Masters is on the BBC now, with Shaun Murphy having just lost a frame for 3 consecutive misses.
The lols.
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Masters is on the BBC now, with Shaun Murphy having just lost a frame for 3 consecutive misses.
The lols.
I had an extensive drunken conversation with an old friend last night about how much we fucking love snooker. Genuinely think it might be my favourite sport to watch.
That 3 miss rule is a bit shit, the paying punters essentially get diddled out of a frame. I'd make him play the rest of the match in a tutu or something and just carry on.
Shaun Murphy sounded like a bit of a 'character' in that bizarre feature about old players being best in the mid-session interval, last I heard he was a born again Christian who cheated on his wife or some such.
The 3 miss rule is something which I was obsessed with as a weird child (now I'm just a weird adult, obviously). It was the holy grail, as was an indirect free kick in the box for a backpass or an unusual dismissal method in cricket.
Is Shaun Murphy universally disliked? I always had what I thought was an illogical problem with him, then I went on the snooker thread on another message board I frequent and everyone else there hated him too.
I quite like him, he's just a bit touched.
Yeah Murphy is an insufferable cunt, pretty much been that way since the chalk incident with Maguire. Hope he gets fucking destroyed the moon-faced God fucker.
So the lesser wanker of the two won. Lol Murphy.
Higgins on a 147.....
Cursed it. He mised the next fecking red.
Neil Robertson is actually wearing make-up in his match against Trump.
Trump v Robertson was amazing today.
It really was. The quality was superb. Those guys make it look so fucking easy. Fuck me and my 13 top break.
Average of twelve minutes a frame at 3-3. You'd feel ripped off if you'd bought a ticket.
I'm always surprised by how good Hawkins is. I think it's because he used to be such a top 32 plodder.
The balls are not running for Bingham at the moment.
That was cracking.
It's quite amazing how he can rock up after 6 months out, play in a PTC event and then get to the final here. Here's not even playing that well.
He did it with the Worlds a few years ago didn't he?
I seem to remember he won it, claimed all but retirement and only came back for the tournament a year later. He even won it if memory serves.
He did.
It's mental if you think about it.
Had he not lost against Selby a couple years back he could well have been in with a shot of matching Hendry at 7 Worlds. I do think that's going to be a little beyond him now though.
Just a reminder of how good O'Sullivan is when he's not being a moany fucker:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLk71tnNxOU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McThDshEgU0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2di8RpAMNQQ
And this is him at 14, holy shit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eri3U_4EYiM
The clearance to pinch that frame to make it 5-1, and then the red and clearance to win the final frame were ridiculously good.
What a total clearance that was.
That's the sort of session where if you're Hawkins you'd rather not turn up tonight.
The Rack Pack thing the beeb were trailing was actually alright.
Ronnie being an absolute prize bellend again today.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/35581281
I understand he wants a protest, but that's just robbing the fans who paid to go. Yes he got a 146, but they probably wont ever see another break as high, live, infront of them again. It also shows him turning his nose up at Ł10,000 for about 10 mins work.
How? That's as memorable a moment as a maximum break would be, perhaps even more so.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Fox
I don't really think what he did was inherently terrible, but it is clearly the behaviour of a total weirdo showing off rather than a noble protest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Fox
It's particularly odd when you take the stuff he's been posting about on twitter into account.
He's on ridiculous form here though.
Paddy Power have offered him Ł60k if he does get a maximum now. That would make for pretty good TV.
Robbing the fans? If not for the 'We aren't customers...' rubbish that would be the most melodramatic crap I'd read in ages.
It seems fairly logical to me. The pink was easier, he wanted to know if the prize was worth the risk of taking on a trickier black, he decided it wasn't and knocked in a 146 instead which wins him the frame and surely the high break prize.
Having now seen the video, I'd agree with that. The way some were talking I thought he turned down an easy tap in, but the black was barely on.
Was it not the last colour left to pot? So the frame had been won a while ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Yeah but there's still the high break prize. Plus it's Ronnie, he's a bit different. He's done some knobhead stuff (walking out of that match against Hendry years ago being number one) but this is hardly worth jail time.Quote:
Originally Posted by dino
The black wasn't on because he didn't play to get on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Toby
I'm not fussed that he turned going for the 147 down, but he could have made one had he wanted to.
I caught some of that 'Snooker Shootout' thing the darts bloke has been doing the other night and it was hateful. 'Pub Golf' twats passing pints along in the crowd and songs for the players being the most egregious offences.
It's just not a sport suited to that stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Having seen it fully myself now I'd agree with this. I was told about it in such a way that it sounded like he went out of his way to avoid a tap-in black.Quote:
Originally Posted by Toby
He would still have made it but would have been tougher.
.....
This piece he linked to the other day on him is one of the best pieces of sports writing I've read in ages.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...the-white-ball
What's the twitter stuff about?
He got conned out of 150 grand and is trying to bring the bloke to justice.
Yeah, I read that the other month. Great piece.Quote:
Originally Posted by phonics
I find O'Sullivan endlessly fascinating. Take this interview after today's match:
Now I've not seen much of Yu Delu, but if Ronnie isn't bullshitting us, then at the age of 28, a current world ranking of 54 and his best ranking result being a quarter-final at the 2011 Wuxi Classic I find it quite amazing that such an opponent prompts him to be 'nervous' and give him 'too much respect'.Quote:
Englishman O'Sullivan, 40, had little trouble beating China's Yu Delu by the same score.
"I'm pleased to still be in the tournament. No matches here are a gimme," said O'Sullivan.
"John Higgins, the second greatest player I have ever seen, has been beaten. It takes a top player to have a slightly off day and you are going out."
O'Sullivan lost the opening frame when Yu fluked a re-spotted black.
"Yu Delu is a brilliant player so I was a bit nervous at the start," said O'Sullivan.
"I maybe was giving him a little bit too much respect. I lost the first frame but got some momentum going after."
Watching O'Sullivan vs. Selby and the former's in frightening form.
And that's it.
The way he turned what wasn't really an opportunity into a total clearance was phenomenal.
Robertson vs. O'Sullivan in the Welsh Open final about to start on regional BBC, BBC Online and Eurosport.
Can never guarantee these things, but it really should be a cracker.
O'Sullivan is off to a really bad start. Can see Robertson going in three or four up at the interval.
Surprised the ref forget the 3 miss rule then. Wonder what would have happened had Robertson not reminded him until after the shot (had Ronnie missed it).
Looking like quite the bottle job from Robertson now.
Robertson has tossed this away so hard.
Those two ludicrous long pot attempts were just bonkers.
The World Grand Prix (no, I've no idea what that means either..) is on ITV4 now.
Higgins against Maguire, followed by Ronnie against Michael Holt.
World Championships kicking off this morning, I hadn't realised.
Bingham v Carter on BBC2 at the moment.
Marco Fu still knocking around. He must 63.
I've been playing a lot of pool lately, and am now a pretty decent player. However, it seems to have massively impacted my snooker game - I played today and was fucking awful.
I've never had opportunity to play enough snooker to become any good at it.
Had a game of pool recently where I potted all seven and the black in succession. The cue ball control was actually intentional as well and only one of the shots had any element of luck. I was buzzing.
I do like watching the World Championship so I'll be getting in on some of this today.
I'm starting the "best natural potter' tea drinking game. Every time a commentator says "when he's playing well, he's one of the best natural potters in the game", I take a sip of my earl grey.
I'm wearing a bow tie, too.
Terry Griffiths commentating on Peter Ebdon playing.
I'm out.
Hong Kong Fuey keeping Ebdon off the table :drool:
This is classic Murphy. Off the boil but still going for everything. Twat.
I was reminded of Stephen Lee the other day.
Urgh.
Murphy losing that is an absolute shambles.
Gives Ronnie an absolute cruise to the semis as well, although I guess the Hawk is a decent match player, whatever that is.
Ricky Walden is presiding over an absolute masterclass of shit on the red button right now.
This is genuinely some of the worst snooker I've ever seen, yet it's strangely appealing.
Just put it on. I fucking love Ricky Walden.
These little features they do in the mid-session intervals are absolute bollocks. Where do they even find the music?
You're in for a treat Jim.
13 frames in and neither player has yet compiled a break sizeable enough to take a frame in one visit. :drool:
Like that opening shot Jim?
Yeah, magical stuff.
No way he opens these up without breaking down.
How is this pillock 7-6 up?
Stupid fucking Virgin Media doesn't have BBC red button here.
Because Walden has been that bad.
It just gets better. :D
Hendry's exasperation is brilliant.
Surely 10-7 Walden from here. Even though he missed one by a foot in that frame.
You'd think.
Robbie Williams has gone from bad to looking like he's having some sort of mental episode.
Normal service resumed in this frame, just as Walden looked like pissing it.
I haven't seen any of it but is Michael Holt playing as well as the frame scores suggest? I saw him beat Ronnie in one of the piss ant tournaments a few weeks back and he was seriously on it then as well.
Are BBC just sticking all this on the red button now? I've seen nothing live since the weekend.
He's been good, Robertson nowhere near his best though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Robbo's woken up at 9-4 though. Surely not.
I was expecting a mega rant complaining about kicks and stuff.... there was nothing too harsh in what he said. Gave Holt credit for his win.
I didn't realise Ding had shat his way outside the top 16. Oh dear.
I quite want Ronnie to win this. Whether he will is debatable.
Liang Wenbo is playing godlike snooker. Just stuck Ł5 e/w on him winning the whole thing. Dare to dream.
Yep, what a machine.
Outstanding session of snooker, that. The son of some bloke I used to work with at Asda got a couple of tickets for it, lucky bastards.
The quality overall has been pretty spesh so far.
Eurosport has it live, only copped when I accidentally went up from SSN. You've all been a top help.
Ding. :nono:
I used to like Ding, but the last few years I have really gone off him. He has this attitude when something doesn't go his way that the whole world is against him.
To be fair to him, about 1/6th of it is...
Fair play to him here, at 6-8 down he looked gone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syxIoYjuKls
Hearn's been speaking today. He's so good.
Davis' retirement interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Borcrhfc3xQ&nohtml5=False
As I said a couple of years back, these are great.
By 'these', do you mean Hearn and Davis?
Videos of the press conferences is general.
Hearn is basically a genius. Six or eight years ago it had no real right not to die a slow death, but looking through the draw this year there are strong players everywhere, and players you want to watch. No idea how he's turned it around.
He alludes in that video to a further press conference on 28th, which will outline what he wants to do over the next 6 years.
I should imagine Peter Ebdon won't be happy. :drool:
You have to hand it to Peter Ebdon. Surely the most awkward cunt in sport, and he's been doing it for over twenty years now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6SpM7TizeU
Well, when he's in his yard he's the best pure potter in snooker entertainment.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Arne
Didn't he perform the same miracle with Darts where it's pretty much a sell out at every venue now?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Liang has deffo fucked it.
Just switched on. How on earth is there 6 red balls in the baulk?Quote:
Originally Posted by igor_balis
That's what happens when I play. Yellow blocking the black all frame. 40 each in penalty points.
Out of interest, do you guys ever make your mates ever take more than one attempt at a snooker? We generally give each other 4 or 5 attempts just to see if we can do it, but only take one foul.
Also, the rules say that you can't lay a snooker when you have a free ball - however, what if you snooker them by accident whilst taking a free ball shot? Free ball to the opposition?
Free ball to them yeah, even if it's an accident.
I never make them put the ball back.
Virgo furious with the ref :)
Not even once? I find it to be good practise for the angles. And more importantly, an opportunity to laugh at how shit you both are. Also making the guys put the balls back here is a good lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Trump looks a little like Lallana.
I enjoyed the commentators having an aneurysm over the pink placement. Trump was brilliant today, but I'm not a massive fan.
There is no way that Mark Williams isn't going to take his own life within the next 3 years.
Apparently 'break building' is one of Marco Fu's strong suits.
Which player currently in the Top 32 doesn't have break building as one of their strong suits?
'Under strengths, you've just put 'snooker'.'
I think the point is that he's particularly good when he's 'in amongst the balls' compared to other players, and relative to the rest of his game (he hasn't got much cue power for example). They have that 'PROFESSIONAL VIEW' thing, where they get other players to give insights into the strengths of a player. For Marco Fu, Judd Trump said something like 'his technique isn't the best'. Bit harsh, mate.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Arne
Personally I quite like having anomalies like Fu who just caresses stuff in. The modern style of smashing in long range pots and fucking off slow safety play was a lot more exciting in the context of more meticulous, slow players back in the day and with tighter pockets and slower cushions. Guess it is comparable to how it is a lot less fun seeing cricketers heave stuff over cow corner for 6 in the context of 20/20 cricket with shorter boundaries and massive bats.
