Quotes from the Crucible
John Higgins 10-6 Barry Hawkins
There were a couple of big turning points and he'll be kicking himself, I was happy only being 5-4 behind because Barry was by far the better player. I was a bag of nerves all day. In the first session I was all over the place. I knew Barry would be feeling the pressure as well so sometimes you just hope the guy misses and luckily he did that. – John Higgins
I hope Steve wins. Mark's a good player but he's just a scrapper. – John Higgins on who he’d like in round 2
It's a sad day because he's been one of the greats of the modern game.
To play guys like John Parrott, Steve Davis, Jimmy White and then Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams and Ronnie O'Sullivan, they're the matches you live to play for. It's a sad day for John. – John Higgins on John Parrott’s announced retirement
We're all hoping now that the thing can be pushed through where we'll be playing in more tournaments. We're all thinking that. I was thinking that, if I'd have lost, when would my next match have been? And I was thinking it would be October under the old regime. Let's hope that it's pushed through. – John Higgins
Mark Allen 10-4 Tom Ford
I never felt comfortable today - I felt flat after doing all the work yesterday and I relaxed too much, I need to be better than that. I never felt motivated today. If I played like I did yesterday I don't fear anybody though and think I'll have a chance to win the tournament. I need to cut out the slack session. – Mark Allen
Normally I get nervous and feed off the nerves, but I was too relaxed today and a bit flat. There was nothing there at all, so I was just happy to get over the line. Being 8-1 up you just feel it’s a matter of time and I didn’t deal with it that well. – Mark Allen
I was surprised I potted the balls because I thought my head was going to fall off I was shaking that much. It was a big moment for me. – Mark Allen on his 147 attempt
The first frame was massive yesterday, with it being my first visit here, I needed to get off to a good start.I got the I wanted making a solid 59 break but after missing a difficult red and then Mark (Allen) clearing with 64 to win the frame. It's not often you can say that the first frame was a turning point but in this match it was. – Tom Ford
I really enjoyed my first time at the Crucible and even when I was 8-1 down after the morning session, in a weird way it was still a great experience. So I will have a few weeks off and then start to prepare for next season, because I would love to qualify again for this event. – Tom Ford
Mark Selby 10-4 Ken Doherty
Ken's a former winner so he's been there and done it so I knew he wasn't going to come out and freeze and I would have to be on top of my game otherwise I'd be going home. – Mark Selby
I was surprised by Ronnie’s comments, but then I was surprised when he said that he couldn’t win it either. I have proved in previous tournaments that I have the game to win here. It’s just a case of maintaining that form for 17 days. It’s difficult enough to do that at home in practice.
When I struggle, maybe I struggle more than others but when I am playing well, it’s as good as most. Not everyone will think I can win, but as long as I believe it that’s what counts. – Mark Selby
I did an interview back home before I came away and I could possibly play a former World Champion in every single round if I went on to win it, so quite an easy draw really. – Mark Selby
He [Selby] looks like a guy who has arrived here on top form and absolutely he has a chance of winning this. Outside of John Higgins and O’Sullivan, he, Ding Junhui and Mark Williams are in form. He has got everything. Character, bottle, he scores heavily and his safety is good. He could be the next John Higgins, he’s that tough to beat. – Ken Doherty
It will be nice not being a part-time snooker player. The players have a big, big decision to make over the next few weeks. They’ll have to listen to what Barry has to say, take it on board and see what they want to do. I think it’s a crucial time for snooker. I look forward to seeing what he has to say and what answers he gives to a lot of questions, and then see where we go from there. I do like Barry. I think he is the man for the job. On what terms and conditions we’ll have to wait and see. – Ken Doherty
Once I potted frame ball I collapsed like a cheap tent. The history of making one here got to me maybe. – Mark Selby on his 147 attempt
Joe Perry 10-4 Michael Holt
I’m really pleased to win, it’s never nice playing a friend but I had to put that out of me head and try and get the job done. I played well yesterday but I was absolutely flattered by the score line. I made some really good clearances under pressure which got me the 7-2 up but it could have been different. If I hadn’t been playing Michael I would have felt sorry for him because yesterday was unfortunate.
I won’t shy away from it Michael has been fool to himself with some of the matches his has lost over the years due to his loose temperament. He didn’t crack today so credit to him. He has been working hard on his temperament and I think he held himself together really well. He had a lot of bad things in the match that would have cracked him up in the past.
I am just pleased to be in it, I have had a bit of a tough year and overcome a few atrocities and am just looking forward to playing again. Carter beat me 17-15 in the World Semi-Final and his career went that way and mine went the other. Maybe I owe him one.
