Snooker Live - O'sullivan 2-4 Hendry

4.40 PM: Good Ronnie is back on the table and Bad Ronnie is back in his bo… Bah! Bad Ronnie comes back and Ronnie misses a red into the middle pocket on a break of 32. He leads 32-0. "Harking back to something you said about two hours ago, Chris isn't the best Egghead, Kevin is," says Archi Campbell. "Any fool can see that. Chris doesn't even like football. Mind you, Kevin supports Spurs, which does call his intelligence into question. As you can see, I'm focusing firmly on the snooker." Yeah, but I don't really like Kevin's attitude. He's aggressive in that way people with specialist knowledge (admittedly his specialist knowledge is general knowledge) sometimes are. And he clearly looks down on Daphne and CJ.

4.33 PM: Ronnie doesn't look back after Hendry's fouls and builds up a lovely rhythm as he makes a break of 102 to win the frame. Hendry 4-2 O'Sullivan. "Could somebody with a flair for using search engines give me a breakdown of titles won by all the BBC pundits, minus Steve Davis," writes Andrew Martin. Don't ask me, Andrew I don't do that internet stuff. "It always makes me smile when Hazel says they've collectively won X amount of World and UK titles despite the fact that Virgo is only known for being a jingoistic comedian's clown and Neil Foulds struggled to qualify for those Satellite-type events that Austri"[COMMENT DELETED ON GROUNDS OF TASTE]. I think the graphologist woman won the Claptrap Peddlers Open back in 1968.

4.25 PM: Hendry on a break of 28, moves the cue ball way too close to the brown, but manages to tippy-toe over the ball and sink the red. Having done the hard part he then brilliantly snookers himself behind the green with all the reds down the other end of the table. This is just as well for Ronnie, whose safety play has been fading in the last few frames. It takes Hendry six attempts before he connects with the white. 32-20 to Hendry. "Since Carter got a 147, him and Ronnie have to share the prize money, however if Ronnie got another 147 would he get two thirds of the money or still get half," asks Graeme Greaves. He's get two thirds, Graeme, but he'd have to share it with himself.

4.20 PM: PFFFFFFFFFTTT (sigh). That was the sound of Ronnie's spirit floating off into the ether as Hendry came back to win the frame 72-64 from 64-0 down. That'll have taken away any dander he might have picked up from winning the last frame of the mini-session before. Hendry 4-1 O'Sullivan. "To answer your presumably rhetorical question - seemingly everyone watches snooker in Germany," pipes up Alastair Gerrard. "When I lived in Cologne, I would have daily conversations with my German workmates discussing the previous night's play. I think I may have initiated the conversations, but most people seemed to have watched the at least some of the world champs." I guess it's a bit like when they show Dutch tractor-pulling on British Eurosport, you watch it because it's there. And, yes, we will be covering the Alkmaar 350cc Open next week.

4.10 PM: "Never mind the psychobabbler's analysis of Hendry's writing, what were the actual words," asks Gary Naylor. "On a voting day like this, was it 'Vote Tory'? He has form after all." I think it was: "I predict that Ronnie will storm into a 64-0 lead before coming unstuck on a red into the top-left hand corner." Uncannily, Ronnie storms into a 64-0 lead before coming unstuck on a red into the top-left hand corner.

4.05 PM: We're back on, Ronnie's opened up the reds and is on a break of 32. Here's our source in City Hall again: "Do you think there's a link between the shady political situation in Harare and the countries inability to produce top-class snooker professionals?" It is true that the Harare circuit isn't what it was. "Perhaps the WPBSA could send Peter Ebdon out there on a goodwill mission to encourage people to make 'snooker, not war'. Then leave him there."

4.00 PM: That man-jibe has really stung Hazel, she's jokingly speaking in a low voice now, but you can see it hurt. And quite so, she might not have the wanton sensuality of Michaela Tabb but she's striking enough that Tiger Woods always remembers her first name when she interviews him at the Open. It's still the mid-session interview, in case you were wondering.

3.55 PM: Hazel's getting her handwriting analyzed now. Eileen kind of insinuates Hazel is a bit like a man and the atmosphere gets a bit uncomfortable before she concludes that Hazel is better than Jacqui Oatley, but not as good as Dougie Donnelly.