Ronnie's basically got a bye to the semi's now.
How on earth can you go into the Crucible, manage to ignore all the pre-match reminders, and still not put your phone on silent. You are either stupid or ignorant, or likely both.
Trump appears to be playing like an absolute twat against Ding. Does he ever practice using the rest?
Never heard of this Kylo Ren guy who's giving fatman Allen a bit of a fisting on the other table.
Is Trump still wearing shoes that look like they used to be one of Hammers' sextoys? He deserves to lose just for that.
The BBC have just run a feature on Rob the PA guy - and pretty much every player to a man said it that the nicknames were a load of shit and would just prefer the names. They then had Rob in for interview and he recalled bantz between him and the player.
Alan Angles McManus.
Rob Walker? He come across as someone who would be face crushingly annoying after about 5 minutes.
Rob always impresses me in managing to sound just as enthusiastic and find just as shit an intro for the likes of Barry Hawkins as he does for blink and you'll miss him Ronnie the rocket O'Sullivan.
Nobody comes up with cool nicknames like 'the Rocket' in sport anymore. It's all just puns on their name or nationality.
It's a skill in that context but imagine if he was that into pencil sharpeners or curtain hooks. Also, I seem to remember only the best (or interestingly ethnic) players used to get a moniker, there's no way Alain Robidoux or Dave Harold would have gotten one.
You are obviously forgetting about the quite excellent Ray Hudson..
"Here is the Dark Prince....."
I don't know an excellent Ray Hudson, only the shrieking tosser one.
Judd Trump, a player who invites a cool nickname if ever one did, is called 'The Ace in the Pack'. Sounds like a shit airport thriller.
The pockets genuinely appear to be like buckets at this year's event.
Hawkins was 2 up with 3 to play at 12-10 but Ronnie has just pulled it back, nervously to 12-12. Hawkins will be unfortunate not to go through here.
Decider was one of those frames where it's so safety oriented that most of the reds end up by the top cushion. Hawkins got in for a 40 odd break but then it broke down, but the table was in a mess. Ronnie managed to move things around into a frame winning chance and then binned the white into the corner pocket to hand Hawkins the match. He was seething in his chair.
Wide open now. Anyone bar Higgins please.
The fucking state of that top half of the draw. Ding plus three people who were at their peak the best part of 20 years ago.
The bottom half meanwhile is just a complete shitfest. Fu's year.
He's running riot over THE HAWK at the moment.
How old is Marco Fu? It feels like he's been around forever and still looks about 15.
Meanwhile Bazza just holed a red off the break (you wot?) and then missed the easiest positional shot in snooker history, which probably explains the stomping.
Fu is 38. Older than Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Manny Pacquiao, and Bubba Watson.
The state of this frame. Marco's caught Hawkitis by the looks of it.
Was just about to say Fu was in danger of wandering into shitthebedville, but then the hawk went and missed a regulation red . . .
Oh no, there we are. Straight blue of it's spot missed. He's a resident.
Alan McManus. :sick:
On the plus side, this Hawkins/Fu match is a cracker.
What was the Hawk doing going 7-1 down to Fu in the first place?
Mentally knackered from the win over Ronnie I'd suggest.
He's playing liquid snooker now, given the situation. Even if all the long ones are going in like it's a pool table.
He was properly good against Ronnie as well.
So,
McManus vs. Ding Junhui
Fu vs. Selby
A Ding/Fu final would be great, the alternative, not so much.
Selby will probably crush all-comers, sadly.
That clearance from Fu was something else given the circumstances. The one at 9-10 was just as good as well, and probably more important.
What the fuck is McManus doing in the semis? I've not seen any of his games but assume he's the same old grinding fuck that he has been since the mid 1990s.
He is. He's also somehow more miserable than he was back then too, even when he's winning.
The amount of old gits doing well over the last couple of years just points to the newer players not being able to go from a best of 7/11 in most tournaments to a best of 19/25 etc, as they barely get any experience of the latter or longer format matches at all.
It must be pretty strange for people tuning into snooker for the first time. My missus just asked me "why are there wearing suits?". It's a good question... blokes essentially wearing dinner suits playing 'sport'.
Selby to win this 17-8, as much as I'd like Fu to.
McManus really shouldn't take on so many doubles.
Meffing that last frame up has probably cost him any chance tomorrow.
I'd quite like Ding to win it from here really. Sometimes the big prize comes when you least expect it.
That's fortune cookie material right there.
I quite like McManus, he's my type of boring git, but I can't see him beating Mao ZeDing from here. A Fu/Ding final would be pretty great, bring back James Wattana and make it a triple threat.
This Selby - Fu match has been a total disgrace all the way through. When one of them wakes up they'll win 8 frames on the trot.
The shit-off continues.
That Ding century they replayed was brilliant, given the amount of mistakes these two are making you have to fancy him to win it.
Why is the crowd so keen to applaud every single shot? Turning into a Wimbledon-esque atmosphere. :sick:
And there should be no mercy for those twats who can't keep their phones on silent. I think there's been four instances of one going off so far this evening.
It's mental isn't it, you;d think when one went off you'd check yours just to be sure. If only to avoid what must be the soul crushing embarrassment of having yours start ringing or something.
Fucking hell, Selby is trying to give this away.
He needs to keep up his end of the bargain. We're likely to win the league, the basketball team has won the league and cup, and he can win the world title. Even the cricket team look a bit better than shit. Tigers aren't winning the play offs so they can bollocks. We need a new SPORTING CAPITAL statue in the city centre.
"No-one saw that coming"
Really Denis, really? What have you been watching?
Looked to my inexpert eye like Ding massively overthought that.
Him and Virgo have become unbearable to me. Proper light bulb moment today when I remembered I had access to Eurosport.Quote:
Originally Posted by Disco
Does that old lady sitting behind the players have some sort of lifetime claim on that seat? She's always in it.
It would be good if Ding could at least get into a winning position to massively bottle things from (inevitable) rather than just doing it from the outset.
The way things are going, the Selbster and Leicester could win at almost the same moment tomorrow.
She's asleep half the time too.Quote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
Has Ding had an easy run or is he just bottling the fuck out of this?
He's been on fire until now. Major bottle job here.
Jesus I just checked the score there and expected to see 10-1 or something by the talk here.
4-0 in a best of 35 :D
Feel like I'm watching Selby vs Hamza Akbar in the round of 128 here, to be honest.
It'll be 18-0 to Selby if Ding continues like he is.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
In a best of 35 there's bound to come a time when Ding strings some frames together. 5-0 is nothing.
Ding is a known bottle, remember him almost crying versus Ronnie a while back? This is no surprise.
5-0 and Ding hadn't potted a ball in over 200 points.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
Oh I'm not saying he's going to win or anything, and he's been mentally broken since Ronnie did that to him, but talk of 18-0 or even losing with a session to spare (at this stage) is premature.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Soldier
Potted a ball in over 200 points.Quote:
Originally Posted by Spikey M
That's a new one. :D
6-0 incoming
Has Selby even played well in any of this? Everytime I flick over he seems to be missing something or Ding is (was) ostensibly in.
Hopefully he can build on that shot.
We're back to The Shit Off: World Final Edition.
Oh for fucks sake. It's going to be (1)8-0.
Jesus. This is almost beyond belief.
That old lady in the crowd would have more than one on the board by now.
The comeback is on!
Signs of life at last.
Nice to see them upping the shit-off ante in the second session.
This is diabolical. Like two half cut fellas down the snooker club.
That miscue from Selby is something you don't see often with the pros. Something I usually end up doing.
I can't warm to Ding. He just has the demeanour of a deviant. I reckon he's wearing stockings and suspenders under his trousers. Rubbing himself up against the table when there's an awkward pot on.
If this was twenty years ago and the plot of a film he would be the emotionless communist automaton.
The Selbster is way too tough to lose this.
Love his fellow townsman Willie Thorne laying into 'the likes of Trump and Murphy' there.
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Lee
Now we know where he got the herpes from.
I don't think a single one of Ken Dohertys examples on the practice table of what player x 'should have done' has actually come off.
I really should start putting money on this shit. I could have made a fortune from this match buying and selling both players, a fucking fortune. :moop:Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Ding's so going to lose this frame now.
Selby is such a horrible bastard to play against.
I find these frames where it goes on for half an hour behind snookers strangely fascinating.
I have it on silent, was that not a miss? Why didn't he put it back?
He needed snookers so the miss rule didn't apply.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Of course.
They just get to the stage, as this one now has, that you just want to see someone fuck it up and get us on to the next frame.
I'm the opposite, I want it to continue for as long as possible. The nuggety Mark Selby needing snookers battle stands against the immediacy of modern life.
It's great, I could watch this all night.
I even switched back over to the shite home alone bit of Skyfall it's that bad.Quote:
Originally Posted by Disco
I'm loving it too.
Hot lights, a crowd of predominantly older people, I'd love to know what proportion are asleep.
Finally. Selby had enough chances too.
Keep playing Mark.
hate it when the cunty commentators can't resist making a stupid little joke when the players are about to take their shot, cus the twats with the headsets can never resist laughing. just fucking wait a second dickhead.
Don't get your hopes up.
During this frame alone you could have watch Ronnie's record 147 nine times.
These banners in the crowd need to fuck off.
Did you see the ref giving the commentary position the stink eye?Quote:
Originally Posted by igor_balis
I love this stuff as much as the next man, but continuing to play when you need two snookers on the pink (even if you're capable of getting them) really is deviant behaviour.
I did, it was glorious.Quote:
Originally Posted by Disco
I'm sure I remember watching the record longest frame at the Crucible. I think it was Walden v Hawkins or similar. I'm sure Walden was involved anyway.
That dreadful semi-final from 2013?
Was the longest not the other day?
I watched the new longest one yesterday, that was great too.
Having looked it up the actual record was from Selby v Fu the other night, which beat King and Maguire from 2009. I've definitely watched a Walden one well over an hour though. Probably in 2014 as I was unemployed in April that year and probably watched the whole tournament.
EDIT: Ricky Walden v Kyren Wilson that year.
How is that we've been to the moon but we can't get it together to work out what causes those kicks.
science or some shit
Should they not have stopped at 16 frames?
You'd see better play down the pub on a Friday night.
I think Selby genuinely was falling asleep when he had his eyes shut a second ago. He looks fucking shattered.
Yeah, he's shattered.
After the shit Selby pulled earlier I'd be playing for snookers until the black if I was Ding.
The commentators' shit jokes and the crowd dickheads with the headsets laughing were really getting on my tits.Quote:
Originally Posted by igor_balis
They should get rid of those headsets.
Ah, Jimmy and his stands against the immediacy of modern life.
Not too bad for Ding, although could have been better.
It annoys me how often they have the white ball cleaned. That's what probably causes all the kicks. Building up static on the white or something from all the rubbing. They seem to have increased in relative proportion. Was the white ball cleaned at all in O'Sullivan's speed record 147?
How would static cause kicks (genuine question)?
I reckon it's the excessive chalking of the cue - and that chalk transferring to the white ball, meaning contact points aren't smooth.
Absolutely no idea. I just don't like cleaning the white after every shot.
What's with the phones too? Seemed to be a lot worse than I've seen before.
Anyone with one or the first peep from one should be out the door no questions asked, and not let back in until next year if they buy tickets.
This is turning into a cracking final. I have about Ł700 on Ding now though which is tempering it somewhat.
Selby has fucked this the twat.
I went to bed at 11 last night with the score at 8-7. I can't believe they had them play another 2 frames.
Ding has done well to come back into this but I still fancy Selby to win. He just doesn't know when he's beat and has already taken at least 2 frames just in this match from pulling it out the bag.
This frame, man.
Selbz losing his shit with the kicks.
Jesus, he took far too long over that pink and made some shit of it.
Though that's a nice recovery. Should be that.
Ding has given away an embarrassing number of frames in this. He would never have made that black himself.
Some good stuff from Ding in this frame.
Davis has to be my favourite sportsman of all time. Legend.
Ding showing some fight. Giving that 6-0 start I feel is too much for him to claw back now.
Getting close only makes binning so many winnable frames worse.
All going wrong for the city of Leicester at the moment though . . .
In a best of 35 it really doesn't work that way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Fox
Obviously losing the first 6 isn't great, but in a match that long there are always spells when one player will win 4,5 or 6 frames in a row.
Dennis Taylor came back from 8-0 down to beat Davis in 85, Hendry won 10 in a row to beat White 18-14 and Selby himself came back from miles behind against Ronnie when he won his maiden title.