I will go home tomorrow as I don’t play until Saturday and go back and see my little girl. – Joe Perry
I had chances tonight, I lost couple of frames I could have won. I missed a pink clearing up and that was the story of the match for me to be honest. I missed about five big balls that I don’t miss in the qualifiers, that’s why I win all the time there.
It’s not because I can’t play out there, I know that I can. When I can get in the balls I can score, I feel good out there and I really enjoy it. I am just trying to break through. I am trying so hard to break through. I have been here five or six years on the verge of things but I am just trying so hard. I just need a few wins to give me that belief.
I think at 7-2 down, I have had a 100 break, two 60 breaks, a fifty break and maybe a forty and a thirty. If I was told before the match begun I would have those breaks I would said it would definitely been at least 6-3. It’s frustrating because I know I can play, what do I need to do?
Joe is a great mate and I wish him well and I hope he goes on to do well here. I just play the game and focus on myself. It’s frustrating because I love it out there. I thought in the last frame when he was potting, I’m going to miss playing out there. It’s so frustrating because I am better than that, so much better than that that it is scary. But I need to prove that and hopefully I will one day.
I might need to twitch up a few times to win and get away with it and get on that roll, but I don’t, I keep getting beaten. But I do win pressure games with good clearances all the time, that’s why I win so much in qualifying. The standard of snooker in Prestatyn is the same, just full of players that don’t play very well at venues. It is just frustrating. – Michael Holt
Stephen Hendry 10-9 Zhang Anda
It's my 25th year here and the amount of times I've done that - I find something from somewhere. At 9-7 down I had my retirement speeches ready. I felt it just summed up a dismal season, going out in the first round of the World Championship. But something just clicked and I wish I knew how to do it because if I could produce it more often I'd be in contention to win tournaments. But it came just at the right time. – Stephen Hendry
I thought Zhang was phenomenal, he showed no nerves. Obviously he had nothing to lose and you can raise your game, but by the same token he could have froze out there. Yesterday I played some of my best safety, and he just kept knocking in balls from tight under the baulk rail. I was sat in my chair thinking that’s what I used to do when I was eighteen. Amongst the balls he never looked like missing. – Stephen Hendry
I was very pleased with my performance thoughout the match. I learned so much from the game, I liked the atmosphere but was so focused on the match I didn't notice the pressure. It was an honour to play Stephen as he is the biggest name in snooker. – Zhang Anda
There were a couple of big turning points and he'll be kicking himself, I was happy only being 5-4 behind because Barry was by far the better player. I was a bag of nerves all day. In the first session I was all over the place. I knew Barry would be feeling the pressure as well so sometimes you just hope the guy misses and luckily he did that. – John Higgins
I hope Steve wins. Mark's a good player but he's just a scrapper. – John Higgins on who he’d like in round 2
It's a sad day because he's been one of the greats of the modern game.
To play guys like John Parrott, Steve Davis, Jimmy White and then Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams and Ronnie O'Sullivan, they're the matches you live to play for. It's a sad day for John. – John Higgins on John Parrott’s announced retirement
We're all hoping now that the thing can be pushed through where we'll be playing in more tournaments. We're all thinking that. I was thinking that, if I'd have lost, when would my next match have been? And I was thinking it would be October under the old regime. Let's hope that it's pushed through. – John Higgins
Mark Allen 10-4 Tom Ford
I never felt comfortable today - I felt flat after doing all the work yesterday and I relaxed too much, I need to be better than that. I never felt motivated today. If I played like I did yesterday I don't fear anybody though and think I'll have a chance to win the tournament. I need to cut out the slack session. – Mark Allen
Normally I get nervous and feed off the nerves, but I was too relaxed today and a bit flat. There was nothing there at all, so I was just happy to get over the line. Being 8-1 up you just feel it’s a matter of time and I didn’t deal with it that well. – Mark Allen
I was surprised I potted the balls because I thought my head was going to fall off I was shaking that much. It was a big moment for me. – Mark Allen on his 147 attempt
The first frame was massive yesterday, with it being my first visit here, I needed to get off to a good start.I got the I wanted making a solid 59 break but after missing a difficult red and then Mark (Allen) clearing with 64 to win the frame. It's not often you can say that the first frame was a turning point but in this match it was. – Tom Ford
I really enjoyed my first time at the Crucible and even when I was 8-1 down after the morning session, in a weird way it was still a great experience. So I will have a few weeks off and then start to prepare for next season, because I would love to qualify again for this event. – Tom Ford
Mark Selby 10-4 Ken Doherty
Ken's a former winner so he's been there and done it so I knew he wasn't going to come out and freeze and I would have to be on top of my game otherwise I'd be going home. – Mark Selby
I was surprised by Ronnie’s comments, but then I was surprised when he said that he couldn’t win it either. I have proved in previous tournaments that I have the game to win here. It’s just a case of maintaining that form for 17 days. It’s difficult enough to do that at home in practice.