3.49 PM: It's the mid-session interval and the BBC are foregoing expert analysis to get some sub-Eileen Drewery type to analyse Hendry's handwriting. I would berate the BBC for this, but a) The Guardian have foregone expert commentary to get me to provide analysis and b) It's the kind of mindless trivia I find more interesting than proper analysis. Hendry's handwriting tells us he's determined. OK, it's not exactly worthy of Freud.

3.45 PM: "Odds on 'Hendry The Eighth' being the headline on the tabs if Hendry wins his the title? My colleague Aaron has had since 1999 to come up with that little beauty," writes Shay Deegan. Tell Aaron if he has a clean-ish suit and a dictionary he's got a job here. And more importantly, is anyone [excludes 99.999985% of the world's population] thinking of voting for Boris today? Hendry doesn't manage to clear up and Ronnie takes the frame. Ronnie is only two frames down, despite playing rubbish. Will Hendry live to regret not grinding him down when he had the chance? Hendry 3-1 O'Sullivan.

3.35 PM: Ronnie has another chance though, but misses a stupidly easy shot – he just needed to push it into the middle pocket and he would have been away and free. 36-24 to Ronnie, but Hendry's back on the table, with a few reds lying tricky-ish on the left-hand cushion.

3.30 PM: Too much confidence is a bad thing. Hendry takes on a long red, which he misses and Ronnie has a few loose reds to play with at 0-0. Ronnie then has a jaunty knock of 32 that he stuffs up on an easy pink – it's the kind of break he would have finished off on a better day. "I am currently doing temp work at City Hall," begins Someone Who Wants To Remain Anonymous, that's London City Hall for the three Guardian readers who don't live in Islington, "which is a rather anxious place as folk are scared that Johnson is going to win and sack them all. I haven't told anyone I'm also one of the ballot-counters tomorrow and plan to rig it as best I can in order to do my brother out of £50." This is Britain, not Zimbabwe, Anonymous. "In light of my situation and Ronnie's poor start do you think he'd consider throwing the game in order to bump up his ever diminishing 147 cash?" Dunno, why don't you ask him yourself, Ken.

3.20 PM: Yup, thought so. After a few exchanges Hendry polishes off the colors and takes the frame. Hendry 3-0 O'Sullivan

3.15 PM: "Totally agree with your comments on TV snooker," writes Matt L. "I am watching it on Russian Eurosport, drinking beer, and listening to the military brass band playing in the park next door. Russian commentary certainly adds an extra dimension. I have just learnt that the Russian for 'frame ball' is 'frame ball'." Yup, you can't beat a nice bit of Eurosport snooker. I once went on a travel jolly to Cologne and spent most of it sat in a bath towel watching German coverage of the UK championship. Who the eff watches snooker in Germany, I don't know, but old Lukas Bartos knew his snooker. There was also an unfortunate episode where I ordered the adult channels by accident which cost me 15 euros. Meanwhile, Ronnie's error lets Hendry take a 29-69 lead. By the time Ronnie's back on the table he needs two four point snookers to win, but insists on carrying on. Not sure why. If anyone is equipped for a longer game out of the two, it's Hendry.

3.08 PM: First error from Hendry he's going along nicely and the reds are open, but misses and easy black and Ronnie is on the table with a good chance of clearing, this could be a good chance for Ronnie to get a bit of confidence and rhythm back. 14-9 at the moment.

3.03 PM: Ronnie thunks a blue into the middle – that's about as sexual as snooker gets – but there's too much side spin on the ball and he can't get an angle on the next red. He's looked nervous today, he's played some good safeties, but just hasn't looked comfortable with his potting. The first, sulphuric whiff of a funk is in the air.

2.55 PM: ...which he does. Hendry 2-0 O'Sullivan.

2.55 PM: "I double-dog-dare you to try an SBS – shot-by-shot – accounting of a frame of your choice in today's match," says Darren Kilfara. "How many shots do you think you could cover in a row without losing the will to live?" Easy, I'll do it now: pot the reds then, skrew back, for the yellow, safety, green, foul, brown, gulp of water, frown, blue, unlucky kiss, pink and black. And Ronnie manager to pit a long red! You wouldn't have put much money on him taking the frame., but the shot seems to spur him on until Ronnie - as he will - pots the brown with his left-hand and leaves himself way too close to the blue. Hendry duly sinks it and – at 41-59 – Ronnie needs snookers to take the frame and Hendry should win it...