I'd still have Selby to win, not because of the 6-0 start, but because he's the best match player ever to play the game and he'll no doubt grind the shit out of it if Ding gets any closer.
I'm watching this, drinking tea and eating digestives. I'm feeling proper nostalgic for when I was about eight and would always watch the snooker at either of my grans' houses.
The reason I say it's too much to give up is because it is Selby. Every time Ding has moved within one frame so far, Selby turns it on and moves clear again. Ding will need a big break here to get some momentum going.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
I agree, but that's nothing to do with losing the first six frames.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Fox
He himself then won seven of the next nine anyway.
I used to watch it with my Grandad eating things like jam tart (a proper big one you slice up) or junket.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boydy
Held the nerve well there. I'd watched the second half of Masterchef and missed fuck all.
"Don't be the idiot that spoils this." :cool:
Never mind throwing them out actually, these cunts with the phones need a fucking slap.
Does Selby always look so pissed off when he wins?
Jonathan Liew did an interview with him pre-tournament which portrayed him as a sort of depressive with a troubled childhood and pretty much all his loved ones are dead (except his wife and child). On that basis, not sure where 'Jester from Leicester' came from.
Aye, Selby looked gutted. Perhaps he was just exhausted and relieved.
Anybody been watching any of the recent events?
Trump won the European Open - with Ronnie looking very good throughout, but being tipped in the final by a consistent Trump.
Liang Wenbo just beat Trump in the final of the English Open (in Manchester). The English Open is part of the new "Home Series" of events - if anyone wins all 4 tournaments, they pick up a bonus 1 million quid. The attendances in Manchester were a bit rubbish until the final (not helped by tickets being $55).
I also noticed that the commentators kept referring to Liang Wenbo informally as Liang - whereas, they really should be addressing him directly as Wenbo.
Luca Brecel's hairline. :humb:
Actually, he's not receding at all, is he? It's just a very strange hair cut.
#snooker
I've played snooker a few times recently, after not having played it since about 2004. I think I am perhaps naturally decent at cue sports (I was once actually very good at pool when I was able to practice regularly) as in each session my mate has crushed me in the opening frame or two but then I've become more competetive after that. Having only played pool for so long I still struggle with the angles a bit at distance (I tend to over-compensate) but it's just such a better game than pool. I'd love to be able to play more regularly than I do.
Love a bit of this....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVy-5rwEz24
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Framed-Ronn...=UTF8&qid=&sr=
I'm strangely fascinated by that.
"The first crime novel from the UK's most charismatic sporting genius "
Which are the other sporting geniuses from the UK he's competing against? Andy Murray? Gareth Bale? Lewis Hamilton? Jason Roberts?
He's probably actually the only 'sporting genius' the UK has.
I'm just worried that if it proves a hit with readers and critics alike, he doesn't have anywhere else to go with titles for the rest of the series. 'Break Off'? 'On Cue'? 'Into the Pack'?
It's between him and Sprinter Sacre.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
I'm hoping for series where Bill Werbeniuk and Cliff Thorburn solve crimes by night. Len Ganley guest stars as their DCI.
Mark Allen has fairly hit the pies.
Don't deserved an even bigger tonking just for that suit.
This Perry - Hawkins game is brilliant.
How did it play out? I switched over to Match of the Day just as Perry was making a comeback.
Came back from 5-2, including needing a snooker in the eighth frame, to win the match.
That girl staring at Hazel non-stop was a little spooky.
O'Sulliva's now playing like he's in a practice session.
Yeah, saw this today. I found it a little awkward but hilarious at the same time. He's a mental genius.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39619481
I can only assume Barry Hearn isn't thick - though I wouldn't rule it out - but I can't find any other explanation for why he would want to wage a shitty war on his biggest draw.
The week leading up to the Worlds I assumed it was all a publicity stunt.
Did anyone just see that little bit about Steve Davis DJing? :cab:
It was on in the background but I was already comatose from this Murphy Yan shitfest.
Steve Davis is a proper geezer. There's an hour long 'Sporting Legends' doc with him floating around the Sky Sports channels occasionally in which he comes across brilliantly.
Judd stinking it up here. In danger of going out to Muslim ISIS fan McLeod.
Plus he trolled Alex Higgins to death, how is he not knighted yet?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Neil Robertson was addicted to Diablo 2.
:D
Fucking nerd.
That's less tragic than the article I read which had it as FIFA.
He mentions in that article that he was addicted to FIFA 14 too, 'trying to win the title against other players'.
Though he does mention that his mum had to make a Diablo account to keep an eye on him, so I think it might be more tragic than a million FIFA addictions.
That's class.
Fucking hell. That's sexual.
Fair play to JV for spotting and calling the shot as he lined it up.
He probably did it on TV 20 years ago whilst Jim Davidson was racially abusing a contestant.
That little smirk at the end was perfect.
I missed that. Fuck me, what a shot.
Shitter kick for Allen there but that's a tidy clearance by Higgins.
They're doing a segment/reenactment of that time Dennis Taylor beat Steve Davis in the final in 1985.
Like they do every fucking year.
Why?
Looking at the quarter final draw and I really feel like they could save everyone a couple of days and just get on with the O'Sullivan - Selby and Higgins - Hawkins last four instead.
Nah, Ding's winning it. I put a fiver on at the start so he has to.
Messy at times and they both tried to chuck it on a few occasions but from what I saw Robertson and Fu was very entertaining.
Ding must be the most (biggest?) "confidence player" on the tour. Playing brilliant, 3-0 against Ronnie.... now 3-3 and Ding has fallen apart and can't pot a ball.
Ronald has been properly shit.
Thank God for Eurosport or I'd see fuck all of this with the BBC and their red button shite.
I'm glad they're showing so much of it but they don't half bang on about the prize money sometimes. They were talking as if O'Sullivan taking the lead for the Ł10k "biggest break" prize was going to have ruined Selby's day.
I fancy Selby to do a number on Ding, here. 17-5
This frame needs to end.
So does this one.
Fuck me watching Selby is painful.
Selby is a boss.
He's an absolutely fantastic player and possibly the best match player the game's ever seen - his frame management (yep, I just did that) is absolutely unreal. But, and it's a big but, it's fucking dull as hell to watch.
And I say that just before he plays two absolutely fantastic shots. :moop:
Other than "because shit sports do nicknames do add 'excitement'" is he called The Jester from Leicester(!) for any special reason? Because he seems such a dour cunt.
Also, played a load of snooker today. Had one of the best games I've ever played (no special breaks or high scores, just significantly less shit than normal) and in another won on a long pot on a black ball. :cool: Fuck the Crucible, a rubbish pool/snooker hall in Glasgow is where the real shit goes down.
I miss a game of snooker/pool. Never see tables any more.
Snooker Hall about a thirty second walk from me, I'm shit but go fairly regular. Ł2.70 a pint, bacon butties made in the back, full of old cunts and no women. Its glorious.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
You'd never see drink in a snooker hall here, not that many survived anyway. Hard to get a pool table in a pub either unless you go out of the city.
Ah Radcliffe is a shit hole, hence the alcohol. I think the library gives you a shot of whiskey with each book you lend. Anything to end the dreariness.
We've got a one in town that's alright. Can't remember the prices, though. It's Durham so it's probably Ł3 minimum.
That was the most mentally resolute I've ever seen Ding last night.
The second semi-final is a bit of a shit-off, but the first (resuming to a close at 2pm) has been mustard so far.
The one I go to is Ł7.20 an hour, plus a couple of quid to get in.
Which isn't bad split between a few of you but on weekends when I had naff all else on I'd quite happily go and spend a few hours by myself at it but Ł20's a bit steep.
not watched any of it this year but i bloody love ding, hope he wins. higgins can get fucked
selby's safety play does make me wet though
Virgo really needs to fuck off with this "where's the x ball going" on every third fucking shot.
"Sometimes it's a war of nutrition", says Ronnie. Well said.
Higgins bang on form today.
At what point do you say Selby's definitely out of it? I've not really had chance to see any of it, just looking at the score and seen a few bits and pieces but I'm surprised Selby hasn't managed to grind out an extra frame or two here as he's normally so good at it. I know four down is far from insurmountable this early but Higgins looks/sounds to be in great nick.
About 13-2 and I'd say he's out of it. Selby has a long history of insane comebacks, and if needs be he can grind a frame for an hour or two.
This should finally see Higgins seen as up there with the greats. He has always been criminally underrated.
@Ian
6-2 down in the first session is nothing.
Taylor was 7-0 down vs. Davis in 85, Hendry 14-8 down against White, Selby miles behind Ronnie in 2015. The list of much bigger deficits being overcome in finals is endless.
That said, Higgins is probably the only player in the whole tournament that won't be arsed coming up against Selby and his nega-grinding style.
I know it's nothing at this stage, I just don't watch enough snooker to know when a healthy lead veers into inevitable fisting territory.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
If he was playing most other players then I'd say it's a good bit away, but Higgins won't let him back easily.
In finals, you can usually tell around the 2nd mini-session of the second session, but as far as Selby's concerned, it'd take a lead that I couldn't conceive of happening for me to write him off.
He's such a horrible competitor to play against.
Higgins well up for a drawn out bore fest here, can't wait :drool:
There's serious OCD shit with all that looking up to the box.
Indeed, he's experienced and level headed enough to not be fussed when Selby plays on needing 5 snookers. Ronnie would be climbing the walls by now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dark Soldier
That was a shocker though.
It's complete over analysis.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Aye snooker is an odd one for all that. Some where going radge that Selby celebrated beating Ding a bit too enthusiastically last night, ffs. He shouted Yes twice and tapped the table.
Old, old men.
It was over at 9-3.
It really wasn't.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
IF it had got to 9-3 then, you pedantic molly.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
You misunderstand me. Nothing is ever over at 9-3 in a best of 35 match. I seem to have this discussion with someone every time a reasonable lead is opened up early on in a crucible final.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
Nah, Higgins would have had it. He most likely does now as it stands anyway.
Oh he's in the driving seat no doubt, but he's not playing particularly well, it's just that Selby's been dogshit and his usual grinding approach won't be as effective against Higgins.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
Selby looks like he know's he's done here.
If Higgins does pown him, hopefully it'll herald a new, more attacking Selby from next season.
Good break, if he wins the next two it's very much game on. Even one of them and he's still in it.
And Selby is back, doing what he always does.
Why did they not stop after 16?
Because there's 9 frames in this session.
Higgins really needs to pull his fucking finger out here.
I'd rather Higgins win but that leaves things nicely in the balance for tomorrow.
Higgins is fucked here.
Boy did he need that.
These Chinese tables really are dogshit, the amount of balls that hit the cushion on the way down but still go in is unreal.
This being on terrestrial TV has been annoying from a streaming point of view. Had to VPN it and watch iPlayer.
Hopefully this means neither Taylor or Virgo tonight.
Selby shits the bed when in touching distance again. He won't get ahead of Higgins.
I still think he'll win.
And Virgo is class.
He's a blowhard who talks like he was a whole lot better than he actually was.
And even if none of that was true, his "where's the ___bal going?" all the fucking time will always make him shit.
I don't mind a bit (ok, a lot!) of WHERE'S THE BALL GOING, and while I'd agree he was a journeyman pro at best (think UK Championship was his greatest success) he reads the game very well and knows his commentating onions.
Higgins is done.
Higgins has been absolutely piss poor for the last 8 frames, and let's call a spade a spade, today's been dreadful.
Yup its one of the worst finals in recent memory tbh. Can see this shitting itself to a 1am finish.
Really poor quality. Has there been a one-visit frame win?
There's been a couple of centuries but they've come off the back of 5-10 minutes of safety. There's been no break > player comes in and clears.
Selby's disgusting brand of ruin the table snooker doesn't help, but you have to hand it to him, it's very effective.
There's no one left in the game that can stop him at the moment, so by rights he should probably notch another 2 or 3 of these by the end of the decade.
And with that, this final is over.
Robertson of a few years ago is the only one who can halt him and match him grind for grind, but he's gone to shit of late.
Trump is nowhere near the hype he came into the game with, and the rest aren't at the level of Selby. Feels like it could be a Hendry style period again where one player is so ahead of the rest.
Watching Higgins shit his way to breaks of 20 and 30 is starting to get painful.
8 visit snooker. :drool:
Very unlucky on that heavy contact earlier in the frame
Could be Masterchef time.
I thought the black very slightly moved there.
Ref should have stuck first time round though without flipping twice.
