00:00I feel that a mistake might not cost him too severely, whereas from Mark's point of view, his next mistake could be his last.
00:16So, big moments now in this safety exchange.
00:21Yeah, I was just about to say that it was slightly careless shot from Mark Williams, allowing John to play into the ball game, but, well, very uncharacteristic mistake from John Higgins.
00:50And he knows it.
01:00Yeah, seems simple.
01:03Just a glance off the ball, but a little bit of tension in the arm.
01:10Cause a mistake.
01:15Now winning the match at this visit will be a tall order.
01:20But he can get right back in the frame.
01:38Fifteen.
01:39Sixteen.
01:50Just wanted that cute ball to run a little bit further.
01:53He may be thinking about when he was lining up there, looking at the double.
02:05Yeah, well, that's the last resort, but, yeah, you're right.
02:08Got too much angle on this black.
02:10Well, he's not going to play the double, he's going to play the red down the cushion.
02:22Twenty-three.
02:23Mm-hmm.
02:24Well, this will test his potting ability.
02:28This is tough.
02:32Four points, the difference.
02:34He's behind.
02:35Never touched the side.
02:44And this time, absolutely inch perfect on the black.
02:48Where's the cue ball going?
03:02Well, I thought it was inch perfect on the black.
03:06He wasn't.
03:06Thirty-one.
03:07And if he was going to run into the red like that, maybe he should have stunned, tried to
03:11avoid the cannon, leave himself a pot.
03:13But will he take this on, be a brave man to do it?
03:19Four points, the lead.
03:21It's one of these type of shots.
03:23If you miss it, you could leave it.
03:24And if you leave it, it could cost you the match.
03:29Well, Mark Williams doesn't refuse much.
03:34What a tough shot this would be to take on.
03:37He could edge his bets and play the red to the left corner.
03:47That way, he could get the cue ball going back to the ball, Ken.
03:53Is he taking it on?
03:57No.
03:57Played the safety.
03:59Don't blame him.
04:00And he's looking like a very good safety as well.
04:04He's got the snooker.
04:07Advantage, Mark Williams.
04:13Yeah, great shot.
04:16Tap on the table from John Higgins.
04:22Well, it goes without saying.
04:23John Higgins has got to hit this.
04:25He's got to get it safe.
04:27And the pace he'll be playing.
04:28And if he doesn't hit it,
04:31you feel almost certainly a lever-free ball.
04:34He's got to hit it.
04:36Got to get it safe.
04:43The fact he's up and down tells me
04:45that maybe he's not got the natural angle of two cushions.
04:53Well, he caught it.
04:54He caught it.
04:55Grants him blow.
04:56Well, it's not all bad.
05:04He's left the pot on the red,
05:06but Mark Williams will need the brown.
05:09And the brown's been knocked into a,
05:12well,
05:14awkward position, to say the least.
05:16But he missed the long red.
05:33It's a funny thing, you know,
05:34you play that shot,
05:35and because the brown had gone where it is,
05:38he probably just took his mind off it.
05:41Whereas if the brown had been on the spot,
05:43you'd be thinking,
05:44right, if I pot this red,
05:45it's frame over.
05:52So, John Higgins,
05:55when he was snookered before,
05:57it was all about hitting the red,
05:59getting it safe.
06:00And next time he comes to the table,
06:02he has a chance,
06:03his own chance
06:05to win the match.
06:06He's got the red,
06:28and he's nicely on the black.
06:31It's a little bit straight,
06:33but he can screw down.
06:35The brown
06:40is going to be the key.
06:45So that tells us
06:46he's got to pot the black.
06:48Good position on the yellow.
06:49Good position on the green.
06:51More importantly,
06:52to get on the awkward brown.
06:56So it's not a formality
06:57by any means.
07:00Good start.
07:01Nicely on the yellow.
07:04Thanks.
07:05Lancet, the scoreboard.
07:14Four points to lead.
07:21Up to and including the blue
07:23for a place
07:24in the semi-final.
07:26Ten.
07:35Anything but straight on the green
07:36will do.
07:40I suppose the advantage
07:41with the proximity
07:43of the brown to the blue,
07:44he wouldn't have to play the brown
07:46with a lot of pace
07:46to get position.
07:4713.
07:52So this is it.
07:55Roll the brown in.
07:57Automatically on the blue.
08:00This for a place
08:01in the semi-final.
08:03When it's
08:0412-8 behind.
08:06didn't seem possible.
08:11Didn't seem possible.
08:11Remarkable.
08:23But he will be not
08:24taking this blue
08:25for granted.
08:29He will not
08:30take it for granted
08:31and he's not
08:32straight on the blue.
08:33it's going into
08:35a slightly
08:35blind pocket.
08:38Blue
08:38for the match.
08:46He doesn't want to look.
08:47It was missable.
08:58I'll tell you
08:59that wasn't easy.
09:01The best way
09:02to give the ball
09:05every chance.
09:06But
09:06John didn't want to
09:08play it like that.
09:10He wanted to
09:11edge on the side
09:13if he missed it.
09:14He didn't leave it.
09:15Oh, he has missed it
09:16and he has left it.
09:19Can't get close
09:20to the pink
09:20of this blue.
09:24If he tries to get
09:25close to the pink
09:26he makes the pot
09:27and the blue
09:27more difficult.
09:35Decision time.
09:36He needs
09:37blue, pink and black.
09:46And it goes.
09:49Now he needs
09:50that few balls
09:50to slow off
09:51and it is going
09:52to do well.
09:52Can you believe it?
09:54He's perfect.
09:55He's perfect
09:56on the pink.
09:58John Hickey's
09:58had his chance.
09:59I think we'll see
10:06a celebration
10:07from Mark Williams
10:08now.
10:09This black.
10:10What a match.
10:11Treasure the moments
10:12of these two
10:14great champions.
10:15It came down
10:16to this.
10:17One ball.
10:17And it's Mark Williams
10:21who've caught it.
10:22What a match.
10:24What a performance
10:25from John Hickey's
10:26to fight back
10:26as he did.
10:28It was all about
10:28that Miss Blue
10:29and Mark Williams
10:31puffs out his cheeks.
10:33He can't believe
10:34he got a second chance.
10:35John Hickey's
10:36will be so disappointed
10:37but once again
10:39he proved
10:40what a great champion
10:41he is.
10:41But it's Mark Williams
10:42who goes through
10:43to the semi-final.
10:44Relieved?
10:45I'm sure he is.
10:47But it's Mark Williams
10:48because of Grace
10:50because of him
10:51and John Hopkins
10:51has to win
10:52more than just
10:53so that's why
10:55the name of
10:56his head
10:56killed him.
10:59And he's
11:00he took
11:01free
11:02by
11:04his
11:05priest
11:05stay
11:06,
Comments