Who wins the German Masters scarcely matters when set against the main function of the week: to showcase the huge interest that exists in Germany and thus build on it in future years.
As it happens, though, the final could be a cracker. It pits Mark Williams v Mark Selby.
Williams is one of snooker's all time greats. An ex-world, UK and Masters champion and former world no.1, the left-hander is chasing his 18th ranking title.
Selby, though rightly regarded as a world class competitor, is appearing in only his fourth ranking final and his first since winning the 2008 Welsh Open, his only ranking title.
Williams once beat Selby 9-0 but that was many years ago and their Berlin final will surely be closer, although I'd make Williams favourite.
The Welshman has taken nonchalance to a new level this week. Watching Williams you'd think he was down the club and this very approach is one of the reasons he remains so dangerous.
A formidable potter, Williams seems to enter every frame with the same attitude, regardless of what has happened in the match.
His China Open victory last season proved he was back to something towards his best and he's been brilliant this week in Berlin, justifying his status as a returning member of the top four.
Selby's only real problem seems to be going too negative when, in fact, he's at his best when going for his shots. To win, he mustn't allow himself to get bogged down because Williams can scrap it out with the best of them.
The 2,500 capacity crowd surely deserve a classic final and these two are capable of producing one.
Let's hope they do just that.
12 comments:
Mark against Mark is a fantastic final. And again: congratulations to snooker for re-discovering Germany.
What a week, what crowds!
Now pick up that trophy MJW.
I also hope MJW wins but the big winner this week has undoubtedly been snooker. Perhaps the Legends Tour could stop off in a few places in Germany in the future and Ronnie and Jimmy could do a few exhibitions there. The German people would just love that.
I see Dott has an autobiography coming out - when is MJW gonna do the same? Perhaps you could ghost write it Dave. "The Cwm Cyclone" would make interesting reading!
With cues at the ready, these two warriors of the game will lock horns for the prize in Berlin.
Rolf Kalb will introduce these luminaries and the shadowy figure of Rocket Ronnie will dissipate like laderhosen in a furnace.
Personally I think the Legends tour should stay away from Germany and let the younger players build up their fanbases. Europe is the future, snooker doesn't need to live in the past there.
12.17, The German market can be over saturated, as Britain was a few years ago.
I think that legends nonsense will do the game more harm than good, with hasbeens playing exhibition style snooker.
The uninformed fan will use that level as a yardstick and start to find matchplay snooker boring.
The rocket has lost his bottle and pretends he has no interest so he wont show himself up.
White is 2 decades past his best.
In a couple of years there will be a world tour where pros are playing a different country every week. This is far better than cramming loads of tournaments into Britain, China and Germany.
I think Ronnie would have loved it if he'd gone, certainly more than say the Welsh Open which will probably be half empty.
In fact by my reckoning, if the World Open goes abroad next season and the Brazilian Masters goes ahead, for the first time ever there will be more ranking points available outside the UK than in it. So from next season snooker will be a legitimate international sport.
Too bad Barry Hearn hasn't found a sponsor for this great event.
Shouldn't be too difficult finding one for next year, given this year's success?
Brazil isn't a ranking tournament but there are two new non-British ranking events next season.
MJW The games greatest stroker of a ball !!!!!!!!!!
Dave
have players recently had subsidies reduced for travelling to tournaments abroad?
Very off topic this but I ordered the Snooker Scene magazine via the web site and chose to get it from January, I hope this means January 2011 not 2012?
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