2.42 PM: Hendry takes 1minute 33 seconds to come up with a way of getting out of a fiendish trap Ronnie has set him. It's not long enough though and he leaves a red into the middle pocket for Ronnie, who trails 47-0 in the frame. It looks like a fairly easy route to taking the frame, but the break ends with Ronnie putting the white in: 22-51.

2.40 PM: "What is the magical draw behind snooker," demands Ryan Spencer. "As a non-Brit, I just don't get it. My other half, on the other hand, hates other sport, but then along comes the snooker at the Crucible – and for 17 days of the year I can't get her away from the TV." It's the pace of the game, Ryan, you can easily justify sitting on your arse all day because that how long a game lasts. With football or rugby you've got another 22 hours to fill once you've finished. Actually going to watch snooker, by the way, is a pale comparison of televised snooker. You can't talk, you have to concentrate rather than getting up every few minutes to make a sandwich and there's nobody to tell you when a shot's any good or not – in other words in encourages independent thought. O'Sullivan safety game is improving, but Hendry has been sneaking in for a few breaks and is 47-0 up.

2.30 PM: "Sorry to nitpick," writes Jeremy Campbell, picking some nits out of my lustrous mane and popping a few in his mouth, "I would dispute the claim that Ronnie offended 'the entire population of China'. Chinese has many different dialects and there is a region in China where Ronnie O'Sullivan's suggestive comments translate thus: 'A great snooker player must be like reeds in the wind - strong yet flexible. Liang Wenbo has such qualities and is destined to be great.' It could be argued that Ronnie's use of hand gestures only illustrated his point." Ah, come on now, Jeremy we all now Ronnie was talking about his c… Oh! Ronnie stuffs up another safety and lets Hendry in. He can't capitalize, and misses an easy-ish red. 16-0 so far in this frame. Ronnie, by the way, has attempted one serious pot - a long red - this afternoon and he just missed.

2.23 PM: Here's Nick Byrne's prediction: "Ronnie to walk it and then surprise us all with his liberal leanings by insisting his Chinese debacle not only doubled up as a fierce pro-Tibetan protest but also a precursor to his no doubt impending 'life blow-out' and future life as a reclusive monk." A monk that's spent a lot of time in porn shops, but a monk nonetheless, Nick. Hendry takes the first with a break of 141. Better get that habit on, Ronnie. Hendry 1-0 O'Sullivan.

2.20 PM: Big news! My colleague Paolo Bandini has met the big fat one – Chris, apparently – in a pub. He bought Bandini and chums drinks too. Then again, he is on – barring a particularly good performance from a pub quiz team from Woking – on £250 a day. Hendry is rattling through the frame - he's 76-0 up.

2.15 PM: Who's the best player to ever have played the game? Asks Dennis Taylor. He reckons it's Hendry. I'd say O'Sullivan is the best – most talented - but Hendry is the greatest – the most bloody-minded. The first frame is off to a slow start. Hendry is in after Ronnie effs up a safety, just as well – Eggheads is on in just 3 hours and 48 minutes (the big fat one with white hair, by the way, is the greatest Eggheads champion ever).

Chances of massive Ronnie blow-up: 7/10. Ronnie's had a few digs at Hendry in the past, including an argument before the semis in 2002 so if Ronnie gets distracted by a few bad shots, slow play by Hendry, the howling futility of life or the international credit crisis, we could have a fight on our hands. As in a fistfight not some metaphorical potting fight.

The form: It's been [correspondent consults complex notes] nine years since Stephen Hendry won the title at the [correspondent consults complex notes] Crucible and he didn't really look like ending that run coming into the championship and it's been [correspondent consults colleagues notes] 38 months since he won a title of any sort. Ronnie, on the other hand, has been his usual brilliant self, insulting the entire population of China, not looking particularly bothered about anything and hitting 147. His [correspondent plagiarizes Hazel Irvine] long potting was a bit suspect last round though, so it should be a fascinating session of [correspondent consults passerby] snooker.

Preamble: Forget the final, this is the big one. An aging champion against a kind-of-aging genius for the right to beat Allister Carter or Joe Perry. I'm still in a bit of a huff with Perry, to be honest with you. A contest between Ronnie and Stephen Maguire trying to out sulk each other in the final would have been quite a treat.