00:00Edge in front.
00:14This is the final frame before the final interval.
00:40He's deadly with those.
00:43Really puts the pressure on an opponent's break-off, doesn't it?
00:47Because you know, if you leave him with a chance like that,
00:50more than likely, he's going to sink it.
00:54And suddenly, he's given himself a great early chance in this frame
00:58and his bid to tie this up again.
01:00At the interval.
01:09Thanks.
01:11Six.
01:30Blades, guys.
01:37Thirteen.
01:46Fourteen.
01:47Fourteen.
01:50Fourteen.
02:03Fourteen.
02:04Fourteen.
02:04Fourteen.
02:07Fourteen.
02:09Fourteen.
02:10Fourteen.
02:10Fourteen.
02:11Fourteen.
02:11Fourteen.
02:12Fourteen.
02:13Fourteen.
02:14Fourteen.
02:14Fourteen.
02:15Fourteen.
02:15Fourteen.
02:17Fourteen.
02:17Fourteen.
02:2621
02:4022
02:59Well that might not be any good
03:00He may have pushed the red potable to left middle
03:0329
03:04In which case he's a bit lucky
03:06But it's still not a simple pot
03:07Because as you can see
03:10It's an acute angle from over there
03:12With the cue ball
03:15He's playing a double instead
03:17And he was nowhere near the double
03:18That was a rash shot
03:22That was a rash shot
03:23He's played the double
03:27That's the first sign of a bit of frustration
03:30I think that last shot
03:44One
03:49Well this is a surprise
03:51High risk
03:53Given that he knew he was leaving
03:56Straightforward red for Higgins
03:57If he did miss
03:58And he missed by a margin
04:02Well if Higgins could take this one
04:04He was 44 behind in the previous frame
04:08I think it's
04:10Eight
04:11Run aground already
04:12This break
04:14Yeah
04:15It was a moment
04:15And John knows it
04:17That he could have
04:19Exploited
04:20Just the first sign of weakness there
04:22From Jintong
04:22There aren't many you see
04:23You know
04:24Everyone misses balls
04:25But just
04:26In this shot selection
04:27That was an odd one
04:28That double
04:30There was no element of safety
04:31And he got nowhere near the double
04:36This is not a good shot from Higgins
04:38This is a very poor shot
04:41John Higgins
04:41Eight
04:42She's beginning to
04:44Come out
04:45Isn't it for both of them
04:58Well that isn't a good sign
04:59For Xiao Xin Tong
05:01By his standards
05:02A pretty routine
05:03Long red
05:03But he didn't get anywhere near that one
05:14Looks as though that red goes
05:16In the centre of the bunch
05:16As we see this one again
05:18Yeah he decelerated on that one
05:20I don't know whether
05:22I think that red might go
05:23But I don't think John can get to it
05:24Because he's looking at this thin one
05:26Which is horrible
05:27And there's a red up the other end as well
05:30And this is
05:33Quite a
05:34Quite a
05:35Significant cutback
05:53John put in various
05:55Different extensions onto that queue
06:24That's a good shot
06:25So
06:27Another
06:30Opportunity
06:30Let's be honest
06:31This is a wide
06:31Bunch of reds here
06:32That Higgins
06:33Could play in off the blue
06:37Be interested to see
06:37What he's got in mind though
06:39Because
06:40You know
06:41It must be tempting
06:42To play the big shot
06:43He's got to win this frame
06:44With a scoring visit
06:45Doesn't want to skirt around the issue
06:47And play that red in bulk
06:48Unless he has to
06:51I think he's got to
06:52Force himself to play the blue
06:53And get into the reds
06:59So this is a big
07:01Shot
07:01For Higgins
07:12Well
07:12He's on the red
07:13But he's not
07:14Right behind it
07:16Six
07:38Well well well
07:40John Higgins
07:41We're just
07:43Maybe guilty of assuming
07:45That it's only
07:45Xiaojian Tong
07:46That's under the
07:47Cosh a little bit
07:48Certainly I am
07:50Clearly Higgins is as well
07:51Because he's not played
07:52A great frame here either
07:53Let's be honest
07:53He's missed two or three
07:54Opportunities
07:56He's lost his
07:56Cube wall
07:57A couple of times
07:59Now this plant
08:00If he's
08:01Got no other shot
08:03Red's not
08:04Hanging over the pocket
08:11What a crazy game
08:12This could be at times
08:13Look at what's happened there
08:17The red's got in the way
08:18Of the black
08:23You could play that ten times
08:24And I don't know
08:26If that would happen
08:27Very often
08:34Now
08:37If he's going to take
08:38A long shot
08:39A long bolt
08:40Colour on
08:40Goodness
08:42I don't know how confident
08:43He'd be feeling on it
08:44But where's his safety shot
08:45Is the question
08:49I think the green
08:50Would be the best option
08:51For him to pot that
08:52The green
08:52He's in
08:53But this is a
08:54Fiendishly difficult one
08:57Hold on to your hats
08:57Here
08:58Let's see what happens
09:04Oh my goodness
09:05What a shot
09:06The way you caress it
09:08Into the pocket as well
09:09That's brilliant
09:12Again
09:14Shows
09:16A tremendous
09:17Self-belief
09:17Doesn't it
09:18Fearlessness
09:22Only to then
09:23Miss the red
09:24Goodness me
09:26It's a bit of a
09:27Mixed
09:27Bad at the moment
09:28From Xiao
09:29And this frame
09:30Getting bigger
09:30By the moment
09:31Because both players
09:32Have had chances
09:32In it
09:34Higgins looking
09:35For a 7-5 lead
09:37At the interval
09:40Granted a reprieve
09:41There
09:42Which he wouldn't
09:42Have expected
09:43After that brilliant
09:44Green
09:44From Xiao
09:45About a
09:48In it
09:53In it
09:58In it
10:14It's a bit of a
10:38Yeah, things have become very nervy again, haven't they?
