Ronnie O'Sullivan's capture of his fourth Masters title at Wembley tonight was in many ways his greatest ever achievement.
Ronnie was using a new cue and held his composure against one of snooker's hardest match players in Mark Selby.
His 10-8 victory was completed by winning four frames on the black and proved that, deep down, winning really matters to him, regardless of what he says.
I take my hat off to him. He is snooker's biggest draw and, currently, comfortably its best player.
Whatever else anyone thinks of Ronnie, nobody can deny his extraordinary talent.
24 comments:
well played ronnie and well written dave!
That was in. blanking. credible.
Particularly that frame near the end where Ronnie knocked in two very tough pots, the blue and the pink, into the middle pocket... wow that was really great. What a great match.
It was amazing. I sat glued to the telly for the entire final. Eurosport was kind enough to broadcast it fully, after skipping the semis but it doesn't matter.
Sheer quality and sheer drama.
And I'm running out of superlatives for both of them.
Excuse my waxing lyrical but tonight snooker has been as alive as possible.
The only moment I hated was the killing by Verhaas, the mothicide.:D
Great stuff, thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought Selby had got to Ronnie but he was the slightly better of the two under pressure and that made the difference in the end. And with the way he was playing, you don't even stop to think that he's using a new cue. Credit to Selby as well for getting so close.
Ronnie has a responsibility, as the games's greatest attraction, to help promote and further the game's reputation and appeal. Let's now see him give something back.
i actually thought selby threw it away with the amount of chances he had and mistakes he made, but well done Ron on another Masters. great track record in this event.
Selby lost 4 frames he should have won. Fair play to Ronnie but Selby was generally the better player throughout the day.
O'Sullivan is no longer "comfortably" the best player in snooker, he is "marginally" with Selby closing the gap.
These two are going to give us some great battles over the coming tournaments.
O'Sullivan revealed that he will present the cue he won the tournament with to a friend currently on holiday in Bali, believed to be the artist Damien Hirst, with whom O'Sullivan has struck up a friendship since Hirst came to last season's Crucible final. "It's a nice present to give to someone who has done some good things for me," he added.
I have to agree with you Dave, regardless of what anyone thinks of the man he is a genius (when he wants to be) on the table.
Also, one of the BBC commentators last night (I think it was Willie Thorn) said that perhaps Mark Selby was the best match player now in the game, a mantle that he has taken away from John Higgins, he is dogged and determined but can certainly make the breaks when needed.
Great tournament
In all the debate about the future of snooker, we finally saw just what we needed - two of the best players trying their hearts out in an enthralling match, full of tension and good play matched by the odd crucial mistake, and at the end, a player celebrating his win as if it meant the world to him. Ronnie showing pride in his sport is a tremendous advertisement for the game.
There is no marginal about it, Ronnie won last night not at his stunning best and with a cue alien to him and still won 10-8. He currently holds four titles no other player has more than one.
What Ronnie and indeed the game as a whole needs is some consistent and serious competition from the other players. I think I'm right in saying that even if he didn't turn up to the Welsh Open he would still be no.1 next season, so how much incentive does he have? The other players must step up to the mark and start challenging him in every match, every tournament.
jamie the reason he wasn't at his best is because of the way Selby plays the game. I've read elsewhere that he played better against Maguire so Selby was lucky. Ignorance is bliss. Anyone can play well against when their opponent rolls over like Carter and Maguire did. Selby stood up to him and should really have won. I would put money on Selby coming out on top in their next encounter.
jamie said...
There is no marginal about it, Ronnie won last night not at his stunning best and with a cue alien to him and still won 10-8. He currently holds four titles no other player has more than one.
1:43 PM
youre entitled to your opinion, as always. it is one i disagree with.
Selby has beaten him before, when he has been using a "well used to" cue, so theres no accuracy in your opinion that ROS won using a new cue and implying that it could have been more if it was his other cue.
it quite clearly could have been Selby if ROS had his old cue, as its happened in the past
Ronnie O'Sullivan leads him 5 to 2 head to head. Selby didnt stop him last night Ronnie actually played safe a lot himself and turned down numerous long pots. Plus he missed a few chances, he was not at his savage best. Selby is provisional ninth and Ronnie streets clear at number 1 there is no marginal about it. The new cue was just an observation im not saying it wins the argument but it made his win more impressive. Ronnie played well in the premier league final and beat him up 7 to 2. O n his day as Dave and Parrott have said he is comfortably at the top at the moment, the rankings don't lie.
On the balance of play Mark will be kicking himself for not winning about 10-7. Ronnie scrapped well but is clearly uncomfortable on certain shots and not cueing at his best as he tries to adjust to the new cue. Well done to both for an interesting, if patchy in quality, final- Hendry in mid nineties form would of won about 10-4 or 10-5 against either player performing as they did last night.
Jamie your reply doesnt explain your post.
i took from your post that ronnie was still comfortably ahead as he didnt play well and still won with a new cue. im sorry if thats not what your post meant, but it looks like it to me. that is why it looks like youre implying the cue maybe have made it closer when in fact selby has beaten him with the "old cue"
listing head to heads adds nothing to this debate. my point was regaring your inclusion about the new cue as if it was a factor.
the fact is ive seen him play worse with his old cue, one he was used to, so him playing with a new cue may have had nothing to do with the scoreline. we will never know. that is why i chose to mention it. good day sir
No im not saying that what Iam saying is that Ronnie is comfortably the games number 1 and it is not marginal. Head to heads do sometimes reflect the disparity between the players.
i think thats different to what you posted earlier, as there no mention of the new cue in the post above. still im not wanting to argue...
I mentioned the new cue as that made his win more impressive but yes he could have been beaten with old cue but not at his stunning best.
i disagree
Disagree about the stunning best, or him doing it with a new cue made it more impressive as you are in a minority on that 1.
disagree on both
matter of opinion. mines differs to yours. it may differ to the majority. that doesnt make me want to change my opinion just because not everyone agrees.
cheers
I can accept the bit about him being beaten at his best although how you can say that Selby could beat him at his best I don't know. As for the cue thing any pro would tell you how difficult it is to change and play to a decent standard never mind the Masters. This is clearly ANTI Ronnie talk.
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