fairly difficult red in? He could get on the black. Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant, and if he gets a good little canon here – I mean this was top drawer to knock that in but to get on the black was even better. Now there’s the canon. Look what he’s done with the reds! He seemed to be psyching himself up when Ronnie left the arena, he was sitting in is seat and he had the cloth over his face. It was as if he was concentrating or doing a little bit of meditating, but look at the chance he’s got now. This is what he was doing when Ronnie was out of the arena, and that is just getting himself focused, you would think.
WT : Well for any budding breakbuilders on how to get into a bunch when they’re not particularly well placed, because when they’re flat at the back you have to stun into them and that was the absolutely perfect example of how this shot should be played. It’s just brilliant. As we say in commentary, you deserve what you get, and he deserves to win the frame from that shot.
(...)
DT : Yes, believe it or not, if Ding goes on this would be three centuries in a row.
In fact I’m sure the 99 break from Ronnie, it was a century only he potted the black with his two feet off the floor which was a foul shot and didn’t count as a century.
WT : Well that’s the first time you’ve seen any animation from Ding Junhui, he’s underhit that by two feet. He’s played to be on the blue on the middle pocket and he may force himself here into taking this green on which is missable.
Under pressure, you see. If you put yourself under pressure you can always go to the well. It could be very costly. He should have won the frame from there, he might now lose it.
(...)
DT : Well this is going to be difficult for Ding to sit in his seat and watch Ronnie pot these. He opened them up, he had the chance, and he looks to the heavens. Just one careless positional shot.
There’s the first shot – he tried to get across on the blue and look where he left the white. And even if he goes too far he’s still got the yellow, but... We’ve got hawkeye and this what he should have done: just a little bit more pace and anywhere over there and he was perfect!
WT : Depending on what colours he takes he will need the red that’s on the side cushion, so as yet not guaranteed to win at this visit, but always favourite and Ding Junhui could be losing his fifth frame on the trot.
DT : And the way Ronnie is playing, Willy, I think he would even beat hawkeye! And he takes a bit of beating – the new technology we have.
WT : Yes, Ding Junhui is still at an amazing 93% pot success rate and looks like he’s possibly going five-two behind.
It’s interesting to see Ronnie just checking the score-board here because he’s got an angle on this black if he wants to play it now – the reason he might play it now, he’s bound to be on the red that’s nearest the pink spot if the kiss goes wrong. He’s decided not to do it. Similar scenario here, could bring it out with a red.
DT : Yeah, this is a better chance isn’t it.
He’s 16 in front, pink would be 22, so the two reds that are near the blue of high-valued colours would be enough, Ronnie would’ve worked that out.
WT : Yes, he’ll need at least pinks and blacks won’t he, so maybe the third red will come into the equasion. Might be a bit risky playing on pinks and blacks off those two.
I think from here, Dennis, he’ll probably play for probably the brown and then the red next to the blue and then have to pot the last red, he’s going to have to pot this one first.
DT : It’s not too badly placed, that final red, you could get in behind it and leave it for a couple of pockets.
Now it’s imperative he gets a good angle on the next colour to drop in behind that difficult red.
Well, lack of concentration there. He’s still down on his shot. Ronnie was way ahead of himself, he was working out how to get on the difficult red and his eye off a fairly comfortably red in the middle there.
WT : Well we won’t know for quite some time how big a miss that could be for O’Sullivan.
Dennis mentioned there’s a big target in behind this red off two cushions – the reason you play it this way, you’ve got the red to the middle if you underhit it, you’ve got it in the baulk pocket if you overhit it, you’ve got it in the black pocket – and that’s why players always play to drop behind those reds, so they’ve got choise of pockets.
DT : Yes, you always would like to take it into the middle pocket but it looks the corner. It just makes it a slightly more difficult pot. He’s dead straight, but you’ve got to cue them well. And that’s right into the heart of the pocket.
Now then – does the yellow pass the green? Because if he’s not on the green – if the yellow doesn’t pass the green – he’s got a bit of a problem here.
Just!
Because he didn’t have to do a lot with the white there, he didn’t want to playing the blue to get unto the yellow. But he used half the pocket there.
