Mark Allen and Wu Yize have played out the longest frame in Crucible history as their world championship snooker semi-final sits at a 7-all stalemate.
A bizarre 14th frame, which saw eight reds covering the black in the right corner pocket, lasted an incredible 100 minutes and 21 seconds.
That led to an impasse which saw a ball not potted for 55 minutes and led to a referee warning, but controversially no re-rack.
While there has been some criticism, with people saying the referee should’ve stepped in sooner, Totally Snookered’s Michael Day told Piney it was a difficult situation for the ref.
He said it wasn’t a traditional stalemate, but looking back, the referee could’ve called it maybe 15 or twenty minutes earlier.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
B Semifinal time at the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield, England,
and it was a quite extraordinary day at the Crucible.
Last it's in Willions is leaving the area. I think
he's coming back where you want to becoming back? Well,
we noo our frames of evening as by Allen smiles
(00:33):
on them in love. I have to play checks uns
of the referee. Will you have the if bucket the
arena to check his own most remarkable frame as Luda
ever played the conclusible one hour and forty minutes. That's right,
one hundred minutes. Twenty two year old rising Chinese star
Will Uza and Mark Allen tide at seven frames apiece
(00:54):
and the race to seventeen frames after the second session
of their semi final. Meantime, four time winner John Higgins
and Sean Murphy are in a real battle. Higgins leeds
thirteen to eleven after three sessions. The first to seventeen
will go through to the final to break it all down.
It's great to welcome back to Weekend Sport. Michael Day
from Totally Snooked Michael, can we start with that utterly
(01:17):
remarkable frame between Mark Ellen and wos it. It lasted
one hundred minutes. Can you can you explain or describe
what unfolded?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah, thank thanks for having on Jason. Yet absolutely staggering frame,
one of the most remarkable frames I've ever seen. Absolutely bonkers.
I mean that the session was going all the way
of Mark Allen. He won the first five frames of
the session really in control. He missed a black whilst
on a break I think a thirty five in frame fourteen,
which covered the pocket, and it blocked the pocket, and
(01:49):
it just eventually is the way the frame went. Reds
went towards the pocket. There was an in pass. I
don't think they potted a ball. For fifty five minutes,
the crowd were getting restless. Who was playing shots towards
the pocket? He's rolling towards the balls. There was no
other shot. And eventually turned out that the tom director
Rob Spencer came from backstage with the referee marso Ekkert,
(02:12):
you know, to try and resolve the issue, and it
resulted in the referee Effert saying to the players, look,
you know, this situation has got to be sorted I'm
going to give you both players three shots eats to
resolve the issue. If it doesn't get resolved, I'm going
to call a rerack start the frame again, which obviously
Mark Allen wasn't happy with because he had a points advantage. Eventually,
(02:32):
Mark decided to deliberately pop the black himself, you know,
to keep the frame going. But in the end we
yus it won the frame. Quite remarkable. I don't think
I've ever seen a frame like it before.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
One hundred minutes. I see. There's been some strong reaction.
Steve Davis has called it an embarrassment to snooker. Should
the referee the tournament director have stipped in earlier, given
how long it dragged out.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's it was a difficult situation for the referee because
it wasn't a traditional stalemate in the sense of you
know that the frame wasn't definitely going to go anywhere,
and the Reds were being so pushed close towards the
black that you know it was eventually going to get
to the stage somebody was going to knock the black in.
But the players are so good these days, they were
just managing to nestle up to the Reds and it
(03:19):
just got so compact and messy around that corner there
where you know, nothing was going to happen. So I
think in retrospect, yeah, probably, you know, the referee could
have called it maybe fifteen twenty minutes earlier, say look, guys,
you know it's not going anywhere. Let's try and sort
this out. So yeah, I think looking back on it,
perhaps it should have been called earlier, you know, looking
at the rules, perhaps there are certain things we can
(03:40):
do in the future. Steve Davis was very strong with
his words, it's not necessarily a great look what happened.
