It’s completely different out there in the arena than anywhere I’ve ever played, it took me by surprise.

–Judd Trump

In the 4th frame of the match, Maguire is in the lead 2-1 and has 60 - 0 points. After a foul Joe Perry races to put the game into a tied but makes a mistake leaving the red on the edge of the pocket and Stephen Maguire makes an unexpected comeback to the table but the green ball is blocked and, even if he needs 3 snookers to win, Joe Perry is putting up a fight to make the score even again.

UPDATE: It’s 3-1 with Stephen Maguire in the lead. Joe Perry is beginning to feel the pressure at Crucible.

Stephen Hendry told BBC that becoming, for the 8th time in his career, world champion would be “the most impressive feat of his illustrious career”.

I hope that if my record of winning the title seven times is beaten, it’s beaten by me.

Winning any competition these days is so special but to be world champion again would be my greatest ever achievement.

–Stephen Hendry

Stephen Hendry also tells BBC about his practice regime and how much better he got through practice in this interview.

Michaela Tabb

First Pro match: Main Tour, it was Ken Doherty against James Wattana at 2002 Welsh Open.

Most memorable match: Got to be my first match at the Crucible – Drew Henry v Mark King in 2003 – though last season’s Grand Prix semi-final between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Paul Hunter was up there as well.

Most embarrassing moment: Cleaning the cue ball for Ken Doherty at the UK Championship in York, walking away from table and leaving ball marker on it.

If you weren’t a referee what would you do: Anything to do with sales.

Which is the toughest rule to apply: Replacing the balls correctly after a foul. I’m all for using television replays if it helps speed up the game and gives confidence to the players everything has been replaced correctly. But it must be at the referee’s discretion.

Which Rule would you scrap: Push shot.

What do you carry in your pockets: Hankie, two ball markers and a coin – the largest I have in my purse at the time!

Where do you get your gloves: Sudbury’s of Torrington – have to have them made because of my smaller fingers.

Interests: Most things to do with Pool, the family and playing poker.

Judd Trump, at age 17, plays snooker pretty well. He’s one of the new generation players to make their way in the ranks at the snooker temple, the Crucible Theater in Sheffield.

On 13 March 2004, as a fourteen year old, Judd Trump hit a maximum during an Under 16 tournament at Coalville, Leicester, and became the youngest player in history to compile a 147 in an official tournament.

–Wikipedia

Judd Trump is giving former world champion Shaun Murphy a hard time in the firs round, the score is tied. After a slow start that gave Shaun a 3-0 lead Judd managed to get his game back on track.

The kid is a pleasure to watch, the shots he pulls are unbelivable, both hands shots, too.

UPDATE: Shaun Murphy finds himself trailing behind the young player and he must be feeling the pressure…

UPDATE: The match is still tense, Shaun Murphy is now in the lead by 1. Do not forget, the winner of this match is going to face in the next round the living legend, John Parrott.

Ken Doherty finds problems in winning a frame against Mark Allen. Allen won all 4 frames of the first session. Now in the second session of the match Ken Doherty is on the edge of winning with a score of 54 to 17, he commited an incredible foul at the green ball when he failed to touch it.

Mark Allan needs three snookers but does not concede the frame. Doherty finds himself in snooker position now but does not have a hard time finding the yellow ball pinned in the middle of the table. Mark Allen commits a foul and concedes the frame. He is in the lead 4-1.

Ken Doherty found his game during the break, he cut the difference to only two frames and is on Mark Allen’s tail.

Mark Allen wins the 7th frame ensuring us we will enjoy a third session in their company.

After 15 incredibly boring frames and a score of 9-6 Barry Hawkins managed to steal 3 frames from Fergal O’Brian and the match is now in it’s decisive frame… I must say it has become a little bit interesting, but I wouldn’t want to sit in the audience at the Crucible for 4 hours for this… if it were Ronnie, the match would have ended ages ago. Who knows, he might as well have gone home for no reason.

And here we are, another beautiful snooker day at the Crucible. Barry Hawkins faces Fergal O’Brian in a pretty tight game. Later on Mark Allen will face Ken Doherty, the Irishman who drew the crouds onto the streets on more than one occasion, winner of the Malta Cup in 2006.

Actually I can’t wait for the Allen - Doherty match, because this match will probably decide who’s going to fight John Parrott in the quarters, Ken Doherty does have greatest chances at this but in snooker you never know. There’s a new generation this year, the old icons of the green do not show the same results as they have in the past, so surprises may arise at this championship.

Today’s matches

10am
T1 Barry Hawkins v Fergal O’Brien*. Ref: Alan Chamberlain
T2 Shaun Murphy v Judd Trump. Ref: Johan Oomen

2.30pm
T1 Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ding Junhui*. Ref: Jan Verhaas
T2 Ken Doherty v Mark Allen. Ref: Terry Camilleri

7pm
T1 Stephen Maguire v Joe Perry. Ref: Eirian Williams
T2 Shaun Murphy v Judd Trump*. Ref: Johan Oomen

Last frame of the match.