Snooker

Draw for the first qualifying round of the World Championship has been made, and it's a case of back to the 90's, Hendry v White! I remember them facing off in all those finals years ago. Amazing to think now they're playing in the very first qualifying round!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/56507475

White comfortably beat Hendry in the most recent World Seniors final.

 

6 world finals and zero titles for Jimmy. Makes Henman look clinical.

 

I’ve just started watching snooker a bit, after a long absence since moving out this way.

Discovered a streaming service that carries typical pub sports for 1.99 a month. Seemed reasonable and it’s nice to have on in the background. Bit like cricket in that respect.

Weirdly, my kids really like watching it too. They won’t sit and watch a football match with me, but I’ll stick on the snooker and they’ll be enthralled.

 

Well Selby bagged his fourth title last night, and say what you want about his style, his record can't be ignored. Ok he grinds people down with his safety, but he can still hit those high breaks and make pressure clearances when required. His all round game is just brilliant really. Murphy gave it a good go, but he just always seems to have a mistake or miss in him and against Selby that cost him. I think if he had played against anyone else in the final he would have had his second world title.

Selby in many ways reminds me of Davis when he was at his peak. Can he go past Hendry's 7 titles? Maybe, I certainly fancy him to get a 5th or even 6th to get level with Ronnie. Can't see Ronnie winning another world title to be honest.

 

It was just a few weeks ago that they were talking about Trump getting the mythical 8 titles. There's so many players that can win, which is why there's usually a wide range of ranking winners every year. Murphy, despite his obvious quality, has won 1 in 16 years. Ding, one of the best around, has never won it.

Personally, I don't think any of the current crop will exceed Hendry. No one will exceed O'Sullivan as being the best ever. I do think that a yet to emerge Chinese player will beat the record, Snooker is so huge in China that its only a matter of time that a player comes along and dominates in a way we've not seen since Hendry.

 

O'Sullivan still has a title or two in him IMO.

It's testimony to how bonkers he is, that he's not won a dozen titles over the past 25 years. He can beat anyone without trying, but he seems to find it boring, so contrives to mess things up for himself in various ways.

Selby is a great player but bloody tedious to watch. Less of a jester than his nickname suggests.

 

I couldn't agree more, there were too many shots that he took well over 2 minutes to take. Bingham said after the semi-final that it was like using the dark arts in a deliberate attempt to slow the game down. I get that there is a three minute rule with a warning, which Selby received once, I think that it should be reduced to two minutes. I would have happily seen any of the other 3 players who made it to the semi finals win it.

As for O'Sullivan, as much as a great player he his, I have never warmed to him because of his attitude, I'm usually glad to see him knocked out.

 

I’ve woken up this morning with snooker withdrawal syndrome. Going to miss having it to watch while the weather isn’t great. No IPL either!

 

I can see your point, but for me, last year's final was just fantastic to watch between Ronnie and Kyran, compared to this slog.

Ronnie is like the other fan favourites of this sport, just a complete mad lad.

His eyebrows alone are more entertaining than a Selby century break.

If Ronnie had Selby's personality, he'd have won 20 titles.

 

I too feel this having watched snooker non stop since the qualifiers started!

The world seniors, featuring Hendry, White, Parrott et al starts this week at the Crucible. It was a good watch last year so that should cure it for a week or so at least. It's on the red button on the BBC or iplayer I think. White has won it the last two years.

 

Whether it's O'Sullivan taking five minutes to clear up or Selby taking five minutes a shot I just love watching the World Championship. Rarely the others. I can totally immerse myself in it and disappear from the real world for a couple of days at a time. I looked into getting tickets for the final, with some still available on Weds, but at £120 a session there was no way! Better view on the telly with all the angles anyway.

 

I recommend getting up to Sheffield if you can at some point to watch it, even if it's a Quarter or Second Round match etc... I went up there in 2018 and saw the final session of the Quarter Final between Higgins and Trump, Higgins won 13-12 and eventually got to the final, only to lose to fellow Class of 92 member Mark Williams. It was a great experience, the other table was done so they raised the screen and the whole arena was focused on the match, which was a great one to watch. Went up with my old man and stayed overnight too so had a few beers, highly recommend it, a bucket list experience for me! I will certainly go back one day.