You know, it was practically an hour without nothing happening
on TV, So maybe the authorities will look at that.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
I know, snooker crowds are among the most civilized, the
most knowledgeable, usually the quietest, and all of sport were
they started to get about raceless. I could see.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, it was like a football match. It was like
footall match passes at the end, yeah, it was. They
were getting restless, and I don't think I've ever seen
anything like that. The Cruciber before it was I mean,
the frame was so bad that it became good. That
makes sense in the end, and the crowd the crowd
were getting involved, but they were getting restless, and you
know the Crucible. You know the patrons at the Crucible,
(04:24):
they know they're snooker and I think they were you know,
we're signaling actually you know that this needs to be resolved.
So it just crazy scenes, absolutely great.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And was there a power outage as well?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah, there was a there was a power action in
the very first session. So last night there was an
issue in frame three. I think it was where we
actually lost TV footage, especially here in the UK. I
assume it's the same for other people as well abroad.
Somebody maybe tripped over a cable or something, but we
didn't have any coverage for the end of frame three.
(04:58):
They played the frame out and then I think they
stopped until the issue was resolved. So that was a
bit of a bizarre situation for the players. So yeah,
it's been a bit of a mental game between those two.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Absolutely with more to cam as I say, tied up
at seven frames apiece, we use had an early six
to two lead. How impressive was his start and what
changed as Ellen ford Beck.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Very impressive start. Yeah, I mean if you considers a
twenty two years old he's considerably younger than all the
other semi finalists. Before this year, he'd never won a
game at the Crucible. He's had his big career breakthrough
this season by winning his first ranking title. Played fantastically
during the first session, but he started off slowly. Today
he had an opportunity to go seven to lost the frame,
and frame ten was really important as well. He actually
(05:45):
got to the point where Allan needed a snooker's wu
mister Green and Alan battled back in real battler and
he managed to win that frame, and that was real
sort of like catalyst for Allen because he made a
century break after that made a century break as well.
After mid session it will go seven to six up.
And it's funny because the final frame was kind of
suited Woo because it gave him a chance to reset,
(06:08):
and obviously he finished a session on a high by
taking the final frame.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
All Right, we look forward to the resumption of that.
The other semi John Higgins and Sean Murphy, finally poised
thirteen eleven to John Higgins. He's only four frames away
from a record equalling ninth Crucible final and would become
the oldest world finalist of all time.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Can he do it?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
John Higgins.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Incredible? You know, I just don't know how he keeps
doing it. I mean it's been a I mean, when
you consider it in the last sixteen he was nine
four down to Ronne O'Sullivan and he managed to eke
out a couple of frames in the second session there
he won a frame on the final black frame on
the final pink. It's credible to think that he's still
battling away now. And yeah, I mean if he gets
to the final, he overtakes Mark Williams' record. So Williams
(06:55):
got the final last year as a fifty year old.
Higgins's fifty one in a few weeks time. And he's
such a crafter, he's such a battler and as you said,
it would be a record equally ninth Crucible final, drawing
up level with his fellow counchryman Stephen Hendry.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So what she got telling you, Michael, As I say,
he's only four frames away, But I mean that's not
insurmountable for Sean Murphy. Higgins has known for grinding matches out.
Might that give him the edge in a tight semi
final like this?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yeah, I mean there's not been any more than two
frames between the two and Murphy was the better of
the two players in the first session on Thursday was
a highest score, but he struggled a little bit today
with a double session. Higgins has been the one who's
done the the you know, the line's share of the scoring.
But yeah, this game is certainly I mean two frames
in a race to seventeen at thirty and eleven. Murphy
(07:47):
needs to come out tomorrow. You know, the first frame
is going to be massive, I think, but you know,
all bets are off. Anything can happen tomorrow. You know,
hopefully we'll see a deciding frame finish and just to.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Just to finish. How have you assisted the overall standard
of snooker at this year's World champs.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Oh fantastic. Yes, it's been a really, really good championship.
The opening round there wasn't a great deal of drama.
There was a few one sided games. In fact that
the closest game was sure Murphy himself. He won ten
to nine on the final black against qualified Laypey fans.