WT : I think he was careless Dennis, didn’t he, I think he probably just automatically thought the yellow would pot, and suddenly I’m sure his heart skipped a little beat when he looked at the angle he left himself.
DT : Well he’s just come up a little bit short. He’s having the white cleaned. Both players... well, both players are looking up to the heavens here in this frame. A few mistakes but that’s just a bit of tension.
O, he’s played this well! To hold the white there from that angle was first class.
Well he’s gone a little bit too far again. He needs to play it with lots of side... And can you believe it, it was a careless shot, blue to pink – because he was perfect on the blue – and certainly tension creeping in now. When you play with lots of side it’s so easy just to twitch a little bit at it.
Well – Ronnie took the pot on, he tried to get a good white but he didn’t get close enough to the pocket and the pink has come back up the table. Is it dead straight?
Well, it is. This is tough to get on the black. If he tries to follow through here, he could put the white in after the pink.
WT : Yes I think having seen what’s gone on, if you’d just stop the cue ball dead and make sure of the pink, then have a got at the cut black.
DT : He’s trying to force this. Pinch the pocket.
Can’t believe he played it that way. The in-off was always on. He needed to play the pink into half a pocket to give himself a chance. He can still win – Ronnie still needs the pink.
WT : I just wonder whether a little bit of frustration might come in now Dennis. He tries to pot the pink, go in and out of baulk and back round the black – I wouldn’t blame him having seen what’s happened this frame.
DT : Well this is a big frame for the young Chinese player.
He’s tried that shot Willy and I think that was totally the wrong choise of shot. I mean he could have played a good safety shot there, that was really pushing the boat out a bit too much and mebbe a little bit of frustration, as you mentioned. And the crowd are getting excited and it’s okay making noise but not when the player gets down on the shot.
There’s a little bit of twitching going on at the moment.
WT : Why was he playing a good white though Dennis? That was a pot that he would pot probably ten out of ten, but because he was playing to get a good white it makes this shot three times harder.
DT : Oh he hasn’t hit this. He was playing it past the middle pocket but at first glance, heh heh, it’s not easy. It’s a very tough pot into the middle pocket.
Didn’t even try it. And that’s a pretty good shot.
WT : Well there’s been more balls missed in the last three minutes of this match than there has in the previous six frames.
DT : Well Ronnie O’Sullivan came to the table and he showed his appreciation for that shot. Ronnie tapped the table. That was played to perfection with loads of side.
WT : This is where the rule could hurt you because if Ronnie plays it hard and misses it twice it would mean that all of a sudden Ding Junhui only needs the pink. So he’s got to be very careful here Ronnie, could do with either hitting it the first or the second try.
DT : Absolutely, and the miss called. And this – well, I don’t really want to see the frame decided this way but...
WT : Yes this is the big problem now isn’t it because if he misses it this time Ding Junhui only needs one ball. And if it goes in off, it would be frame over.
DT : Yes, you see it’s not an easy snooker to hit this. But he did play such a good shot, Ding.
WT : The problem is now that if he’d be put back in when he misses it, next time Ronnie could need a snooker. It’s incredible this rule sometimes but that’s the rule.
DT : And it’s gone far enough past the middle pocket, has it? It’s a thin snick if he takes it on. But Ding only needs the pink now to get back to just one frame behind. Ronnie’s had his chances.
WT : Yes, I’m so pleased the frame didn’t end in the way it looked like a few moments again and that’s an excellent safety shot. Well played, we’ve still got a great frame in progress.
DT : Well... this young man is such a good long potter but... there is so much pressure on this pot.
What a fantastic pot from Ding Junhui! Ronnie had two or three chances, he couldn’t clinch the frame. What a match we’ve got on our hands. Ding Junhui is just one behind now at four three. And that was a bit special.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 8
WT : Yes, the key point for me was when Ronnie had the pink in the middle of the table and cue-ball virtually in hand and decided to play the screw-back pink rather than just pot the pink for game. That could be very costly. Whatever happens now, we’re in for a classic.