I think the ref was right. Could be an exciting finish on the cards here. Late night snooker. :drool:
I'm back to work in the morning so I don't think I'll make it to the end. Yev already seems to have given up on it too, be a pisser to leave it and look back to see it was 18-17.
Getting exciting this now. Thought Higgins was buried.
I'm watching, just not posting.
Been a cracking match since 16-12.
I reckon Selby has another 3-4 championships in him.
Yeah, I'd reckon so too.
I've been banging on for years about snooker not having a proper world number 1, so it's nice to finally see one.
Bit gutted I never saw any of this today, though I'd have only been groaning at the point when Higgins was getting himself buried.
I haven't heard of Elliot Slesser before but he played some really good stuff against Higgins there.
I was in the process of saying that O'Sullivan was in full pisstake mode in whatever this Champion of Champions thing and then he flubbed a green I thought he'd get in this form.
Not that Murphy did a lot wrong when he lost those frames on the bounce, just that every time O'Sullivan got in he looked unstoppable.
Some yank has absolutely shit the bed in the last Mosconi match of the day.
I've never heard of this "Sunny Akani" weirdo that O'Sullivan is playing but it's been a good match so far.
O'Sullivan tonight from when it was 5-5 was just a whole other level. Murphy couldn't have done much more and Ronnie just destroyed him.
Yeah, it was awesome.
Murphy didn't do much with what few chances he got but then a player other than O'Sullivan in such daft form would have given him more chances.
The first few frames O'Sullivan played against Akani looked like a genuine throw. Not just crap shots, but awful shot selection, too. Apart from those first few frames, he was pretty awesome throughout the tournament. 1000 centuries soon.....
Robertson is properly on it here, which is some going given the form Higgins is in. They just flashed up that he's scored 299 points without reply.
Pity he completely shat his pants.
Yeah, it is.
I hate Robertson, too.
I don't hate Robertson. In general I just want a good match but I'd never heard of Cao before Friday so I'd quite like to have seen him go on to win it.
This Trump / Ding match is good. Started with about four or five frames where whoever made the first mistake lost, then Trump looked in much superior form as Ding started to crumble, then an hour-long frame that in itself went from being a messy shambles to a Ding break to an edgy tactical thing.
I think this may be the first time I've heard Judd Trump speak. What's his accent all about?
Some say the Bristol accent is hauntingly beautiful. Some.
It doesn't even sound properly Brizzle though. I googled him epecting to find he'd got mixed parentage or had been born somewhere else or whatever. Just an odd voice.
It's Bristolian mixed with Thick.
Bristolian then.
This Coral Shootout thing is absolute bollocks.
'Shootout' has Hearn written all over it. What is it?
I assumed it was a Hearn effort.
Each match has a ten minute time limit, first five minutes shots have a 15-second timer and then after the halfway mark of the match they go down to a 10-second shot timer. Also the crowd appears to be full of drunken oiks who in this aren't told to shut the fuck up.
I think the "quiet please!" moments in proper tournaments are a bit lol given it's a pub game etc. but this is too far the other way.
Here comes Jimmy White and his old woman haircut.
The fact that Jimmy White still draws a crowd fully 30 years after his peak should tell you all you need to know about snooker. It's a sport that needs to be ramshackle and real to succeed. Darts will soon go the same way.
Darts has passed it out of late.
I do like this BLUE BALL SHOOTOUT more than I should, even if it sounds like the title of something vile that Magic would be watching.
I missed this: https://twitter.com/WorldSnooker1/st...87244072316928
Couldn't get it to do the Tweet thing properly.
Mark Selby in this form might be the most excruciating spectacle in sport. He's had one really good break but otherwise he's just grinding it out and hoping Ding shafts himself. Or possibly dies of boredom.
Selby is out already. It might make this year a bit more interesting.
I was a bit gutted to read that (diamond) Joe Perry was from Cambridgeshire. I'd always had him pegged as Perry Groves bestie or the like. Must be the name.
At least O'Sullivan recovered so the tournament didn't tailspin on day 2.
If he'd gone out too then BBC could have pulled the cameras for the rest of it.
Did Selby go out in the first round a few years ago (when also seeded 1)? It's either win of bust for him.
Robertson out too. Are there a lot of shocks or is it just that my knowledge of players isn't as closely tied to the ability of those players as I think it is?
Watching Ball-run Bingham seething himself to death as Lisowski won that last frame was quite funny.
Robertson reckons changing his tip cost him. Somebody recently reckoned they got booted out early because they'd not played a full match with this new cue they had.
I know it's probably because I'm an unqualified tosser but I'm always a bit surprised to learn that a cue isn't just a cue when you're at that level of snooker.
This Trump match is enjoyable. Trump about to go 8-3 up against literally who at one point. Has just missed the last black at 9-8 up. Deciding frame.
Have the BBC pretty much given up on this? Used to be wall to wall coverage on BBC2 but I haven't stumbled across it at all this year.
What an absolute twat going in off that pink.
Been online only for the most part so far, very disappointing. Fine if you have Eurosport though.
:D That's was like something I'd do.
Hawkins. :face:
Is Carter supposed to have said something here or was O'Sullivan just having a strop because he's losing?
Apparently Carter was bit of a twat all match (according to my brother who’s working in the media at the Crucible).Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Not sure who I want to win the thing now. Ding maybe.
Without knowing much about it, you'd have to think this is a big chance for Ding, so come on THE HAWK!
What the fuck is Mark Williams doing back in the top 8?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/43936442
Alright, mate.Quote:
If someone is going to shoulder barge into me, what do I do? Keep walking around tip-toeing and do a curtsy as though he is the king? Sometimes you have to stand your ground. I am not a limbo dancer.
He's looked in pretty good nick over the last few months but his main quality in this tournament so far has just been not wetting the bed against an opponent he ought to be beating.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Dunno who I want to win from here other than not Judd Trump.
This is a mad frame.
Come on the Hawk!
The BBC measuring shots in feet and inches :D
A snooker table is measured in feet and inches so it makes perfect sense that they do that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
I haven't watched it yet, but he's always good value so it should be worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGWSnUpZyw
This one has been brilliant watching.
EDIT: Was sure Higgins was heading for 11-all there.
All the pies have brought out the best in Higgins.
Yeah, this has been a great match.I'd rather Higgins won but it'd be great if this went all the way.
Well this is thrilling stuff.
It's excellent. Hope the final lives up to the past week.
It's gone to absolute shit now but it's still stuff you can't take your eyes off.
Did you really think so? It was good enough because it was close but they were both prone to playing some proper crap shots from time to time and there's been an awful lot of grindy rubbish. And I'm not averse to a bit of safety play. There was a frame earlier that I think started when I was 11 years old.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
I love it. One of those sports that even when the standard is shite, it's brilliant watching when it's close.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Also, Denis Taylor needs to be taken out the back and put in the boot of a car out of our lives forever.
I can get into a frame if it's good shots but some of it earlier was just turgid balls. Each to their own.
I can't honestly say I particularly like any of the commentators. I've watched most of tonight's muted on the laptop with other stuff on the telly. It'd hard to see past Higgins against either of these, for me.
It's gone really really bad now. In retrospect it'll have been rubbish but at the moment it's good stuff. I'd agree on the Higgins thing though. If he shows up at all it's his.
Williams' caution won't don't him any favours against Higgins and Hawkins just seems too prone to dropping a bollock just as he's building up a nice string of shots.
I find attritional stuff a billion times more entertaining than break building, but only when it's cus of good safety play rather than shit potting.
Yeah matches where it's just whoever gets the first decent opening wins each frame are bollocks but there's a happy medium between that and some of this garbage. Just glad it's done. Some good shots in there but also some proper rubbish overall play.
Also the fact we're getting a Higgins Williams final in 2018 says a lot about the standard of the current generation.
The seeds have been unusually crap this year though. Couple of rounds ago I was sure it was Ding's year to at least make the final.
In fairness I've not really been paying attention for the last few years. Is Neil Robertson still any good?
Higgins needs to sort his shit out.
What's the score?Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
5-3 to Williams.
He's fine at this stage, the first session almost means nothing.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Jesus I've just heard O'Sullivan on Eurosport. People hadn't done justice to just how bad he is.
I didn't realise he'd pulled it back to just being two behind. Four felt like a lot against somebody as grindy as Williams is capable of being.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Higgins looks shaky here.
He looked proper pissed off with himself when he tried to swerve around that blue to get the red in the middle pocket earlier.
In a best of 35 frame match at this stage anything under a six frame gap isn't game over.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Two of the next three to Williams and we can all tune out and get on with our lives.
He's different league at the minute.
Mark Williams is playing so bloody well.
Higgins is on for a 147 here.
the poor positional shot where williams smacked the table is starting to look like a huge momentum shift now
yeah williams has lost it a bit
Great start to the evening session.
“John Higgins has just thrown a hand grenade into Mark Williams brain” says Steve Davis :D
Wouldn’t go that far but great clearance and game on.
Still can't see Williams not winning 3 frames, even if Higgins does make it close.
Do they have to mention it every single time a player taps the table with his cue?
Fairly amazing how Williams has kept his head on here. Most would have folded mentally after that Higgins comeback.
He's missed tournament ball, Christ.
This is fucking brilliant :drool:
Higgins is ice cold man, clearing up for fun. Fancy him now.
Fucking hell.
Brilliant final.
Is Snooker secretly the most laddish sport or is this Williamson guy a bit of a card?
I've been enjoying looking at Williams's twitter. He strikes me as a bit of a nob, but a self-aware(ish) and funny one.Quote:
Originally Posted by phonics
https://twitter.com/markwil147
https://twitter.com/markwil147/statu...95035727650816
That might be the best picture I've ever seen on Twitter.
Mosconi Cup is great entertainment.
First to 11 and USA were leading 10-6. Europe have pulled it back to 10-9.
Superb tactical battle at the minute here between Hawkins and Murphy.
This Trump v Robertson semi is a compete clusterfuck.
It's one of the worst matches I think I've ever seen two professionals contest.
No one's looked particularly good in this tournament (although I've not seen Ronnie). I imagine Ronnie will piss the final tomorrow.
Well, I was wrong.
Watched the first half session before meeting my mate at the train station. Not sure I've seen a better isolated run of 4 frames than Judd's this afternoon.
I think O'Sullivan's about to get his 1,000th century on ITV4 now.
EDIT: Or not.
He did it in the final frame to win the tournament.
Anyone come close to him on that?
Hendry made 775 in his career. Robertson is on 600 odd and Higgins on 700 odd, so no.
It's very short sighted to say records will never be broken, but given snooker is a dying sport this one might not be.
How much do you watch these days?
I don't have Sky anymore, so not as much as I once did, but still a reasonable amount I'd say.
General feeling? I haven't watched anything properly for a good couple of years now. Same for tennis and cricket tbh.
The promising youngsters from Britain appear to have dried up somewhat and the Chinese players are mostly crap. Maybe that's a generational thing, in that it'll take a few for them to come through, but at the moment it's looking a bit barren on the new talent front.
The old guard are so much better than the rest, which really shouldn't be the case for this long.
I'm still massively surprised that John Higgins is still competitive considering he's about 45. I would have expected him to be on the decline like Stephen Hendry was.
'Bad' hand and all (as if he has one) :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
The smoking ban 2006 closed half the snooker clubs and probably, long term, killed the sport.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
My mates starting a masters in York in September, and has bought us tickets for a full day of last 64 games in the UK championship in November :cool:
If O’Sullivan wins the tournament on this week he goes back to Workd Number 1.
A 6th World title is looking quite likely at the moment.
what a bloody frame
O'Sullivan going out in the first round to an amateur would be excellent. Not gonna happen but it'd be nice.
Other than during complete mental breakdowns, I’ve never seen O’Sullivan play worse than he did today.
If he doesn’t improve hugely, and a 10am start isn’t a good omen for him, he’ll stand a very real chance of going home tomorrow.
I think the commentators mentioned it but from what I saw while half-watching he just didn't look arsed with it. He'll turn up and try precisely as much as he needs to and go through I expect.
He’s going out.
He's just been in to make it 9-9, but the last cannon to split the reds off a colour sent one straight into the corner. Just not his match.
I doubt you’ll find a bigger fan of him than me on the board, but he was a total disgrace in that match.
Awful body language, disrespected his opponent and generally played like a total wanker.
His last frame summed it up really. He had 3/4 shots running where he should have been playing in safe, but kept going at the pot. Bad luck on the in-off but he shouldn't have been there.
Oh shit. :drool: Totally forgot about this.
He's such a cunt, happy to see him go out.
Imagine putting in all this fucking effort that Dott has only to lose it here.