So it could been a very different story for Murphy.
But we've had some great, great building that the tables
(08:26):
have played quite tough for the players. That's been a
big talking a point this season. The pockets have been
quite tight, which you know, I enjoy seeing, I think
most fans enjoy seeing, you know, the best players with
tough conditions on the biggest stage. But it's been a
very enjoyable competition. Fifteen of the sixteen seeds coming through
the opening round, and we've had a couple of you know,
really close games, cracking matches from the last sixteen onwards
(08:50):
and really you can't really pick a winner with these
last four, I mean, any of the four you can
make a case for lifting the trophy on Monday night.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Really appreciate you joining us across New Zealand, Michael, and
you're analysis. We look forward to the resumption and conclusion
of these two semi finals and of course the final
as well. Thanks so much for taking the time. Thanks
very much, Jason, No, thank you for joining us, Michael,
Michael day there from totally snookered so the semifinals Chinese
star Wu yeezee and Mark Allen seven frames apiece. You've
(09:19):
got to get to seventeen to take the win, and
it's further advanced in the other one four time win
of John Higgins and Sean Murphy Higgins thirteen eleven ahead
after three sessions there. There have only been two sessions
in the in the first semifinal. Both semifinals will be
completed overnight tonight, so we'll get Michael back on the
show tomorrow, I think, and preview the final. Whoever it
(09:41):
is that is involved in it. Loving the snooker, absolutely
love so someone said was it? Mars said, ah, are
you only talking about this because Mike asking talks about
it on a Monday with you and sav I don't
know anyone who watches it, muss. I love the snooker.
I absolutely love it. No two frames are ever the same.
Just the ability of these players to move the cube
(10:01):
ball as if they were picking it up and dropping
it down on the table. Incredible concentration and that's required.
The TV coverage is amazing. The commentators just obviously they're
all former players. They are just outstanding with their analysis
and their prediction of what each player is going to do.
It's a great watch, very therapeutic, quite relaxing. Actually you
(10:24):
don't really have to keep full focus on it, you know,
you can sort of lock up occasionally and they look
back down and say whatever, you're doing, or walk around
and watch it. It's always there. I love the snooker.
I think I've said enough. I think I've said enough
about it. I think you get the point.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
B Semifinal time at the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield, England,
and it was a quite extraordinary day at the Crucible.
Last it's in Willions is leaving the area. I think
he's coming back where you want to becoming back? Well,
we noo our frames of evening as by Allen smiles
(00:33):
on them in love. I have to play checks uns
of the referee. Will you have the if bucket the
arena to check his own most remarkable frame as Luda
ever played the conclusible one hour and forty minutes. That's right,
one hundred minutes. Twenty two year old rising Chinese star
Will Uza and Mark Allen tide at seven frames apiece
(00:54):
and the race to seventeen frames after the second session
of their semi final. Meantime, four time winner John Higgins
and Sean Murphy are in a real battle. Higgins leeds
thirteen to eleven after three sessions. The first to seventeen
will go through to the final to break it all down.
It's great to welcome back to Weekend Sport. Michael Day
from Totally Snooked Michael, can we start with that utterly
(01:17):
remarkable frame between Mark Ellen and wos it. It lasted
one hundred minutes. Can you can you explain or describe
what unfolded?
Speaker 3 (01:29):
Yeah, thank thanks for having on Jason. Yet absolutely staggering frame,
one of the most remarkable frames I've ever seen. Absolutely bonkers.