I think this place holds well over three thousand and rumour has it, it’s going to be somewhere near that this evening for the final session. I hope you all booked your tickets.
DT : I mean it’such a big venue this, I think there are still some tickets left, so if you come down to the Wembley Arena you’ll witness something very special this evening. So come on down.
WT : Well under pressure that was excellent, having missed a couple of balls in the previous frame when he could have gone five-two, that could have been considered a real pressure pot.
DT : Just a delicate little canon there and he was always going to be on a choise of three reds.
WT : Even in the previous frame that appeared to be a little more scrappy, he still had a break of 58 in it, so 50 or above it every single frame. Incredible snooker.
(...)
DT : I suppose that was a helpful nudge on the pink even though he’s still not very well placed. But he didn’t play a good positional shot there, Ronnie, because if he slips past the pink, it wouldn’t have been all that good.
So it’s not a good chance – just yet.
He’s looking for another canon here. And he’s got those two reds still.
He’s got a few options but a delicate little canon onto that would leave the two reds available. He’s got to be a little bit careful not to leave himself hampered, but... that’s one option.
WT : That’s the fourth red with three blacks, this would be four reds, four blacks, but... reds are not in a bad position...
DT : What are you trying to tell us Willy?
WT : No I just thought I’ll let you be aware.
DT : It’s of course 25.000 pounds for a maximum break, plus 10.000 for the high break. It’s Ding Junhui at the moment who’s got 25.000 pound, if there was another maximum, he would have to share it.
WT : Now obviously concentrating on the frame, because this is a massive frame in the context of this match. He knows he’ll be two in front in going into the evening session should he take this one, and I think on reflection of the play Ronnie just deserves to be five-three in front after what we’ve seen this far.
DT : Well the easier shot is the one into the right corner and play for the blue, or one of the baulk colours depending on the angles. So he’s quickly forgotten about the possible maximum. He could hold it for the blue.
(...)
WT : None of the frames, Dennis, has gone over twenty minutes. We’re just coming up to an hour and forty-six minutes of play and we’re already into the eighth frame – it’s been fantastic value. Great entertainment.
DT : Yeah I think this big crowd at the Wembley Arena are watching – you’d have to say – two of the form players and possibly two of the best players in the world at the moment.
WT : Yes, regardless of how well Ding has played this week, I’m surprised to see that some of the book-making firms had them virtually joint favourites five to six in some places – okay, Ronnie’s last night’s performance was very poor, but you know he can improve. You also know he can have a little tantrum occasionally.
DT : He played well in spells against Stephen Murphy, or Stephen Macguire even. But this, this afternoon, has been top class.
WT : Ding Junhui now already realises he’s going to be behind going into tonight’s session. He won’t be coming back to the table. It just remains to be seen if Ronnie can make it another century. He’s already had three, should have had four.
The carpet, it must be a bit slippery here, it’s slipping a bit here when he’s trying to stretch over.
Left handed, right handed, rest, extension – it doesn’t seem to make any difference sometimes. There goes the dicky-bo, he’s ready for the night session.
DT : Yeah, he’s got a couple of hours to relax and get ready for the eight o’clock kick-off.
WT : Well what a shame he didn’t get the kiss because it would have been a superb [..?...], but he’s got the hundred, his third of the day.
DT : He hasn’t finished yet!
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
Got to avoid the middle pocket with the white here. A little bit of stun.
Is it hard enough? He’s going to need a trick shot.
WT : Well what a shame we’re not going to see a total clearance, because the snooker has been quite clearly absolutely first class from both players. Ding Junhui offers his congratulations to O’Sullivan. He played his part in this match. We’ve had four centuries, unbelievable snooker – O’Sullivan goes into the night session leading by five frames to three.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 9
CE : Thank you Ray, good evening everyone. Final of the Masters, final session. One of the great occasions of the snooker year. Four of the last six finals have gone the full distance – this has many of the hallmarks of being another.
2400 people in Wembley Arena, 2000 pre-booked, 400 have walked up, and probably a few more late-comers are still walking up.
O’Sullivan’s break-off shot has finished far enough from the baulk cushion for Ding to attempt this red.