Assuming Bingham doesn't have more bottling in him.
Well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
I actually called 10-9 to Bingham to my mate when it went 9-7 but BOTTLED putting money on it.
Great tournament so far though, with this game and the amazing last frame in wilson vs brecel. Mark Allen getting crushed is also excellent news.
Is it my imagination or do the ex-pros commentating on snooker not enjoy upsets (or the potential for upsets) with quite the same glee that commentators in basically every other sport (that I ever watch) do?
I reckon it's because they know, deep down, if (too many) upsets happen they'll be watching a best of 33 frame shitefest in the semis and/or boring walkovers for much of the rest of the tournament.
Those who were there for Walden-Hawkins know that it, and not flashy breaks, was the best snooker has to offer.
Watching Selby get out-Selby'd here by Gary Wilson is glorious.
Shame they're about to get pulled off.
The snooker commentators, who're normally impervious to bullshit buzzwords have now started saying "he decelerated on it" when a shot is missed.
Stop it.
The Hawk's got "maximum in mind"!
Oh Barry.
That was gutting.
Stunning that black was lunacy.
Some absolutely lamentable play from Wilson so far.
He's got more than a whiff of Ronnie's first round approach about him.
So we have to leave a live snooker broadcast to watch a programme fronted by Alistair McGowan (who is an absolute arse hole by the way) about Snooker?
Is the same person in charge of the electrics at Sheffield responsible for the scheduling?
Yeah, I'd just put it on and then that happened. What the fuck?Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
You can still watch it live here - https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/snooker/47311062
Stupid though.
Very interesting semis.
I really dislike Higgins but I was pleased he won tonight cus I really want Gaz Wilson or Dave Gilbert to win, and I think they both have a better chance against the fat headed cheat.
I think whoever wins of Wilson and Trump wins the whole thing, and who wins of those two is down to which Trump turns up. I don't think Wilson's gonna bottle it, I've been hugely impressed by his mentality, but if Trump's at his best it won't matter.
Robertson should be absolutely kicking himself. Completely schooled by Higgins.
Anyone but Higgins from here please, but I'm not exactly Trumps biggest fan either.
My thoughts exactly, brother. In order of preference it's:Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Fox
Wilson
Gilbert
Trump
Higgins
I'm sure I saw that 5live/C5 guy (Colin Murray?) on Eurosport the other day going on about how it was no longer a game being dominated by 40 year-olds (after Trump, Robertson et al were looking great) so Higgins is bound to scheme his way to the title the giant bastard.
I want the taxi driver to win I think.
Yeah, I wanna see Wilson win it.
David Gilbert annoys me though because he looks quite a bit like someone I used to work with who was very annoying.
FUCK ME, the way the audience members with earpieces at the crucible just can't help themselves giggling at the hilarious comments from the bbc commentators is doing my head in. Often at really inappropriate moments as well, feel sorry for the players, must be very distracting.
This is turning into a shitfest.
"One of Scotland's greatest ever Sportsmen." Get that on a t-shirt, John.
Dave Gilbert is such a monumentally dull player.
I've watched him 2-3 times in this and he just comes across as a mid ranking regen player. He has a regen name and face as well.
I didn't realise O'Sullivan did commentary for Eurosport. He doesn't half talk some shite.
He's a useless charisma vacuum and is literally only there because of who he is.
I recall him referring to some match or another as a battle / war "of nutrition."
I watch the eurosport coverage, but they're not great either. At first this tournament I was waxing lyrical to my mates, but tbh the only reason I like them is they're less worse than the bbc bunch.
I also can't help but be annoyed by BBC hiding it behind the red button (even though i understand why they do it). At this stage I'd almost advocate the opposite of what I do for cricket; maybe selling it all to sky would be a better option.
Those things are true, but the way he brings the cue back and forth about 6 times on every shot, like they did in the 70s is so annoying to watch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
I can't profess to always be giving it my full attention but I don't think I've noticed a commentator on either BBC or Eurosport who isn't liable to spout absolute tosh.
I generally really like the BBC ones, but "he's decelerated on that shot" as a reason for missing it can die in a fire.
I find Dominic Dale generally pretty enjoyable. McManus is the best of the BBC lot.
Dennis Taylor and Ken Doherty together is music to my ears.
Literally the only reason snooker is still a going concern is that they get beautiful teatime BBC exposure and the consequent huge audience of grandmas and bored people.Quote:
Originally Posted by igor_balis
I have a tremendous amount of nostalgia for the final and semis of this based on it being smack bang in the middle of when you should be revising/cramming your heart out for exams, and thus you, and everyone, become(s) lifelong snooker fans, at least to some extent.
And sometimes the finals went on forever.
I googled Anthony Hamilton the other day. Still fucking playing, as are they all.
Higgins is having an absolute shocker here.
I do think the semis and final are a bit too long. I was watching Trump and the other guy slogging it out at five frames each earlier, and it dawned on me that there were probably another twenty frames of it still to come.
Gilbert has played the back end of this fame like an idiot.
The amount of times he's tried to power the pot in and stuck it somewhere Higgins can get a snooker back is hugely annoying. Just roll it into the jaws at worst for fucks sake.
Yeah, he was lucky to get away with that in the end.
Felt like it would have been fatal if he hadn't.
The way John Virgo shouts ton-up like a frightened autistic never ceases to make me lol.
It's dementia. 50 First Breaks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgYY0uyMKV8Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
He's getting worse.
WHERE'S THE ORANGE BALL GOING?
This is brilliant.
I love deciding frames like that.
Shame for Gilbert but he got away with about 7 shots there.
Getting goosed by Rob Walker when you're an emotional wreck having just lost a final frame decider must be a real low point in life.
My da and me were shouting at the tv about that. Fucking infuriating.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gray Fox
Got to go with Trump from here.
Higgins versus the cabbie will have a crushing and depressing inevitability to it.
Yep, it's the only option.
Nice contrast in styles between Trump and Higgins too.
I mean it seems almost obvious Ebdon was doing it on purpose, but to go through all that bollocks just to miss on 12 is quite pathetic.
Ebdon was always infuriating to watch.
It's when he gets the white cleaned (again) on 12 that got me. The look he gives the ref is one of "yes, really".
I didn't even notice he had it cleaned twice. Detestable player.
The Dott v Ebdon world final(I think '06?) was probably a low point of snooker for me.
Such a shame that, but always going to be so hard to come back down to earth after that double.
That's World Champion Peter Ebdon :drool:
I distinctly remember someone playing Tony Drago (I want to say it was Ronnie) in the first few rounds and in the time it took them to play an entire match Terry Griffiths had managed a single frame.
This'll be a daft 147 if he manages it.
Well that was pretty comprehensive.
Over at half 7? What was the score?
18-9.
Trump was largely unplayable from what I watched.
He was brilliant in what I saw but christ, he was dull as fuck when talking to Hazel Irvine there.
Bit of a shame as for a session and a half it looked like it might be a classic.
Highest quality final for ages that and Trump was properly good.
Hearn's annual press conference, usually good value.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJK6OpL9MQ4
Anyone watching this?
Saw Mark Allen complaining about the table there on the highlights show. The way he was asked made it sound like there's been a lot of complaints. What's wrong with it exactly? I've not seen enough of the tournament to see or hear other complaints.
Of all places, Snooker has now taken up the chance for blood money.
10 year deal for a Saudi ranking event with top prize matching that of the World Championship.
I’m all for Saudi Arabia after all the fucking wailing about the boxing this week.
I just walked by this on TV and saw that it's Trump vs Yuan which is quite topical.
Virgo's having that etched into his tombstone.
Robertson looks furious.
Distinctly underwhelmed by that.
I saw it described as a 'double fluke' earlier before watching it. If the white had screwed off somewhere else and potted another red I might have been impressed.
He should get the sack for describing that as amazing.
This shoot out thing is some bucket of piss.
Is that the one where they have a limited amount of time per shot/per frame and some asian guy always ends up donning it?
I don't understand the concept of that or why anyone agrees to play in it. You get Ł250 for going out in the first round (which 50% of the field does). Why would you bother?
It's not even a skill that matters. "Look at me, I can take shots quickly. I'm sure people want to get home."
Is this snooker on ITV4 live?
Probably. Snooker resumed today.
Judd Trump is desperately trying to hold on to the illusion of a bit of hair. There must be a whole bottle of hairspray in it.
:D
I saw that earlier. Just get it stitched, he's clearly got the money.
Are there no fans at all in the crucible today?
Government changed the rules yesterday.
Looks like Trump may have had some hair stitching.
I was a bit disappointed the other day when I read a headline along the lines of "Trump tells O'Sullivan to stay at home if he doesn't like it" and I'd half forgotten Judd existed.
They need to get some of that fake crowd noise on the go. Can't be hard, a scale of 1 to 5 on the clapping intensity and a button to quickly fade it out when Virgo explains that the white's run out of position. Maybe a soundboard with "come on Judd!" and "go on Ronnie!" for the semis onwards.
"COME ON, RONNIE!" <mobile sounds>
Missed this during the broadcast this morning.
That's relatable content.
I haven't seen a huge amount of Jack Lisowski but he's absolutely shat this today.
EDIT: I think I posted that exactly as he started this large break. #timing
I love shit snooker nicknames.
Apparently Elliott Slessor's nickname is THE SILENCER.
Righto.
Nowhere is that less necessary than snooker.
In NJ Dick Togo is known as The Spoiler, we assume he either does for all your dairy products or ruins the end of films you want to watch.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ayer_nicknames
Surely nobody's calling Ding "Pot Noodle"? :face:
In a similar way, who the fuck is calling Ken Doherty 'Scarface'?
Ken Doherty when he's looking in the mirror trying on a new leather jacket he can't quite bring himself to wear outdoors.
EDIT: This list is amazing. "Full of Eastern Promise" is not a nickname.
And what the fuck is "The Angry Farmer" all about? That's not a snooker player, that's a mid-90s WWF wrestler who's losing in 30 seconds to Hulk Hogan.
I thought his nickname was just ‘Ken Dockerty’.
There are so many questionable ones in there. 'Wenbo Selecta' for Liang Wenbo is a lowlight, as is 'Mr Poombastic'.
As for 'The Albino Assassin' for someone who appears not to be albino...
Scarface? That's like calling Peter Ebdon 'That bald boring fucker'Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Is it just what the dickhead BBC announcer says when he introduces the players? I don't think they should be allowed to qualify as proper nicknames.
They come from all sorts of sources on that Wiki article but The Silencer I heard from the BBC twat.
I've been watching Yan Bingtao and The Silencer do tippy tappy on the top cushion for what feels like about ten minutes now. What a sport.
BBC have the Ding-O'Sullivan starting at 19:00. Is there a chance they go at an earlier session depending on others?
None whatsoever.
What's your angle here Don?
Gambling or gash?
:D
Just glad I'm resting so I ain't ten beers deep tomorrow by 19:00 and can actually enjoy it.
Looking at the draw, Trump may have the easiest route to the final in crucible history.
Fuck off, UEFA.
I'm gonna have to iplayer this, looking tasty.
O'Sullivan's playing like an absolute madman.
He's been shit, but Selby getting through earlier has probably put paid to any chance he had of getting to the final.
What else is new?Quote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
What a shambolic sequence that was.
All going to pot in the other game as well.
Neil Robertson really is getting a little too old to be still dying his hair.
Left it at 1-2 yesterday, snuck in a frame for 1-3 at HT and BBC had removed it from iplayer by FT. Just caught highlights now. What's the timings for the rest? 8 frame at 14:30 tonight and then finish at 19:00 tomorrow?
*McGill bitches to the ref about Clarke standing in his eyeline*
Jason Mohammed: "Let's not sensationalise this"
Also Jason Mohammed, the same sentence: "but these are extraordinary scenes!!!"
Snooker players aren't have a lot of snippy twats.
Look at the wee angry Scot :D
As if Martin Gould is coming out to The Game. :D
The only time triple h has done anything plausibly gouldesque was during the katie vick scene.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Was it in here I saw somebody else make a comment about him being a wrong'un? Has he been up to no good in the past?
Nah, poor bloke just looks like the kind of bloke who kills prostitutes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by igor_balis
Fair enough.
Plotting every detail as he (inevitably) sits in his seat for long periods.
The frame he finally won yesterday was a fairly phenomenal effort seeing as he was out of position on virtually every shot. No word of a lie one of the best 15 breaks you'll ever see.
Just realised I'm the same age as him. Good god.
Ronnie's interview :D
This McGill/Clarke game is tragic.
The latter seems an absolute spanner.
