Based on what we’ve seen this week, I think only Mark Selby can stop Ronnie O’Sullivan winning the Shanghai Masters on current form.
Why?
Because Selby is the only player remaining who will not try and play Ronnie at his own game.
In their Welsh Open final last season, Selby dictated the pace towards the end. This was an entirely justifiable tactic and he deserved his victory.
Ricky Walden and Stephen Maguire are both very attacking players but will have to raise their games to beat O’Sullivan if he plays like he did in beating Mark Williams today in what was a really excellent match.
If he does win on Sunday, Ronnie will become only the third player to capture three successive ranking titles since the rankings were introduced in 1976.
Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry were the other two and this is the sort of company in which O’Sullivan belongs.
You can read the views of myself and my Eurosport commentary colleague Mike Hallett here.
4 comments:
Referring to your comment about Shaun Murphy Dave, he gave an interview to the Sheffield Star earlier in the week saying that he has indeed not practised enough recently due to "some commitments" and that he didn't expect much from Shanghai.
Posted it on my blog or you can find it on the Star website if you haven't seen it.
commitments? I wonder what sort of commitments can cause a professional sportsmen to not put in the work preseason...especially, as was pointed out in the article, with there only being 8 ranking events, to go into a season ill prepared just seems bizarre.
I remember an article in the October 2007 issue of Snooker Scene, by Mr Everton, titled "Why Ronnie O'Sullivan May Not Win A Title This Season". It was a convincing one. Also, in the last chapter of his excellent book, "Black Farce and Cue Ball Wizards", he stated that "O'Sullivan's quarter-final exit also hinted that, in his inconsistency, he was a declining force". Well, no one sees the future, and I have to remark, I had to agree with Mr Everton at that time. Nonetheless, we have been given a lesson on the unpredictable nature of snooker.
Regards,
Gabriel
from Hungary
Congratulations to Ricky Walden!
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