And because he misses on the full side, the thick side that is, the cue ball didn’t get anywhere near the baulk line.
DT : Well, what an atmosphere this evening at the Wembley Arena. Can Ronnie O’Sullivan continue to play the standard that he played at this afternoon? It really was exceptional.
And look at this shot he’s played straight away. Now, he’s got an angle – that’s brilliant because he can bring the black into play. If he’s got an angle on the red, he can move the red that’s next to the black. All depends...
Well, it’s a little bit awkward to canon the red, he might have to canon the black just looking at that picture. He’d prefer to canon the red, but may have to choose the black.
This is a bit awkward because if he pots the black, it’s going to be tied up you would think.
There’s not enough room for the black but all the other spots are occupied so it’ll have to go as near as possible directly behind it, and it will put it out of play.
Well, there’s plenty of room. So in a few shots’ time he’ll know that the red and the black are on. He’s coming round to have a look and if that red next to the black pots, that’s where he’d like to put the white. It’s turning into quite a good chance.
(...)
CE : Another perfectly judged canon.
(...)
DT : Yes, just making sure here he doesn’t stick in the back of the reds. He plays this shot very well though, does Ronnie.
CE : Just an anxious moment there, for a second it looked as if he’d canoned a red into the middle pocket. All is well though.
DT : Well Clive, he made three centuries in three frames, but one of them didn’t count, the 99, because he got two feet off the floor – that’s a shame.
CE : Yes, and he made another century in the last frame of the afternoon for good measure. But I don’t think players are as interested in centuries as they used to be. They’re more for the statisticians. One more century more or less was not a concern for O’Sullivan.
Well, O’Sullivan’s straight into his stride, playing as he did this afternoon. In fact, he’s playing like our new friend Hawkeye.
DT : Haha, I mentioned earlier today, I think he’d beat Hawkeye the way he’s playing! Our new technology which is quite special, I’ve enjoyed it – I think it works very well.
He’s unbeatable in this form, he really is because Ding has made what? a couple of mistakes, that’s all. Ronnie has been devastating.
CE : Yes, why I make the Hawkeye reference is that he identifies the pot and then he gets exactly his intended position.
(...)
So O’Sullivan is going to extend his lead to six-three, and there’s every prospect that he could make a century here, which would make it four, plus a 99, in six frames.
DT : Stephen Hendry in the UK Championship final against Ken Doherty made five and seven frames, and that’s a record I thought would never be beaten but – the way Ronnie was going here, there’s every chance that could have been beaten but – but this is stunning stuff.
CE : Yes, when his mind is clear O’Sullivan is something else. A genius. Not a word that I use about many players, but I use it unreservedly about him.
Well, no century but 96 does the job just as well – O’Sullivan leads by six frames to three.
DT : Well he’s hitting the balls so well Clive, and he’s timing the shots so well. We’ve got a shot here, now the yellow, it’s almost straight and look at that back swing there to create the power. Now we’ll show you with Hawkeye, we’ll show you exactly where he’s hitting to create the back spin. He’s down there – imagine the white as a clock face – he’s hitting it at six o’clock, follows through, and he plays this shot so well.
CE : Yes, he’s at maximum acceleration just as he goes through the ball.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 10
CE : Meant to hit the red on the way up of course, not on the way back.
DT : Well at least Ding has got a shot. Okay, it could have been an lot easier after Ronnie made the mistake. There’s one there just in front of the bunch that will go, but he’s going to have to canon another red and he’ll be hoping to spin back for the blue because the pink’s not on.
Very well played! Now what can the young Chinese player make of this chance? He’s been kept off the table for so long.
CE : Since two-all, Ding has potted only 29 balls, for a 119 points. But this is the sort of test that top players at championship level have to face – spend a series of frames almost entirely in their chair, and then when a chance does come along, they’ve got to do the business.
DT : Well he didn’t have the white cleaned so I’m wondering if he was playing to get on the blue there and a heavy contact spoiled it a little bit.
Might just be okay, there’s a couple of reds that will go into the red corner and he’s stopped nicely on the black. There is the two.