That's quality.Quote:
Originally Posted by Don
I haven't seen him so happy. :D
There was a period of play at 11-each last night when McGill was being enormously jammy with every snooker attempt from either player and he still looked absolutely seething.Quote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
:D
It was amazing. It did pick up a little but that last frame was so error strewn and yeah, McGill was funny being so visibly angered by any small slice of luck that didn't go his way. Clarke looked suicidal towards the end, I kind of felt bad for him.
That sort of needle is exactly what the sport needs.
Ronnie is right about the standard, and I can't see how it'll ever pick up again given snooker halls have all been bulldozed since the 80s when those players were teenagers.
It's not massively cheap to play either at any of the snooker halls I'm aware of near me. There are days when I'm bored enough that I'd quite happily go along and fart about by myself on a table for a few hours but the hourly rates soon pile up.
It was already waning, but the smoking ban put the final nail in the coffin.
The one I used to play at is now new build flats going for Ł350,000 each, and that's in a shit piece of land behind a reservoir.
The guy who used to run it is now a sad-looking member of staff at the nearby pub, which has now tarted itself up into a gastropub selling lid pies for Ł16.85.
I'm about to hit my local gaff up daily during the next 3 weeks but Ian is right, costs make it too prohibitive for your common man where they do survive. Plus, they need more bishes and mixed race urban youth.
How much is it at yours out of curiosity?
I think mine is about Ł8 an hour for a snooker table which just feels like a ripoff.
I spent most of university in one that was constantly rammed with 20 full size tables and 8 US pool ones. It's a complex of takeaways now.
Back in Liverpool there didn't used to be one that was really reachable for teenage me. Then a Rileys opened up in a 10 minute walk away and it was great. The Snooker tables weren't the best but you actually had some to play on. A fair few US and English pool tables in there too. Wasn't bad price wise.
Then I moved here and there again wasn't really one until another Rileys opened. But that has since closed down and re-opened under a new name a bout 4-5 times now. I think the virus has killed off this incarnation of it too. When that's not open there just really isn't anywhere to play. My cue has been sat gathering dust for a while now.
We used to have 3 snooker places and they're all gone now. One is a gym, one flats and the other offices.
We barely even have pubs with pool tables anymore. There was a pool table in one of the sports bars in town but they got rid of it to get a shuffleboard table in.
Yeah I dunno when I last went to a pub that had a pool table. If I want pool or snooker has to be a place dedicated to it.
Kurt "The Viking" Maflin.
Because he's of scandi descent, you see. How desperately original.
Anthony McGill meanwhile just got called "The Tartan Nugget." :D The fuck even is that.
Would lol if O'Sullivan ends up out.
This might sound a bit fanboy, but Williams, while playing well has had some serious run of the ball here.
That was a cracking break.
Ronnie looks in full on wanker body language mode again.
O'Sullivan at his best is amazing to watch but he's also an insufferable twat who I find it impossible to root for.
Nah, I like him. You don't get many sportsmen who openly love the sport but vocally and visibly hate the baggage that comes with being the best at it.
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Was waiting for the Tony Blair denouement that never came.
That doesn't bother me but he's also a whiny twat about things he doesn't need to be and full of his own importance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shindig
There used to be a nice selection of books on the shelves at that pub - old encyclopedias, guides to moths and butterflies - and, on the walls, artful watercolours of local landmarks. Now the shelves are gone, the walls are red, and you get pints brought to your table by the aesthetic cream of the local graduate failures (female). The male ones all work at the nearby gym complex which is built entirely of glass, so much so that you can be walking down the street fifty yards away and look into the whites of their eyes as their dreams slide sweatily off cross-trainers.
I think it's just implicit now.
I suppose that's where all the disaffected youth go these days - to the gym to get pumped full of steroids.
Might explain how our youth is overpowering adults from other countries.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-53722531
In response to O'Sullivan's comments Steve Davis (who is a dreadful pundit btw) said this:
They're not raw, they're just shit. I'd have had him down for early 20s, but a quick Google shows me that Jack Lisowski is so old he's not even young enough to be my son. Twenty-fucking-Nine.Quote:
"Wait until these young players are in their mid-thirties before you make a judgement on them. The likes of Jack Lisowski and Zhao Xintong are talented but effectively raw compared to John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan."
He's been a professional for over 10 years now and made just over seven hundred grand. When you factor in all the travel/hotels and whatever tax you have to pay on that he's probably not doing what could even be described as 'well', in any walk of life. No idea how he's number 11 in the world either. He's made one final from seventeen ranking events this season, and that's it. Not even a quarter-final anywhere else in sight.
Then you look at Zhao Xintong, who is 23. Four years as a professional and he hasn't even been good enough to keep his tour card for the duration of his short career without going to Q school to get it back. One semi-final, two quarter-finals and under two hundred grand made in prize money to date. If he lives in China and has to fly over here every time he's probably barely earning enough to be making a living.
If these two are the best response to Ronnie's comments then it's probably even worse than he made out.
When I think about top talent that's come through, I can only name Ding and Trump.
Surely, Yan the Man > X-Factor, why's The Golden Nugget omitted him?
Also, Ian, ours was about Ł6 per hour. Managed to squeeze in 2 frames in just under 3 hours. 53-40 and 70-38 with a highest break of 8 for both players. Looking to spend 1000 hours and manage a 3-ball break.
Last time I went I managed a break of about 13 and felt like a fucking king.
If it was a Martin Gould 13 that took you round all parts of the table that's still something to be proud of.
A "Martin Gould 13" isn't something to do with noncing is it?
Igor's made me wary.
:D
It looked a solid 35 at the very least.
I played quite a bit as a kid and got a fair few 40s, but at that stage you need to be able to open up packs of reds which is fucking hard.
Selby’s sessions really do take forever. It’s quite impressive how consistently dull and to type he is. And he’s probably going to win this thing. Against Anthony McGill. 😂
I should've been more careful there. United on one screen and Selby on the other is sedative enough to take down an elephant.
Isn't he playing Robertson too? At least one of the boring bastards will go out.Quote:
Originally Posted by CJay
Is Robertson considered boring? I think he’s a bit inconsistent but fairly entertaining. He looks fed up out there tonight, which is understandable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boydy
I'd consider him so. Gets up and down about four times before playing a shot.
Also has stupid fucking hair and is Australian. Not sure he has any redeeming qualities.
As Michael Sheen has just mentioned, Robertson isn't anywhere near this slow normally. Selby is just a horrible, horrible player to both watch and play against. Bloody effective though.
Is Robertson ever going to embrace the fact that he's ginger, or is he going to carry on having this hair into his 40s?
McGill's impassive middle distance stare after Maflin fluked that pink in was something else.
Yeah I spotted that. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
I could hear the internalised seethe from here.
My father was into snooker heavy. I never understood the watching interest but now he has gone, im more interested in it now too.
He always used to tell of a game where he stayed up late into the early morning to watch a player know as The Grinder (could be the wrong name). He used to take an age to take his shots and grind down his opponent.
Cliff Thorburn.
He'd be banned nowadays.
Trump out. The dickhead.
Good. Don't mind who wins it from here to be fair.
And Ronnie pulls it back to 8-8 against Williams. Caught glimpses and he looked as focused as he has so far.
Selby will no doubt break him should he get through.
What was the ref deliberating over in the Williams / O'Sullivan match there? I don't understand what was going on.
Did O'Sullivan just change the ref's mind there?
Seeing if he had a free ball on the yellow after a Williams foul. He was using the two reds to eye it up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Christ he missed the blue.
Whether or not it was a free ball. I think you have to be able to hit the other edge of both sides or something.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Now Ronnie's missing on purpose as he feels guilty.
I don’t think the ref seen O’Sullivan at all during it. He changed his mind from the reverse angle. Probably shouldn’t have called it before going to the other side for a look.Quote:
Originally Posted by ScousePig
Remember that foul Williams admitted to a few minutes ago...
That free ball decision was very tough.
Ronnie's missed blue was so reminiscent of the pink he spaffed in the final against Selby back in 2014.
Could technology not be used there at that level?
Ronnie is bang on about Selby there. When the man is in form (which he appears to be) he's is a machine.
Curious to know what the odds are. Might be worth a cheeky bet.
EDIT: 3 runs at that. :moop:
Probably.
I think it was the right call. It didn't look to be a dead straight line through those balls. It's a brutal rule.
Scholesy labouring his way into the semi is mad. Hopefully he doesn't get completely mullered by Wilson if he gets there.
Maflin was 7-1 down in this. He'll likely still lose but going down fighting.
Looks like double your money at least on Selby, with Ronnie favourite at 1.5 ish.
Can't help but feel Selby will now wipe the floor with all before him. Unless Ronnie turns up in a great mood.
O'Sullivan has the don't give a fuck mentality to not be bothered by being ground down. Obviously that can go one of two ways. I don't usually hope he does well, but I hope he turns up in final session mode from the off and just fucks him up. No time for Selby whatsoever.
I'd love O'Sullivan to win as the Selby's and McGill's of this world will be the death of this tournament, but I just can't see it.
��������
You aright there Don?
Didn't work, was just a load of rocket emojis, top final frame drama and decent interview. Mon lad.
So Ronnie v Selby and Wilson v McGill.
I fear McGill will bore Wilson to actual death there.
It probably should be. Can't ever recall seeing such a marginal free ball decision at such a crucial stage of a match though.Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
Of who remains I might be forced to root for McGill's furious wee face to seethe its way to victory.
Ł10.50 on Selby. C’mon.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Having seen that he comes out to This Charming Man I'm sold.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ian
Don't fancy his chances to much though, sadly.
That said, I'm softening on Wilson seeing as he's come out with a cup of tea.
Thought McGill was gonna go tonto on that fly or whatever it was he was flapping at there.
Reminds me of Sama telling me he once shouted "Fuck off you cunt!" at a wasp while he was walking down the street.
There was definitely an accusatory glance as if one of the non-existent spectators had thrown the fly at him.
Dott/Ebdon. :drool: Truly one for the ages. Glad they've put that on with McGill as he's definitely got a bit of the Dotts about him.
He's definitely the sort who if you clocked him next to you at the bar you'd stare straight ahead in case accidental eye contacted elicited a WHIT THE FUCK YE LOOKIN' AT PAL EH?Quote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
Dott's highest break in that final was 68. :D
That was an absolute garbage shot from THE WARRIOR there.
McGill is basically this:
https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/...07/189/6fe.jpg
This is exactly how Selby gets you over the longer length matches. Plays like a bit of a twat then turns into a relentless potter and tactician, before steamrolling away with it.
Is that face O'Sullivan does at the end of every frame he wins (maybe only the ones at the ends of sessions/mini-sessions) because he thinks the fake clapping is stupid or is there something else to it?
I hadn't appreciated that McGill is yet to make a century in the tournament. Hopefully he can go all the way and keep that stat intact.
Our lad's bought some cueing action overnight :cool:
I don't suppose there's any way Selby and O'Sullivan can both lose?
Ronnie failing to go 5-1 up there has probably saved someone from being the victim of a hate crime. Selby looked like he was plotting in his chair.
Selby has been a bag of nerves here by the looks of it.
And this is how it starts, by ruining frames.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
And then continues with this sort of horrible shit.
The jester can fuck off making me miss the last 10 minutes of PSG.
I've barely even brought up The Jester from Leicester in my nickname ramblings.
Where is that song? Someone find it on youtube, I'm on a phone.
https://youtu.be/fOPPVb_3gdE
Stumbling upon that fucking video is probably my greatest service to this stupid forum.
100% straight, 100% earnest. A magnificent artefact.
He also, adorably, has about 250,000 views on his 'retirement song'. The thought of that absolute wank getting played at actual retirement parties and shit makes me delighted and horrified in equal measure.
https://youtu.be/3pqVbzYayEQ
Has anyone ever seen Mark Selby with a second facial expression?
He's clearly got to Ronneth in this frame. What was that shot?
O'Sullivan looks like he's sick of this shit.
I hope you're not suggesting that THE JESTER is just some bullshit nickname and that he's not in fact a jovial, charismatic, raconteur-sort of person.Quote:
Originally Posted by wullie
O'Sullivan's all over the place here.
This is horrible to watch.
O'Sullivan needs to get out of this session with whatever he can salvage and screw his head back on.
He's got to be one of those like Alan Shearer who seemed dull as anything but everyone would confirm he's a great laugh in the dressing room. At least with Peter Ebdon he left you in no doubt via the medium of songQuote:
Originally Posted by Ian
https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon....CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg
He'll need to be on the phone to Dr Steve Peters during the interval as his head's completely gone.