 

Cheers, next year it is then!

 

I've been a few times, it's a great arena for snooker. I tended to go for the middle Sunday* as it was easiest for travel, the second round is in full swing at that point. The last two times I went I was next to the steps in line with the barrier so I could watch both games simultaneously. However they were freebies from BetFred so they had the best seats available, plus use of the sponsors' lounge.

* The first time I went, I'd booked my tickets about 6 months in advance. When the time came it clashed with our cup semi-final v Palace. I made the right choice by going to Sheffield that day instead of Wembley.

 

Very enjoyable first day of The Masters yesterday. The Williams vs Yan match to open was a cracker, enough mistakes to keep it lively and some absolutely incredible showboating from Williams.

The ‘Ally Pally’ crowd started to get on my **** by the time the Robertson vs McGill match was coming to a close. Shut up and watch the snooker and definitely don’t do a mocking cheer when the white drops in the pocket.

 

Agree with all this. Ally Pally is ok, but perfered the Wembley Conference centre to be honest.

The Williams game was cracking actually, some of the shots he played were ridiculous. One handed safety escape and the yellow & brown along the cushions were the highlights.

Also, can't quite believe it's 25 years since Steve Davis shocked Ronnie in the 1997 final. I remember that well. That and the 2005 UK final were the two Davis swansong moments.

 

That yellow along the cushion, cueing under his body and dropping the white directly behind the brown in case his left the yellow over the pocket…. Unreal. I’m surprised Yan didn’t punish him after going 3-1 up but it was one of the most entertaining matches I’ve seen in a good while.

A mate who knows a lot more about snooker told me to lump on Wilson, I’m just hoping he gets past Bingham tomorrow because I’ve got an irrational dislike of SB.

 

Murphy gets a good beating off Hawkins. You love to see it.

 

Another cracker last night! Williams through to the Semi to face Robertson.

 

Yep, another great match up between Higgins and Williams. Higgins is great, but just feel like when it comes to the crunch some of the other top players have the edge over him now.

Not fussed Ronnie has gone out. I know I'll be sad when he's gone finally, but I'm a bit tired of him now and his constant up and down interviews. He also frustrates me because despite his undoubted success and his reputation as the greatest ever I still think he's squandered his talent at times. He's won 6 world championships of course, but I think he only won the 6th because it was behind closed doors and he was in a 'bubble' which helped. If it wasn't for that he would have been stuck on 5. Any longer matches (so basically the world championships), I don't think he's got the mental minerals anymore to stick it out in this longer format.

 

Shaun Murphy really does come across as a total *******. Getting booed by the crowd for saying it should have been him playing Selby.

 

I bit my snooker cue earlier and left teeth marks in it.

Not a successful night down the snooker club for old Filbz tonight.

 

When I was at Loughborough uni I used to play a bit of snooker at this small venue in Loughborough town centre, it only had two tables and the other half of the venue was a pokey little nightclub that did a student night some point midweek, I can't for the life of me remember the name of the place. Any idea?

 

Was it Echoes or maybe Vice Versa? The Phantom (used to be Scream) is laid out a bit like that.

 

Echoes rings a bell.

 

Played an evening of snooker the other day in Reading. We booked the exclusive 'Stephen Hendry room' first time I have ever played on a heated table etc.. best break....10, it didn't help but it kept my hands warm at least.

In other news, Jimmy White is already out of the Worlds in the 1st qualifying round. No surprises there.

 

First round draw for the Worlds has just been made. Some tasty matches in there, Ronnie v Gilbert, Wilson v Ding being just two.

Hossein Vafaei is the first Iranian to qualify for the Crucible having squeaked through last night 10-9.

Tournament starts on Saturday and ends on 2nd May.

 

Ronnie in trouble for making a w*nker gesture at the table after missing an easy black.

 

Managed to miss it. First bit of snooker in the evening I’ve missed and I don’t see a 147!

Closest I’ve ever been to seeing one is when Ken Doherty missed the final black many years ago.

 

Edge of the seat (or bed, in my case) stuff from Robertson and Lisowski!

Topsy Turvy match, great entertainment.

 

Both of tonight's matches were great to watch.