It would have been better if one of them had have been dead straight, they’ve both got a slight angle to them as you can see, dead straight, he would have had very little to do with the white but he still should manage to get on the black.
Well played! He’s just got to be a little bit careful with this canon here when he pots the black.
That’s just a little bit awkward. He can’t hold for the black now, he’s going to have to try to get unto blue or pink. There’s a bit of a gap that he can screw between here when he pots this. Just watch the gap, just to take him between the reds here.
An unintentional canon there but he’s still on the pink.
And this is a key shot now. He’s got to travel in and out of the baulk aerea, avoid the canon on the yellow to get back up to the reds.
He’s done that.
CE : The match preceding at a very brisk pace, O’Sullivan only sixteen seconds per shot average, Ding nineteen – partly because in break-making situations they’re flowing so easily from shot to shot, and not having to stop and think. Although this time, Ding does have to think.
DT : Yeah, he’s just a fraction out of being perfect here. He’s going to have to head up for the blue again if he takes the red into the left corner.
(...)
CE : This is already Ding’s highest break since he’s made 109 in the second frame this afternoon.
DT : I don’t there’s many players in the game who can cope with Ronnie O’Sullivan in the form he’s showing, but I think this young player at the table has the possibility of doing that. And he’s showing a lot of character here because he’s been kept off the table, as you say Clive since that second frame when he made a break of 109, but he’s got the game and he’s got the class and this final is a long way from over.
(...)
That last red he potted, he hit that so well to get the right side of the blue, and it has to be said the table here this week has been playing beautifuly, it really has.
CE : Very responsive cloth.
DT : Just a slip up there when he was almost over the winning line. He may have to look at the pink in the middle, but it should have been a straightforward black. He’s 59 in front. Colour and one more red – and it’s going to have to be the pink.
CE : Unperturbed by knowing that he should have had a much easier colour he knocks that one in and if he knocks this red in as well, then he’llhave pulled a frame back.
DT : That was awkward. His bridge hand was very awkward there but I don’t think he had to hit it at that pace. Try and make sure of the pot, you only need the red Ding, just give the pocket a chance – he really did hit it much too hard. But he was awkward the way he was bridging there.
CE : The red alone would have left O’Sullivan needing two snookers to tie. But now, he could steal the frame.
DT : Yeah, we tend to forget he’s only nineteen years of age and he’s only been a professional for three years. He’s got all the ability in the world but occasionally he just chooses the wrong shot. He didn’t have to hit that red very hard to make sure of the frame.
What a body blow this would be. In fact, I couldn’t see him recovering if he loses this frame. At 6-4 he would be right back in the match but 7-3, and to lose it in such a style, takes some recovering from.
(...)
CE : That was Ding’s frame ball red.
O’Sullivan can afford to take the pink, although he will need black from the remaining red.
DT : Haha, oh dear, what a good shot that is.
Well, he’s just overscrewed this a little bit, he’s going to have to use the rest now.
It was just all caused by Ding not getting on the black as he intended, then he had to roll the pink in and left himself a little bit awkward... Ronnie’s slightly underhit this but - the way he’s cueing...
CE : A lovely delicate hold off a thin edge.
Ding was first in with 65, but missed frame ball. O’Sullivan clears up with 66 to win on the black and extend his lead to 7-3.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 11
CE : It’s amazing seeing O’Sullivan play like this, that he hasn’t won a tournament on the World Professional Billiard & Snooker Association circuit for twenty-two months.
He doesn’t feel the same every day and that’s highly instrumental in making sure that he doesn’t play the same every day.
And he’s feeling good today and playing superbly.
DT : It really was a brilliant clearance, but it has to be said he should have had the chance. Ding should have wrapped that frame up.
(...)
Wee bit careless to push a red towards the pocket, he needs the yellow to help him, and it has. So everything very safe.
And just look who’s sitting there – Patsy Fagin, with an ear piece so he might hear what I’m saying, ha, from Donleary originally, lived in London for many years, the 1977 UK champion, one of the top players in the game, and he’s looking pretty fit of himself Clive, I can tell you.
CE : Looks pretty much the same as when he was playing!