Maybe he'll come out throwing faeces.
Why doesn't (Hi everybody!) Dr Steve Peters just go out and hold his hand, he's like a support llama.
Kyren Wilson seems like a bit of a fanny in this thing they're showing.
"That's probably why people call me The Warrior."
(to his wife) "I mean there's a snooker Kyren and a home Kyren isn't there?"
Gosh, you're so deep!
What did O’Sullivan hit?
The table.
They showed it shortly after when it was over.
Also, someone needs to have an intervention with Jimmy white about that toupee.
yeah, White's hair is almost exactly like my sister's 60 year old mother-in-law.
Just tuned in and what the fuck has happened in this frame? Those reds are dreadful.
Even looking at Gill makes me sleepy, let alone watching him play.
I've met the Jester. We talked about Higgins being bent as fuck. He's a nice bloke.
Tartan McNugget feels like he's reaching the end of his road here.
There was a point earlier where I felt like Wilson was taking silly risks because he was sick of McGill's shit but now he's ahead he'll probably coast it.
Not that he's beating whoever comes next anyway.
The final's got a Wilson win written all over it, the loveable retard that he is with his collapsed skull.
I have to admire Selby's commitment to annoying O'Sullivan into submission.
O'Sullivan with a magnificent 134 break...but Selby returns to the table needing 21 snookers and Satnav Selby is certainly capable of it.
Yeah I think he'd come back to the table for anything just in the hope of winding him up.
Also by the sounds of Alan McManus talking about Wilson there his criteria for somebody being a top fella is that he'll say "Morning, guys" to people he knows when he walks into a room.
Alan McManus is a real Proper Snooker Man.
What O'Sullivan needs is to come out for the evening session with a white shirt. Selby's jumped on his black shirt hype and frankly, he needs to switch it up now and get that youthfull Rocket swagger back.
O'Sullivan spraying the colours all over the table is making him much more relatable all of a sudden.
Stick a fork in this one. Selby has broken him.
Some frame, that. Get this and we're still in it, you cunt.
Do the BBC not have a latest score thing for this?
Not really, it's shite.
It did look bad at the time but the timing of this was perfect. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Gray Fox
I thought Selby was ending this session on 15. Hell of a result that for Ronnie despite playing horribly.
I didn't see any of it, but it'll need to be one of his best ever career performances to win by at least 7-3 tonight.
Some would put at least a 7-3 beyond even his abilities.
Maths fail, it's 6-3.
Deciding frame.
:drool:
McGill's face when he somehow managed to go between those reds rather than disturb them in the last was classic.
For all his seething that is unbelievably unlucky to be on nothing there.
What sort of Caucasian retard wears Gucci shoes? And gets blonde highlights.
Ffs Kyren
Who is the knobhead play by play man? He talks utter shite.
I'm weeping at this. Gtf off my telly, you fucking melt.
I understand why is exists but I really hate the miss rule.
Apologies to Ian for doubting his final prediction. This is some mong-off.
This is unreal.
This game has gone nuts.
They should both be quarantined for two weeks after this, there is clearly a sickness in the room.
White straight into the middle pocket :lol:
:D
wtf!
McGill to win the final frame 100-90, come on.
That's just so lucky it's not even funny.
OOOOOOOOOOOoooooft. :drool:
Mon the Tartan Nugget and his scowly wee face.
Thought he'd missed that by miles.
This is ridiculous.
Could either of them not have just cut that?
And McGill did. :D
The most points in a frame in snooker history (not just world champs) is 192, it's under real threat here.
Best frame ever.
And so it continues. :drool:
This is mental. :D
Was fully expecting McGill to follow the black in with the white there.
What a mong.
Wilson has had some genuinely shocking wides in this frame.
They really need to get some fakes 'oooohhs' in the audio.
Just can't see McGill clearing even if he wins the battle of the green. That Black is ripe for missing as well if he somehow got to it. Probably better to try and win by snookers.
:D
Stop the theatrics, you twat.
No. Fucking. Way.
That was the only apt way for it to finish. If indeed that is the finish.
Jesus, this could drag for another hour now.
This is incredible.
Sadly because they broke social distancing guidelines with that handshake we'll need to replay the frame.
The state of this stroke-faced melt.
Selby's gone white shirt. Big error.
Was literally just coming in to say he'd taken your advice for O'Sullivan.
He's mind-gaming the shit out of him.
Ronnie looks like he's been making love to Dr Steve Peters all afternoon.
Next four frames in 25 minutes, please Ronnie and let's cancel the drinks break given temperatures. Ta.
Moving that red was fapworthy.
O'Sullivan's face at that miss. :D
He's right on the edge of genius and madness here.
Yeah he's literally on the verge of punching the ref or getting two 147s in a row
That shot on the pink suggest madness/punch the ref is the more likely outcome.
I haven't seen much play today, but I genuinely cannot believe he's only a frame behind.
He could see more of that pink.
If Ronnie's breaking in the next frame I genuinely think he might just smash the reds open.
He just looks bored, these constant hit and hopes are horrendous.
:D
Imagine doing that and getting one in.
Potting one is not that hard, it's getting on a colour.Quote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
Oh and much like happened with Ray Reardon, Dr Steve Peters has now done all he can.
Quentin hann used to do that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
And then he does this. Not bad.
Also ronnie o Sullivan getting away with being a thick petulant spastic cus he's class sorta reminds me of the classic incel whine that the difference between a big romantic gesture being seen as creepy or otherwise being entirely dependent on the appearance of the person making it.
I actually think O'Sullivan's stupidity is underrated somewhat.
I mean.
I believe he's the only true genius currently operating in sport, and I'm not sure I've seen many more in my lifetime (maybe Warne, that's all I can think of).
Hell of a red.
Oh yea he's untouchable in snooker terms, but i think people give him far too much credit as a bloke.
He's only ever one magical red from winning a frame, or one half decent Selby safety from losing it. In many ways it's absolutely the right strategy for him.
Federer counts. I might, might put Marquez in that bracket if he hasn't ruined his arm for life.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
I've got goosebumps.
You'd be getting concerned if you were Selby.
Now I've said that he'll no doubt shit his way to the win.
Genius at work. And yet if he misss a long red you can see his head going again.
He's breaking again in this final frame, isn't he....
Even missing that pointless long red at the end could throw him off, it's amazing stuff to watch.
Yep.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
It was huge for him to win that 32nd frame without getting bogged down in a shit off at the end.
Oh my Christ.
He didn't need that red out and that pocket has been his nemesis all game.
Yeah, I thought he was trying to get round the back of it when I saw the white ball go near it, but before he played the shot I didn't think for one minute that it was a particularly difficult positional one to pull off, so not sure why he was anywhere near it.Quote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
Ronnie ffs.
Three reds in the open, he could have played on all of them and just walked out for there the winner. He's mad.
He's gonna be behind the black here.
Hit and hope for the ages.
That was a ridiculous shot there by Selby.
Ronnie. If that's a snooker. :D
He can't beat him by out tactic-ing him so I can sort of see the logic in it.Quote:
Originally Posted by niko_cee
Those last two shots. :hail:
Got to be one of the greatest days of snooker.
Ronnie 😎
I cannot believe this.
Without a shadow of a doubt the best win of Ronnie's career.
Utterly unreal.
That was just pure greatness from Ronnie.
Surely he's smashing the final as well?
That was so good.
Wilson needs to get off to a hot start, which isn't impossible.
Selby would crush him. With O'Sullivan you never know but he's probably about as keen on winning it as he can be now.
He's been properly sandbagging the whole tournament. Keep it tight by being daft through the early sessions and then just turn up and clean house when it matters. As if that much thought goes into it.
This interview. :lol:
Completely unhinged interview again, I love it.
Ronnie likes his cue action.
+1 :drool:
Mon the cue action.
Fans will be in for the final so that might shake things up a bit.
"I just dragged him down to my level"
:D
He's probably got some form of mental illness, but he is a genius, there's no doubt about that.
I've been watching snooker for over 30 years now and I've never seen anything like those final 3 frames. Missed one ball, potted two ridiculous long reds, a total clearance, won another frame one in one visit, an unbelievable escape from a snooker and all after not playing that well and against one of the toughest, if not the toughest competitor the game has ever seen.
He's played better for longer in matches before, but given the circumstances, that's as good as it gets.
"a little bit disrespectful"
Selby so butthurt.
Hell of a seethe.
Fuck sake.
Holy shit, what a seethe. INJECT IT IN MY VEINS. Get the fuck back to the Leicester lockdown you dirty COVID-ridden cunt.
The turgid snooker you play at times is disrespectful to the game son. You can fucking do one.
It's not disrespectful. I thought it was a legitimate strategy to throw Selby off, which it seems to have done.
O'Sullivan getting into Selby's head (and forcing this chimp out) is some sort of 8D chess.
That’s class. 😁 Disrespectful hitting the ball too hard.
Exactly. Ronnie doesn't piss and moan about Selby taking 90 seconds over routine safety shots at times.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
5 May 2014 I had to watch that fucking Palace-Liverpool game in the downstairs of Picadilly's Riley's and then trundle upstairs to watch my favourite sportsman get bummed by this cunt.
Let it be said, redemption is sweet.
Selby was blatantly playing up to it at times as well (rolling up behind balls when other shots were on) so he can't complain at all.
Indeed. If respecting the game is code for "he didn't play into my hands", then no, he didn't do that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
An maybe, just maybe Mark, you shouldn't be so much of a boring cunt in future and actually try to win rather than trying not to lose.
Look at the state of this shit, for example:
Rewound this on iPlayer and watched it after getting in from work.
Ronnie :cool:
Still wasn't his fluent best but the way he trumped THE JESTER at the end of that safety exchange was glorious. Rent free in his head afterwards too.
Wilson doesn't seem the type to purposefully put on the turgid shit so it may be a decent final. What a day of snooker that was.
Ended up down a snooker shaped twitter rabbit hole after the final and stumbled across Stephen Hendry's, where he seemingly just answers (most) questions honestly. https://twitter.com/SHendry775?ref_s...Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Most interesting so far is that he hasn't made a 147 under any circumstances for 5 years now.
Then I discovered that Peter Ebdon is a massive anti vaxxer https://twitter.com/pdebdon
I never had him down as a faith healer.
I like where Hendry says 50% of 'kicks' are actually bad cueing. Always been a bugbear on commentary where they just whitewash shit shots.
Everything O'Sullivan did tonight was intentional. He hadn't lost it at all.
From a month ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKux4Lce9FA&t=1671s
Genius.
If the time stamp doesn't work it's from 27m50s. "Which match would you replay again if you could?"
There's definitely a difference in Ronnie when he talks to/of someone of his ilk. You can see it whenever it's Hendry, Davies, Higgins or Williams etc.
I'm really glad he stopped Selby though. He's also now got the chance to match his hero in Davies on 6 titles.
That's fucking gold. His line about staying single too, this man speaks to my soul :D
In response to O'Sullivans comments on the standard of younger players, 50 year old Ken Doherty said...
:)Quote:
“I love Ronnie, but I have to say something about that,” admits the 1997 world champion, Ken Doherty, who is still ranked inside the world’s top 64
Kind of wish the crowd wasn't in today. Not hearing "Come on Ronnie!" the past two weeks was quite nice.
This is how it begins, people start preferring fake crowd noise :sick: Yesterday's semis would have been something even greater with a crowd.
I like the crowd otherwise. Just chuck anyone out who shouts "Come on Ronnie".
He doesn't even like his fans, he said as much in an interview the other day.
He's won it, what, five times? He doesn't need three-teeth Barry from Barnsley's personal coaching.
Without Barry the man is just a lonely wanker hitting a ball with a stick. We are all Barry.
If anything snooker crowds should be more raucous and annoying.
Fuck off with all your "reeeeeeeef he picked his nose in my peripheral vision!!!!!!" and "ffs I can't do a good snooker if somebody in the back row's phone vibrates :( :("
It's a pub/club game. There should be 20 pissed up people staggering about the table at all times, bumping into the players and shouting about the football.
Get the Snooker Vuvuzela out.
Is it on now? Can't see it on the BBC 2 stream i'm watching.....
I'm watching via iPlayer.
This has been shocking.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/53407605
BBCOne till 16:30 I think (I'm iplayering it).
Ta lads.
I'd forgotten there were crowds back in for this so thought they'd taken me up on the idea of piped in 'oooohs'.
Without wanting to state the obvious, Wilson could have done with winning that first frame, and not missing that red just then.
This is as good as done.
I was gonna say "And it looks like Wilson knows it" but then he always looks like that. For all I can tell he might be having a whale of a time.
