MC WALKER CUTS IT FINE AFTER CAR TROUBLE

MC Rob Walker cut it very fine to take up his usual arena position ahead of the showpiece Masters semi-final between Neil Robertson and Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Making the short trip from home down the A40 and round the North Circular to Alexandra Palace Walker saw his cherished second-hand BMW start to cough, splutter and finally start to emit clouds of steam from the bonnet while stuck in gridlock coming up the last hill to park at the venue.

Pushed for time, he had to call the RAC, dash into the building and enlist the help of World Snooker’s digital media officer Lewis Ward to go out and deal with the recovery organisation while he attended to a sell-out crowd that in all truth did not need too much warming up for such a clash.

The man from the RAC claimed to have fixed the problem – a faulty pipe – but more issues the next day left Walker ruefully contemplating having to shell out for a replacement vehicle.

WALKER BRACED FOR THE 'REAL' MARATHON

ROB Walker was the usual bundle of unbridled enthusiasm in the media centre at the Crucible counting down the minutes to calling out Ronnie O’Sullivan, Robin Hull, Stuart Bingham and Ken Doherty on Saturday morning at the World Championship. Walker does plenty of other TV and radio work during tournaments, but the main focus at the blue-riband tournament is the build-up both on and off camera to players walking down the famous stairs. Like many of those working at the tournament Walker sets himself a list for ticking-off purposes, and was relieved when someone pointed out he would not have to do the 51 high-energy intros he was braced for over the 17-day marathon, but ‘only’ 46 – with five mornings off in the three-session days, including the two-day final.