DT : Are you enjoying this by any chance Patsy? Give us a little nod if you – unbelievable stuff, isn’t it.
(...)
CE : Meanwhile O’Sullivan continues to contemplate the tricky situation.
(...)
Dt : Now what’s he looking at here, Ding? No, he’s having it put back. So Ronnie knows the line he needs. Just a little bit more pace.
Now he can see a red on, so if he misses it again, if he tries the same shot and misses it again, Jan Verhaas will warn him that a third miss and he would lose the frame. Bit more pace. That’s not going to reach though.
So what does Ronnie do now? He can’t play the same shot again, he’s going to have to play a red and make sure he hits it. Otherwise you could lose a frame.
I think Ronnie was just clarifying that, I think.
He’ll probably get down and pot this red. Does it go into one of the left corners, one of those reds? Maybe it’s blocked...
I think the red near the pocket is blocking the path. Yeah, nothing there will go. Now, ha ha, what’s he playing? He’s not playing a canon to try and move the one near the pocket? No. Well, that’s just as good. Although, having said that, there may be a shot on for Ding. The two reds to the left of the black – yeah, he can pot that, and if he nudges the other one out of the way, he’s on the black.
I think that last frame has really knocked a bit of the stuffing out off Ding.
It wasn’t an easy shot, to be fair, to knock that in at pace, and free the black.
Well, he’s right in amongst them again and we know how he’s playing.
Well they couldn’t have been placed better at the moment.
CE : O’Sullivan has potted 95% of the balls that he’s attempted. And it feels like more!
DT : Well, Ding’s at 90% and he’s four frames behind.
(...)
CE : There is a possibility that O’Sullivan could take some money out of Ding’s pocket here, because Ding made a 147 on the first day of the tournament, which earned him 35.000 pounds, but if that 147 is equaled, then the prices would be shared.
DT : Yeah, he hadn’t got the angle there, had he, to play for the black. Yeah, it was a bit confusing there, because we’ve seen eleven points on the score for Ding, but there was a possible maximum on there.
CE : Yes, it was eleven in fouls.
So, past the winning post again.
DT : Yeah, once again, just one mistake and the frame is gone. He missed a red along the cushion, it wasn’t all that easy having to force it and try and free the black, to be fair. Had he won the previous frame then I think he would have knocked that red in.
It truly is amazing, it really is amazing this.
CE : O’Sullivans fourth century this final, and he’s made a couple of nineties as well.
DT : He’s been so focused all week, Clive, hasn’t he, he really has. He’s been up for this Masters. I can only think of one or two occasions where he lost concentration.
CE : Well, he was disappointed with his performance last evening in beating Stephen Macguire 6-4, but there’s nobody more self-critical than he is.
DT : Well he’s doing at the moment what he was born to do, I think. Just... He doesn’t look like missing.
I wonder, Clive, what the great Joe Davis would have made of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
CE : He would’ve loved it. Well, it is just marvelous. A total clearance of 143 and Ronnie O’Sullivan goes even further ahead. 8-3 – he’s on fire.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 12
DT : Well Clive, look at the break-off shot, that tells a story.
CE : Yes, just the two cushion break. The orthodox break has been leaving a long red too often, but he left the two cushion break far too short, so O’Sullivan gets started again.
DT : Well, this audience – absolutely enthralled this evening. What an exhibition they’re watching. All the ages here. And there’s a young man, he can’t believe – looks a bit like a young Steve Davis!
CE : I hope not. We have enough trouble with the old one.
DT : Now that was very interesting there. Quite easy to play for the blue, but he decided to leave himself on the black.
Four reds, four blacks.
Ha, fully stretched and with the opposite hand – I think that is just a stretch too far.
CE : Yes, he’s played a similar shot on 99 but took the second foot off the floor. That didn’t matter, but obviously it would have done in this instance.
DT : Well, that previous shot I mentioned where he didn’t play for the blue tells me he’s got a maximum on his mind at the moment. And this is a key shot coming up here – delicate little screw. And he has held for that one at the back of the bunch.