I missed this afternoon's session, but the first two frames of this have been abysmal.
This must be the worst Ronnie's played in a final to be six frames ahead by some distance.
More like KRYEN Wilson
Hopefully he stages a series of mini-comebacks so they can keep mentioning that "they call him the warrior" every few frames.
I don't think I've ever seen someone miss a ball so close to a pocket by so much before.
Not quite sure of the mind games benefit of dragging that out there really, certainly beyond it going to 3 snookers (it sort of made sense at first), and then clearing up just sets further mentalist alarm bells off.
I love ken but i can't help but think of ft purcell when i hear him
https://youtu.be/Lqlp_CuG_TE
How long does O’Sullivan usually pout for?
147 here.
Or just 9 then.
Struggles on a simple backspin shot. Yet will now likely go smash a century in.
Or not.
That last one could swing it.
This is the very worst I've seen Ronnie in any match and he's 10-7 up. Surely he wont be as 'bad' again tomorrow?
Was never going to live up, but that was some shit fest.
Feel a bit for Wilson, he deserved to be at least 9-8, weirdly.
Many a stone cold classic is forged in the fires of dreadful sessions, so you never know. If my sandbag theory has anything itnit O'Sullivan will keep it tight/be behind going into 8pm tomorrow before putting his foot on the gas and being back to his best for a few frames.
Give us a 147, please lad.
First man to win at the crucible in three different decades it is then.
I think Kyren will need to lose these shit eating grins if he ever wants to be World Champion.
Getting rid of the designer clobber and Beckham highlights would indicate he's made strides. Trump coming out to I Made It (Cash Money Heroes) with his diamante studded shoes was the limit for that kind of nonsense.
Ronnie winning the session 7-1. Almost complete domination.
It was never going to live up, but that’s up there with the worst ways to spend a few hours.
The fake crowd noise is definitely better than mongs.
That was a touch of class from Kyren.
Fair play to Ronnie. This is the worst he's played to win one, but I thought 5 would be his lot after the last few years.
The last 3 frames against Selby the highlight by a mile.
What sort of cunt shouts "give us a century Ronnie".Quote:
Originally Posted by Giggles
Stephen Hendry has entered the World Tour for the next 2 seasons. Just the 8 years after retiring.
That is interesting. Curious to see how he does.
Presumably he thinks he's still good enough to compete and it's not just the boredom talking.
Well Ronnie, Williams and Higgins are all clearing up in one form or another so why not. Hope he can refind his form.
As I'm sure you all know he had some weird yips style thing that utterly ruined his game, but apparently he's been using Siteright for a bit (the team that rejuvenated Mark Williams) and is back on it bar the match sharpness.
Would be the best story ever if he came back and was good enough to win things.
But probably also an indicator that the game is fucked that a 50 year old can come back and still win major trophies despite being out of the game for nearly a decade.
Small sample size but losing 4-2 to Jimmy White and dropping 3 frames to Nigel Bond in the recent Seniors tournament doesn't really bode well.
Yep. No-one in England is picking it up anymore and the Chinese need another generation of players or so to not be useless.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kikó
I'll start watching again if Stephen Hendry gets anywhere near the latter stages of a big tournament. Probably watch his first match back too.
BBC2 now. Watch him go :drool:
He looks good for 26.
:D
lll
Good to see Yan the Man arrive onto the scene, man's got swagger.
Can they not get a fucking professional interpreter in? Amateur shit. :D
This is brilliant. :D
Proper alpha energy :cool:
That is fantastic, they should absolutely televise it.
Watching the Tour Championship on itv4 now and Neil Robertson has curly hair. He looks so weird.
Hendry vs White is the first time I've been excited/interested in snooker for about 20 years. Is it on the box?
Proper Ronald McDonald.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boydy
I can't ever recall qualifiers being televised so if that continues it won't be. With Barry at the helm there's a fighting chance sense will be seen mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mellberg
You'd like to think so. If I asked my mom who Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry are she'd know. Ronnie O'Sullivan...maybe. John Higgins, no chance. Biggest match in years. Needs to be on TV.
If you have Twitter you could ask Hendry himself. He seems to respond to almost everything.
If all else fails it'll be on a bookmaker feed.
It'll probably be shite.
I'm not expecting 1994, but it'll be good for nostalgia alone.
Match will be on the Eurosport App, 19:30, Monday.
https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/wo...48/story.shtml
lol at Kurt Maflin.
Half hour warning for Hendry v White. Eurosport app or the betting sites.
:thbup:
Just signing up now. :drool:
Betting feed here also (no registration required): https://ezlive.bet/stream/player/player.aspx
Not a classic so far, I must say.
Jimmy jawing out when splitting the reds and leaving a wide open table, I'm sure he can hear the chopper blades and the screams of dying comrades already.
This third frame has been like my dad playing your dad.
I’m loving it but my God it’s shit.
Black ball frame. :drool:
I would LOVE IT if the ginger (you can shave it off, Anthony, but you can't fool us) seethe-machine knocked O'Sullivan out here.
When that black didn't drop at the end of that break he looked at it as if it'd insulted his mother.
In my (and his) old age I've turned into a right Ronnie fanboy. My younger self would not be impressed.
I mean the ideal scenario would be that he always makes the final but never wins because that way you get to see more of him playing but not having to watch him win the tournament because he's a bit of a fanny but I got into how furious McGill looks on a regular basis last year so the more I get to see him seething at nothing the better.
The ideal scenario would be if there were 4 or 5 of Ronnie spread around the draw, one of whom blazes into the final and the other ones all get knocked out by increasingly comical people.
On that subject, I recently became obsessed with the first lines of some minor snooker players' Wiki bios.
Quote:
Barry Pinches (born 13 July 1970 in Catton, Norwich) is an English professional snooker player, recognisable for his bright and flamboyant waistcoats, which usually feature the yellow and green colours of Norwich City F.C.
Toggle Spoiler
Rod Lawler (born 12 July 1971) is an English professional snooker player. He is noted for his slow playing style, which gave rise to his nickname, "Rod the Plod"
Farakh Ajaib (born 3 February 1991) is a Pakistani professional snooker player from Lancashire.
Peter Devlin (born 10 August 1996) is an English professional snooker player and rapper from Leyton in East London.
Anthony Stephen Hamilton (born 29 June 1971) is an English professional snooker player noted for his strong break-building technique and distinctive appearance.
Toggle Spoiler
Stuart Carrington (born 14 May 1990) is an English professional snooker player. He practises frequently with Steven Hallworth and Ian Glover in Grimsby.
(all my best to Steven and Ian, whoever they are)
"snooker player and rapper."
Toggle Spoiler
:D
I haven't had the snooker on this week so I haven't been able to focus on my own obsession: dreadful, ill-fitting snooker nicknames.
Youtube did suggest Mitchell and Webb's snooker commentary sketches the other day so I've been working my way through those.
Anthony Hamilton features again in that one, 'The Sheriff of Potting'em' is unkillable.
I must have linked this in here before: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ayer_nicknames
I'd forgotten that as well as "The Tartan Nugget" it lists "License to Thrill" for McGill.
And "The Canarian" for your man Barry Pinches.
'Table of Reds' is absolutely brilliant.
John Rea: 'King of the Baize'
Highest ranking 62 (1986–87)
Think I must be missing something there.
The Asian ones are all entertainingly riding the rollercoaster of racism as well.
Mr Poombastic stands out as a particular highlight on that page.
If I was Chen Zhe, I'd be filing a complaint. :D
Just got to this one. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
What's died on top of Robertsons head?
His lockdown hair is one of the best things in the championship.
He deserves the Championship for going out in public like that, never mind the tournament.
It looks much better than his old hair.
License to Thrill Anthony McGill ahead of O'Sullivan. :drool:
Lot of time for this new break-off, what's the story behind it, did Williams bring it into fashion?
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...irst-round-win
That was the thing I'd seen.
How good is Lisowski? I mostly only watch the World Championship but I feel like it's been at least a few years now the commentators bang on about how talented he is while he doesn't really do anything.
I mean I'm not saying he's shit or anything but the hype always seems to vastly outweigh his performance.
Ding ain't ever gonna win it is he :(
Yeah that's all I saw on the Williams thing too. It makes for a much more exciting battle for the viewer.
God I love to see that permanently seething ginger shit in the mud almost as much as I love to see Ronnie in non-meltdown mode.
I saw Trump talking smack about Ronnie too. Shame they can't meet until final.
mcgill playing some absolute shite this evening
That red was horrific from the tartan nugget, he must have missed it by about a foot.
Yeah it's mad how much worse "The Glasgow Gladiator" is playing than earlier.
:sick:
Didn't even occur to me that O'Sullivan wouldn't win from the position he got himself into.
McGill is the real deal in this format. He'll win it at some point.
He reminds me of Graeme Dott.
He's better because he can break build.
The salted porridge of snooker players.
I noticed it earlier with an article about that chap who infected a bunch of people with covid which seems to have been corrected (I think it originally started "A man has been in Spain arrested . . .") but really, do the Beeb even have people writing their shit for them or is it all just Russian bots?
Come on.Quote:
Mark Williams completed a dominant 13-7 second-round win over fellow multiple world champion John Higgins in a re-run of the 2018 World Championship final.
The 45-year-old Welshman increased his overnight lead to 10-3 with a five-frame burst in the morning session.
A gritty three-frame riposte featuring two tons kept Higgins, 45, in touch for the evening.
But three-time champion Williams, 46, closed out an impressive victory with breaks of 76, 85 and 77.
Shame he isn't actually 44 or 47 (he's 46).
He's 45 until he's 46.
Given the position he was in after the first 6 or 8 frames or whatever it was yesterday Robertson has properly fucked this. Played some rancid shots.
It said earlier he had 50% pot success in this session. :sick:
There goes my bet.
Yeah. He's missed some that should have been proper gimmes as well.
They also showed another of Wilson's charismatic interviews earlier. He always seems a bit of a bellend.
Selby mullering Williams too.
Hopefully there's a bit more entertainment in this afternoon's games.
No idea how that one hasn't gone in for Trump. Bit mad that the cue ball has managed to go in from that.
Oh shit, Trump out now too.
Has anyone visibly aged less this century than Shaun Murphy?
Selby's going to bore his way to the title.isnt he?
I'm hoping for Murphy from here, I guess.
Fell in love a little bit with Murphy in his post-match Zoom call on BBC, he seems a lovely man. I'm rooting for the big lads over the lads lads lads in both games now.
Yeah I think Murphy always comes across really well and would similarly LOVE IT if Bingham knocked out 'the Jester.'
I'm obviously gutted that the Tartan Nugget got knocked out.
Same here. Hope he wins now. So many of them are so fucking boring when they talk. Jack Lisowski on commentary the other day almost had me asleep.Quote:
Originally Posted by wullie
I’ve progressed from “anyone but Higgins” to now “anyone but Selby.”
Murphy would be nice to see though.
It's impossible to root for Selby.
https://i.imgur.com/jTcBOAN.png
Can't tell if this is an actual picture or put through that face app
His right eye looking at you, his left eye looking for a safe route back to baulk.
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Ha
What the fuck sort of a nickname is 'Ball-run'?
#nicknamewatch
I've always liked it as it seems somewhat self-deprecating (ie he's a lucky bugger).
Didn't get much of it in that frame although it was nice to see Selby miss that red, so I guess that counts as some.
I went to make myself lunch and have a shower and come back to lots of thrilling chat about cushions and cloth.
What's happened? Has the table done something freakish?
I hope Murphy sorts his shit out, here. Do not want a JESTER VS. WARRIOR final.
+1 for anyone but Selby. Sadly it's his to lose now.
:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
Yeah, this is good. Even more so if you try to read some predatory double meaning into 'safe route back to baulk'.
Wilson missing getting that just wrong basically the exact same way seven or eight times was some going.
It always staggers me how pros don't understand the merits of the miss rule and what would happen if it was binned.
Every frame would end in cynical tippy-tap wouldn't it? 4, or even 8 or 12 points is nothing in most frames.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yevrah
Since watching the Mitchell and Webb snooker bits I hear every post-miss "Ooooh" from a commentator as "Oh and that's a bad miss."
That is rotten luck from Bingham to pot the blue and snooker himself.
"Nothing from Selby" say the commentators, as if there's any reason to expect emotional response from a dead-eyed automaton who's never once done a convincing human smile.
He's going to write a bleak autobiography at some point.
Ball Run Bingham!
:cool:
Alright well his luck has balanced itself out.
Great frame, that.
Ball-run is about to come out and walk right into several drawn out tactical exchanges, I feel.