5.9.10

GO WILD IN THE COUNTRY

So it’s here, the first televised ranking event of the season.

Is it really four months since Neil Robertson won the world final at some ungodly hour?

Yes, and the players have hardly been idle since, what with the PTCs, qualifiers and various other small tournaments to keep them occupied.

But TV snooker is where it’s at and the Shanghai Masters kicks it all off tomorrow.

I won’t rehash the arguments over the inclusion of wildcards but I’d be amazed if all eight qualifiers won tomorrow. Some of the invited Chinese players are more than capable of springing upsets.

Chief among them is Tian Pengfei, who has won his wildcard match in the last three China-based ranking tournaments he has taken part in.

In two of these he has then reached the last 16. Jamie Burnett is therefore bang under pressure. Despite being a professional for 18 years, most of his snooker has been played away from the television environment and although the Shanghai crowd is fair, they are obviously going to be supporting the local man.

Of the other wildcards, Jin Long has bags of experience and may cause Robert Milkins a few problems.

I’d be surprised, though, if Ken Doherty and Dave Harold, two vastly experienced combatants, lost to the two non-Chinese wildcards, Mohammad Sajjad of Pakistan and Thailand’s Passakorn Suwannawat.

Eurosport’s live coverage starts at 7.30am (UK time) on Eurosport 2 and on three mornings this week will offer a choice of tables on the main channel and E2.

An annual reminder for those who want to throw rocks about the choice of matches for the TV tables: Eurosport have no say in this. The decision is made in China by the promoters, host broadcasters and World Snooker.

You can, if you so desire, tweet questions at me, some of which I will endeavour to answer on air. If you don’t understand what that sentence means, I’m talking about twitter. I’m @davehendon.

So the scene is set for what will hopefully be an entertaining week on the table, as we all know the John Higgins tribunal is likely to steal most of the headlines whatever the result on Wednesday.

Finally a word on live scoring: apparently there isn’t any.

The revamp of worldsnooker.com is eagerly awaited and I’m sure will be a vast improvement but, in the meantime, I make the following polite request to the governing body...

Set up a static page on the site and update the match scores manually every 20 minutes or so. 1-0, 2-0, 2-1 etc. That way, snooker fans will be able to follow what is happening on the non-TV tables.

I don’t think that is asking much.

EDIT: And worldsnooker.com are now doing this very thing here.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Dave, will the eurosport player allow chosing the table 1 or 2? Also will Ken Doherty be on a TV table tomorrow? Thanks!

Dave H said...

1) I think so

2) Alas not

Anonymous said...

are you over there dave?

John McBride said...

All I ask is that someone has their finger on the pulse letting us Snooker fans know what's going on until live scoring is back up & running.

If that is you dave @davehendon or @prosnookerblog or http://www.global-snooker.com/ I don't mind, as long as I know I'll feel healthier for knowing so. :-)

I'm glad we're back on tv. Speaking of tv, I just noticed Andy Murray is struggling, 7-6, 6-7, 1-4 down at the moment. 22:49 BST

Have a Great Time.

Anonymous said...

Don't forget Eurosport Player. And I seem to remember the Eurosport homepage having live-scoring.

Long live Eurosport.

Matt said...

When will this 'Power Snooker' tournament be? I saw the Alex Higgins doc on BBC2 it was interesting.

southerner said...

What is Eurosport Player? Is it a website?

Anonymous said...

Snookerbacker has live updates but Global and WS have nothing. Sleeping giants.

Dave H said...

Worldsnooker.com are updating the scores on the page I have linked to

Anonymous said...

are you over there Dave?

If so, whats the crowds like?

and does mike h ever pause for breath?

James Scott said...

Kindly keep your tips to yourself, Dave :-)

That Chinese lad was a howler!

Anonymous said...

As I write this Mike Smith is rattling on about Dave Harold only being in the top 16 for one season during his career.
I haven't bothered to check it but I know its complete nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Hi Dave,

That link for the scores has been in operation since the summer PTC tournaments.

The scores have been updated on there - quicker - than Global's page. (Since Janie left.)

Problem with it, is it's hard to navigate it. If World Snooker are reading - make the page smaller, to get the whole grid of the tournament in one page, rather than all over the place.

Global did this a few seasons back really well, until taken over.

Thanks, Joe

Anonymous said...

giants with clay feet these days....

but where can we find the frame scores and centuries????.....

Anonymous said...

latest scores from world snooker and eurosport are gould 3-1 up and delaney 2-0 up, surely delaney has played more frames in nearly 3 hours?

anyone know latest?

Anonymous said...

Dave, do you know what match will be on Eurosport 2 tomorrow morning? Liang Wenbo vs Stevens or Maguire vs Trump?

Dave H said...

To be decided

Anonymous said...

David,
Surely Dave Harold spent longer in the top sixteen than one year?

Dave H said...

It was something like four or five

Anonymous said...

Dave Harold entered top 16 in 1996 > out in 2002.

Anonymous said...

ok, seeing as Dave doesnt know....

anyone know what the crowds are like? (not whats been shown on tv, but from being there)

Anonymous said...

BTW, who is Mike Smith?

Anonymous said...

He tried to kill Sarah Greene in a chopper once I seem to remember.

John McBride said...

Watching some of the Dave Harold match earlier today, reminded me on one of your previous topics Dave with regard to the wildcards. The fella playing Dave Harold today done nothing for the 'FOR' brigade. He struggled badly.

jamie brannon said...

According to the listings, the final session of the tournament is not live on EuroSport 1 or 2.