Oh, he got a kick. That’s why he’s finished on the cushion, he got a heavy contact, the ball has jumped a little bit there... Both red and white leaving the bed of the table. There’s still a possible chance of potting the black and getting on the red to the left of the bunch there.
And that is just about perfect. Or is it? Has he come up just a little bit short? Oh, just, so... Ding’s 35.000 pounds save – for the moment.
CE : Well, this mighty crowd is seeing something special.
DT : That was a strange way to get down immediately – just walked to the table and hit that – it turned out to be a good shot but...
The way Ding played that last shot tells me that mebbe he has given up. And he’s just – he’s not even got down – I’m... I don’t really like to see this from the young Chinese player, he’s such a talent but... You’re only five frames behind, okay... but don’t come to the table and do that.
CE : Well, I find it pretty unexpected. I thought that Ding would fight it out to the very last.
DT : Well, we’ve always built Ding... okay, he hasn’t been around that long, but we’ve always said what a good temperament he has, but there’s a little bit of a... just... back there... because he has lost his temperament somewhat.
(...)
It’s a game you should never give up at because if one player can keep another player off the table for four or five frames, you’ve always got the chance of doing the same thing yourself!
CE : Yes and there are also issues like pride of performance and duty to the ticket buying and viewing public, to fight it out to the last. I remember Cliff Thorburn lost a match once 18-6 following the World Championship, and he said, if I could have lost 18-7, I would have done.
DT : Midsession interval coming up, but I can honestly say that this has been one of the best displays of snooker I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen Stephen Hendry play this type of snooker but this really has been awesome.
CE : Well, Ding walks forward to shake O’Sullivan’s hand! Maybe he thinks it’s best of seventeen. It’s not, it’s best of nineteen. O’Sullivan leads 9-3, but I think he’s trying to persuade Ding to play on, or to emphasize that it is best of nineteen.
(Commentary from the studio)
FRAME 13
JV : Thank you Ray, and a little bit of drama there was at the end of the frame before the mid-session interval. Ding Junhui looked very upset with everything that has happened, of course, an unbelievable experience it is, probably one of the largest crowds we’ve had at a snooker event and of course coupled, Willy, with the fact that Ronnie O’Sullivan has just produced some of the most fantastic snooker that I have ever seen.
WT : Yes, undoubtably, and it was clear to see the tears in Ding Junhui’s eyes there as he was sat down. I just hope the crowd, you know, don’t make it too difficult for this young man because you know, I know a lot of them have got earpieces, you know, but give this Chinese guy a chance guys because we all, you know, like to see snooker played at its very best but let’s be fair to this young man.
JV : Yes he’s upset. Sometimes we forget how young this man is and he’s got a lot to learn and he’s got a lot of things to go through in his snooker life... This hopefully will stand him in good stead for the future. Excellent safety shot from Ronnie O’Sullivan! He’s hardly put a foot wrong here, Ronnie.
WT : At least he’s played the shot properly. We saw him play a shot in the previous frame where he just played a very very careless attempt out of a snooker. It wasn’t the case that time but it was just (...) and this is a chance for O’Sullivan.
We’ve said that Ding Junhui has made brakes of 77, 109 and 65, and this is the situation where he was snookered and he was just really upset about – somebody had said something into the crowd, to him, and you see him here turning around to suggest that, I can’t speak Chinese, John, but I should imagine it was a little bit... ha, a little bit strange what he was saying back. It’s a shame, but he’s going to have to put up with it – we’ve all played Jimmy White and Higgins here. They used to cheer when the white was going nowhere near the pocket when you were playing the shot. But take nothing way from this man at the table, John, he has been flawless.
JV : Unbelievable. Really unbelievable performace. And when you consider that he lost the first two frames of this match and questions were being asked, York wasn’t that long ago, but none if it, he just dug in and he’s played, well, snooker that... well, it’s the first year here at the Wembley Arena but we never saw anything as good as this at the Wenbley Conference Centre for all those 27 years we were there. And fair play to World Snooker, they’ve really set this up as a magnificant stadium.
Beautiful break of the reds as usual from Ronnie, lots of backspin, watch the cue ball, he stopped once and then carried on, nicely on this red.