When I struggle, maybe I struggle more than others but when I am playing well, it’s as good as most. Not everyone will think I can win, but as long as I believe it that’s what counts. – Mark Selby
I did an interview back home before I came away and I could possibly play a former World Champion in every single round if I went on to win it, so quite an easy draw really. – Mark Selby
He [Selby] looks like a guy who has arrived here on top form and absolutely he has a chance of winning this. Outside of John Higgins and O’Sullivan, he, Ding Junhui and Mark Williams are in form. He has got everything. Character, bottle, he scores heavily and his safety is good. He could be the next John Higgins, he’s that tough to beat. – Ken Doherty
It will be nice not being a part-time snooker player. The players have a big, big decision to make over the next few weeks. They’ll have to listen to what Barry has to say, take it on board and see what they want to do. I think it’s a crucial time for snooker. I look forward to seeing what he has to say and what answers he gives to a lot of questions, and then see where we go from there. I do like Barry. I think he is the man for the job. On what terms and conditions we’ll have to wait and see. – Ken Doherty
Once I potted frame ball I collapsed like a cheap tent. The history of making one here got to me maybe. – Mark Selby on his 147 attempt
Joe Perry 10-4 Michael Holt
I’m really pleased to win, it’s never nice playing a friend but I had to put that out of me head and try and get the job done. I played well yesterday but I was absolutely flattered by the score line. I made some really good clearances under pressure which got me the 7-2 up but it could have been different. If I hadn’t been playing Michael I would have felt sorry for him because yesterday was unfortunate.
I won’t shy away from it Michael has been fool to himself with some of the matches his has lost over the years due to his loose temperament. He didn’t crack today so credit to him. He has been working hard on his temperament and I think he held himself together really well. He had a lot of bad things in the match that would have cracked him up in the past.
I am just pleased to be in it, I have had a bit of a tough year and overcome a few atrocities and am just looking forward to playing again. Carter beat me 17-15 in the World Semi-Final and his career went that way and mine went the other. Maybe I owe him one.
I will go home tomorrow as I don’t play until Saturday and go back and see my little girl. – Joe Perry
I had chances tonight, I lost couple of frames I could have won. I missed a pink clearing up and that was the story of the match for me to be honest. I missed about five big balls that I don’t miss in the qualifiers, that’s why I win all the time there.
It’s not because I can’t play out there, I know that I can. When I can get in the balls I can score, I feel good out there and I really enjoy it. I am just trying to break through. I am trying so hard to break through. I have been here five or six years on the verge of things but I am just trying so hard. I just need a few wins to give me that belief.
I think at 7-2 down, I have had a 100 break, two 60 breaks, a fifty break and maybe a forty and a thirty. If I was told before the match begun I would have those breaks I would said it would definitely been at least 6-3. It’s frustrating because I know I can play, what do I need to do?
Joe is a great mate and I wish him well and I hope he goes on to do well here. I just play the game and focus on myself. It’s frustrating because I love it out there. I thought in the last frame when he was potting, I’m going to miss playing out there. It’s so frustrating because I am better than that, so much better than that that it is scary. But I need to prove that and hopefully I will one day.
I might need to twitch up a few times to win and get away with it and get on that roll, but I don’t, I keep getting beaten. But I do win pressure games with good clearances all the time, that’s why I win so much in qualifying. The standard of snooker in Prestatyn is the same, just full of players that don’t play very well at venues. It is just frustrating. – Michael Holt
Stephen Hendry 10-9 Zhang Anda
It's my 25th year here and the amount of times I've done that - I find something from somewhere. At 9-7 down I had my retirement speeches ready. I felt it just summed up a dismal season, going out in the first round of the World Championship. But something just clicked and I wish I knew how to do it because if I could produce it more often I'd be in contention to win tournaments. But it came just at the right time. – Stephen Hendry
I thought Zhang was phenomenal, he showed no nerves. Obviously he had nothing to lose and you can raise your game, but by the same token he could have froze out there. Yesterday I played some of my best safety, and he just kept knocking in balls from tight under the baulk rail. I was sat in my chair thinking that’s what I used to do when I was eighteen. Amongst the balls he never looked like missing. – Stephen Hendry
I was very pleased with my performance thoughout the match. I learned so much from the game, I liked the atmosphere but was so focused on the match I didn't notice the pressure. It was an honour to play Stephen as he is the biggest name in snooker. – Zhang Anda
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