I mean that the session was going all the way
of Mark Allen. He won the first five frames of
the session really in control. He missed a black whilst
on a break I think a thirty five in frame fourteen,
which covered the pocket, and it blocked the pocket, and
(01:49):
it just eventually is the way the frame went. Reds
went towards the pocket. There was an in pass. I
don't think they potted a ball. For fifty five minutes,
the crowd were getting restless. Who was playing shots towards
the pocket? He's rolling towards the balls. There was no
other shot. And eventually turned out that the tom director
Rob Spencer came from backstage with the referee marso Ekkert,
(02:12):
you know, to try and resolve the issue, and it
resulted in the referee Effert saying to the players, look,
you know, this situation has got to be sorted I'm
going to give you both players three shots eats to
resolve the issue. If it doesn't get resolved, I'm going
to call a rerack start the frame again, which obviously
Mark Allen wasn't happy with because he had a points advantage. Eventually,
(02:32):
Mark decided to deliberately pop the black himself, you know,
to keep the frame going. But in the end we
yus it won the frame. Quite remarkable. I don't think
I've ever seen a frame like it before.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
One hundred minutes. I see. There's been some strong reaction.
Steve Davis has called it an embarrassment to snooker. Should
the referee the tournament director have stipped in earlier, given
how long it dragged out.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
It's it was a difficult situation for the referee because
it wasn't a traditional stalemate in the sense of you
know that the frame wasn't definitely going to go anywhere,
and the Reds were being so pushed close towards the
black that you know it was eventually going to get
to the stage somebody was going to knock the black in.
But the players are so good these days, they were
just managing to nestle up to the Reds and it
(03:19):
just got so compact and messy around that corner there
where you know, nothing was going to happen. So I
think in retrospect, yeah, probably, you know, the referee could
have called it maybe fifteen twenty minutes earlier, say look, guys,
you know it's not going anywhere. Let's try and sort
this out. So yeah, I think looking back on it,
perhaps it should have been called earlier, you know, looking
at the rules, perhaps there are certain things we can
(03:40):
do in the future. Steve Davis was very strong with
his words, it's not necessarily a great look what happened.
You know, it was practically an hour without nothing happening
on TV, So maybe the authorities will look at that.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
I know, snooker crowds are among the most civilized, the
most knowledgeable, usually the quietest, and all of sport were
they started to get about raceless. I could see.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Yeah, it was like a football match. It was like
footall match passes at the end, yeah, it was. They
were getting restless, and I don't think I've ever seen
anything like that. The Cruciber before it was I mean,
the frame was so bad that it became good. That
makes sense in the end, and the crowd the crowd
were getting involved, but they were getting restless, and you
know the Crucible. You know the patrons at the Crucible,
(04:24):
they know they're snooker and I think they were you know,
we're signaling actually you know that this needs to be resolved.
So it just crazy scenes, absolutely great.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
And was there a power outage as well?
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah, there was a there was a power action in
the very first session. So last night there was an
issue in frame three. I think it was where we
actually lost TV footage, especially here in the UK. I
assume it's the same for other people as well abroad.
Somebody maybe tripped over a cable or something, but we
didn't have any coverage for the end of frame three.
(04:58):
They played the frame out and then I think they
stopped until the issue was resolved. So that was a
bit of a bizarre situation for the players. So yeah,
it's been a bit of a mental game between those two.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
Absolutely with more to cam as I say, tied up
at seven frames apiece, we use had an early six
to two lead. How impressive was his start and what
changed as Ellen ford Beck.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Very impressive start. Yeah, I mean if you considers a
twenty two years old he's considerably younger than all the
other semi finalists. Before this year, he'd never won a
game at the Crucible. He's had his big career breakthrough
this season by winning his first ranking title. Played fantastically
during the first session, but he started off slowly. Today
he had an opportunity to go seven to lost the frame,
and frame ten was really important as well. He actually
(05:45):
got to the point where Allan needed a snooker's wu
mister Green and Alan battled back in real battler and
he managed to win that frame, and that was real
sort of like catalyst for Allen because he made a
century break after that made a century break as well.
After mid session it will go seven to six up.
And it's funny because the final frame was kind of
suited Woo because it gave him a chance to reset,
(06:08):
and obviously he finished a session on a high by
taking the final frame.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
All Right, we look forward to the resumption of that.
