BBC presenter Hazel Irvine brought back painful memories for snooker legend Steve Davis during Monday's World Snooker Championship final. As Wu Yize and Shaun Murphy's match headed to a deciding frame, Irvine reminded viewers that this was only the fourth such occasion in the tournament's history.
In the BBC studio, Irvine gestured towards Davis and referenced his 1985 final loss to Dennis Taylor, which also went to a deciding frame. Davis, 68, pretended to mop sweat from his forehead and bit his tongue as John Parrott jokingly asked Irvine: 'Did you have to? Did you really have to?'
Davis was the reigning champion in 1985 and led 9-1 before Taylor fought back to level at 17-17. The 68-minute deciding frame ended with a battle for the final black ball, drawing an estimated 18.5 million UK viewers. Davis later said the pivotal moment was actually a green ball in the ninth frame, which he missed.
In the current final, Wu Yize held a 10-7 lead after Sunday's session, but Murphy won the first five frames on Monday to go 12-10 ahead. The match eventually went to a deciding frame, which Wu clinched with a break of 85. Wu said: 'Since the first session I was feeling nerves all the time. So right now I just want to go to bed.'
Murphy paid tribute to Wu, saying: 'I'd like to be the first to congratulate Wu Yize and his family, and everyone around him for being a wonderful world champion.'