10:42Lots of errors in this frame.
10:45Xiao letting Higgins off the hook, Higgins missing with the rest, and leaving Xiao another
10:50chance to tie this match up again at the final interval.
11:09One.
11:14Yeah, it was...
11:15I mean, John's missed with the rest, yes, he was nowhere near it, but that was not an
11:20easy shot to be playing, actually.
11:21He's not the best rest player in the world anyway, but it was quite a difficult angle
11:25to find.
11:27So, I think we'll give him a pass on that, because it was a difficult shot, however
11:31well you're playing.
11:35Six.
11:44Seven.
11:46I think at times like this, though, if you're in Xiao Xin Tong's corner, you're thinking,
11:51well, there can be no excuses not to win this frame now, whatever's gone before.
11:56There's been a few ins and outs this frame, let's be honest.
12:00But right now, there can be no excuse for him not to level the match up.
12:06And he's taken a...
12:07Fourteen.
12:08In a way, a kind of a similar pattern to this afternoon's play.
12:11Xiao looks the most dangerous by a long way when he's in.
12:15Can't shake John Higgins off, and he's not looking as sharp either, as he did.
12:25John's sheer determination is what's keeping him in this match.
12:32Well, you might think, well, why is he saying that when he's 6'5 up?
12:34But it does feel that way to me.
12:3822.
12:5223.
12:53Probably a sensible shot, that.
12:54Play on the blue, get on the red in bulk.
12:59And then a relatively high-value colour.
13:02Be too many.
13:1128.
13:1228.
13:2029.
13:39it's quite a dangerous way of playing it
13:41because I suppose he could have got it off there
13:44it's one snooker
13:45and that does not mean the frame is over
13:47I think we know that
13:48at this level with people like John Higgins
13:56playing
13:57I think your fight is over now though
14:02not an entirely convincing frame
14:05from the world champion
14:06he took on that rather odd double
14:09which could have been very costly
14:10and then missed again after the great
14:12long-range green
14:14but Higgins failure to pop
14:16with the rest
14:18gave him this
14:19further opportunity
14:21and this time he's taken it
14:22so it's going to be level again
14:26yeah we've got the equivalent of best of seven now
14:28that's what we're going to be playing in the
14:30Welsh Open from tomorrow
14:31isn't it first round
14:32we always think that's a fairly short match
14:34but that's what we're playing for
14:36for the first prize of £150,000
14:39so it's a pretty significant best of seven
14:42that we're about to see
14:43following the
14:4448
14:46intermission
14:47that's coming
14:4715 minutes or so
14:5149
14:54and the pressure could ramp up a little bit more
14:58when they resume
15:0756
15:1256
15:1358
15:2761
15:2761.
15:3865.
15:47Well, you look at the scores in this frame
15:48and you think it's been an easy one for Zhao.
15:50It hasn't been.
15:51There have been moments of difficulty,
15:53a few mistakes, but he's taken these well enough.
15:5876.
15:59His sixth break.
16:01His fifth break of over 60 to date.
16:07And he clears the table with 83.
16:11And so, once again,
16:13there is nothing to choose between this pair
16:15as we head towards the sharp end
16:17of the Players' Championship final here in Telford.
16:21Thank you, guys.
16:22Just second seats now, please.
16:24So we're now down to a best of seven
16:26for the title.
16:32Zhao to get us back underway.
16:35It's their 12th meeting,
16:37and that's an inauspicious start
16:39to the final mini-session.
16:42Catching the blue, potting the blue off the break.
16:44It's pretty unusual.
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