WT : I would obviously imagine that Ding Junhui can be sitting there thinking “I half hope Ronnie clears up here because he’s been so good” and you know, I think he’s had enough of this match. But he’ll be coming back to the table now. That’s end of break.
(...)
JV : Somebody shouted out the audience there and basically what Ronnie said was, if you don’t like it, why don’t you go home. Well, if you don’t like the snooker that Ronnie O’Sullivan has produced... It’s been absolutely sensational.
Terrific safety shot, well appreciated by this packed audience.
It must have been very difficult – as I say he’s won the first two frames and then since then, well, it’s just been like being hit by a runaway train, Willy, hasn’t it. The snooker Ronnie has produced...
WT : Yes he’s definitely kind of weak and you must now feel so sorry for him at the minute – he’s a class act this boy, I just hope this doesn’t scar him.
Looking at a possible plant in the corner and the way things are at the moment it wouldn’t surprise me if he took it on. No, he’s playing the safety, he can’t quite get through to the potting angle with the plant.
(...)
JV : Once again having it replaced. Now, Jan Verhaas saying that if you miss this time you’ll lose the frame. Well Ronnie – what Ronnie what actually asking there, was “I thought you had to be able to hit both sides, like the free ball rule.” What Jan Verhaas is saying is: if you can hit a red full in the face - whether you can hit it either side or not – full in the face, and you’ve had three attempts and you don’t hit the balls you forfeit the frame. So he’s got to hit the red here.
WT : And the cue ball power he got there from hardly hitting the ball hard was quite superb. Not many players can screw back at that distance without hitting it hard.
JV : It’s not there now is it. A learning curve for this young man. But he’s learning a lesson about life in the top bracket here.
(...)
WT : Well it looks like the match is not too many shots away from being over. Let’s just have a little scan down the breaks he’s made, O’Sullivan: 55, 99, 128, 101, 58, 116, 96, 66, 143, 48, 49, 40 – this has just been snooker of the absolute highest quality and Ding has thrown in 77, 109 and 65. Possibly one of the best potting matches and breakbuilding matches we’ve ever seen. Ding Junhui is at a 90% pot success rate, which normally you would win the match. It looks like getting beat 10-3.
JV : Yeah, runner-up last year in a tremendous match with John Higgins, 10-9, winner the year before, runner-up the year before that. And of course we’d have to go back to before 2005, 1995 when he won it prior to that.
And now just putting the icing on the cake really for his third Masters victory. It’s been a virtuoso performance. And Ding Junhui, as we know Willy – a lot to learn.
WT : Yes, it has been a learning curve this tournament but I think what he has made us all realise he is the real deal this boy, and when he gets it all right he’ll be a class act and he’ll be around forever. I just hope that it doesn’t scar him too much, this match, because he has played fantastic. this tournament, and included the second ever 147 at the Saga Insurance Masters Championship.
JV : Yeah, so Ding Junhui can take that away with him, that great memory, and let’s hope that’s the one that sticks in his mind rather than his performance this evening when he had struggled with the crowd, but really undermined by his opponent’s performance: any slight mistake has been punished to the utmost – left and right handed.
Not enough to make another century, but once again the style, the way he plays, the way he just pushes the cue through, so smoothly, floats everything in.
Well it’s pandemonium here in the Wembley Arena but Ronnie O’Sullivan puts his arm around Ding Junhui and says: don’t worry son, there are better days. But today it was Ronnie O’Sullivan, the most talented snooker player we have seen, produces the business and wins for the third time the Saga Insurance Masters championship 2007! Upsetting for the young man from Shanghai, but what a performance from Ronnie O’Sullivan! Willy!
WT : Well [...?...] just to tell you what was happening there, the boos weren’t for O’Sullivan, we just had somebody taken out of the crowd. Ding Junhui has played his part in this match, it’s snooker of the highest quality and Ronnie O’Sullivan is just hoping that something won’t happen here, he’s just trying to be very very careful and best of luck to O’Sullivan.
(Award ceremony. Commentary from the studio)
===================================================================