The other semi John Higgins and Sean Murphy, finally poised
thirteen eleven to John Higgins. He's only four frames away
from a record equalling ninth Crucible final and would become
the oldest world finalist of all time.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
Can he do it?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
John Higgins.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Incredible? You know, I just don't know how he keeps
doing it. I mean it's been a I mean, when
you consider it in the last sixteen he was nine
four down to Ronne O'Sullivan and he managed to eke
out a couple of frames in the second session there
he won a frame on the final black frame on
the final pink. It's credible to think that he's still
battling away now. And yeah, I mean if he gets
to the final, he overtakes Mark Williams' record. So Williams
(06:55):
got the final last year as a fifty year old.
Higgins's fifty one in a few weeks time. And he's
such a crafter, he's such a battler and as you said,
it would be a record equally ninth Crucible final, drawing
up level with his fellow counchryman Stephen Hendry.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
So what she got telling you, Michael, As I say,
he's only four frames away, But I mean that's not
insurmountable for Sean Murphy. Higgins has known for grinding matches out.
Might that give him the edge in a tight semi
final like this?
Speaker 3 (07:25):
Yeah, I mean there's not been any more than two
frames between the two and Murphy was the better of
the two players in the first session on Thursday was
a highest score, but he struggled a little bit today
with a double session. Higgins has been the one who's
done the the you know, the line's share of the scoring.
But yeah, this game is certainly I mean two frames
in a race to seventeen at thirty and eleven. Murphy
(07:47):
needs to come out tomorrow. You know, the first frame
is going to be massive, I think, but you know,
all bets are off. Anything can happen tomorrow. You know,
hopefully we'll see a deciding frame finish and just to.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Just to finish. How have you assisted the overall standard
of snooker at this year's World champs.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Oh fantastic. Yes, it's been a really, really good championship.
The opening round there wasn't a great deal of drama.
There was a few one sided games. In fact that
the closest game was sure Murphy himself. He won ten
to nine on the final black against qualified Laypey fans.
So it could been a very different story for Murphy.
But we've had some great, great building that the tables
(08:26):
have played quite tough for the players. That's been a
big talking a point this season. The pockets have been
quite tight, which you know, I enjoy seeing, I think
most fans enjoy seeing, you know, the best players with
tough conditions on the biggest stage. But it's been a
very enjoyable competition. Fifteen of the sixteen seeds coming through
the opening round, and we've had a couple of you know,
really close games, cracking matches from the last sixteen onwards
(08:50):
and really you can't really pick a winner with these
last four, I mean, any of the four you can
make a case for lifting the trophy on Monday night.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Really appreciate you joining us across New Zealand, Michael, and
you're analysis. We look forward to the resumption and conclusion
of these two semi finals and of course the final
as well. Thanks so much for taking the time. Thanks
very much, Jason, No, thank you for joining us, Michael,
Michael day there from totally snookered so the semifinals Chinese
star Wu yeezee and Mark Allen seven frames apiece. You've
(09:19):
got to get to seventeen to take the win, and
it's further advanced in the other one four time win
of John Higgins and Sean Murphy Higgins thirteen eleven ahead
after three sessions there. There have only been two sessions
in the in the first semifinal. Both semifinals will be
completed overnight tonight, so we'll get Michael back on the
show tomorrow, I think, and preview the final. Whoever it
(09:41):
is that is involved in it. Loving the snooker, absolutely
love so someone said was it? Mars said, ah, are
you only talking about this because Mike asking talks about
it on a Monday with you and sav I don't
know anyone who watches it, muss. I love the snooker.
I absolutely love it. No two frames are ever the same.
Just the ability of these players to move the cube
(10:01):
ball as if they were picking it up and dropping
it down on the table. Incredible concentration and that's required.
The TV coverage is amazing. The commentators just obviously they're
all former players. They are just outstanding with their analysis
and their prediction of what each player is going to do.
It's a great watch, very therapeutic, quite relaxing. Actually you
(10:24):
don't really have to keep full focus on it, you know,
you can sort of lock up occasionally and they look
back down and say whatever, you're doing, or walk around
and watch it. It's always there. I love the snooker.
I think I've said enough. I think I've said enough
about it. I think you get the point.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk said B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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