JUDD TRUMP V RONNIE O’SULLIVAN
This is a match to be savoured if their last two encounters are anything to go by. Trump beat O’Sullivan 6-5 in the recent UK Championship and 4-3 in the PTC final in Antwerp.
It’s a match which deserves an evening slot to reach the widest possible audience, but will be played this afternoon as this is when the BBC has its main live programme (Hairy Bikers permitting).
Trump is at ease with the big stage and playing the best snooker of his life but O’Sullivan proved against Ding Junhui that he is still a threat in these major tournaments, regardless of his world ranking.
The Masters has been a happy hunting ground for him: four titles and nine finals. 50 centuries in 19 appearances.
This is some record and O’Sullivan will be fully motivated to remind everyone that he is still a force.
Prediction: O’Sullivan to win 6-4.
JOHN HIGGINS V GRAEME DOTT
For some reason Dott is straight back on having played last night (I think it’s been three weeks since Mark Williams’s first round match). He won’t care. Dott proved once again against Ali Carter that he has the nerve to hold firm in these big events.
He has never been past the Masters quarter-finals but beat Higgins 6-4 in the first round last season.
Higgins looked pretty good I thought against Matthew Stevens, although the Welshman wasn’t really at the races.
The reigning world champion admitted to feeling overawed at Wembley but the Ally Pally feels like a more standard venue and this may be the time this season where Higgins starts to come good.
Prediction: Higgins to win 6-4.
28 comments:
great match in prospect today i like both players but i have to root for the maestro ronnie .He could be out of top 16 this time next year although thats doubtful that aside Im sure his guaranteed an invite to the masters for many years to come regardless of ranking ,ticket sales don,t lie.On another note Dave BBC streaming was overshadowed by commentary by hendry and virgo on carter and dott match taylor and doherty were probablt talking to themselves for a while it was a bit funny and added to the banter on twitter and various other blogs.Eurosports coverage has been excellent all its short is studio analysis.
You are right on the money Dave. It's not often that BH misses a trick but it seems he has today. Ronnie v Judd would have generated a much bigger audience tonight rather than this afternoon. Still we live and learn eh?
come on Judd
i love the irish accent, but
ITS ABOUT TIME DENISE STARTED SAYING PLAYERS NAMES CORRECTLY.
din john way
jude trump
Trump will add the 2nd of the triple crown this week. Fearless snooker everytime he plays. Great stuff.
It seems, Ronnie can't win against Judd Trump no more. I would love to see the "Masters 07"-Ronnie a few more times. He is one of the main reasons why Snooker is so popular in Germany.
"Prediction: O’Sullivan to win 6-4."
Wrong! LOL
Trump won 6:2
the torch can only be passed at the crucible dave
Hi David. Trump v O'Sullivan. Great Game. O'Sullivan's missed black in frame 1 cost him it. In frame 3, a bad shot choice, when on 49, proved the cause of him going 3-0 down. A surperb 140, in frame 4, put Trump 4- up at the interval.
O'Sullivan responded well. A great pink, from the jaws of a pocket, set O'sullivan up. 4-1. a more tense ending to frame 6. O'sullivan misjuged a safety on the green in the end. 5-1 to Trump.
140, The highest break of this year's Masters event, for just three frames. In frame 7, O'Sullivan sets a new highest break, for this year's evwnt. An immaculate 141 break, keep's O'Sullivan in it. 5-2.
Frame 8. O'sullivan first in, but couldn't quite do enough. Trump makes a great clearance, to win 6-2.
A great match.
If it was on in the evening then it would've have been red button fare, which by all accounts doesn't get the figures BBC2 get.
The problem with some in snooker is that they seem to think the BBC should schedule the snooker all day on BBC2.
It would be great if they did, but it's not remotely realistic.
I know it's the fashion to knock the BBC these days but their by far the best broadcaster we've got in this country and we should do more to constantly applaud this.
I enjoyed hearing Dave on Talksport on Tuesday, but it was a pity that it was with two people who brought Broadcasting to a new low.
Andy Goldstein and Jason Cundy were engaged in this Olympic debate prior to Dave coming on, and I couldn't even get through my supper before having to turn it off. They knew nothing about what the Olympics is all about. It was the type of patronising waffle that you hear some people say about snooker, when they're clearly not informed on the subject.
It was so amateurish that it had to be heard to be believed.
He finished his snooker discussion by trotting out a tiresome statement that O'Sullivan just needs to want to win to succeed. I could tell Dave found the question silly, I wish you had told him!
No doubt, people will now tell me Talksport do sport on radio better than Five Live.
As for today, it was a great occasion and a good match. The first and third frames were critical, as Ronnie could and should have won them.
Do people think BBC 2 should show snooker all evening during an event? Also, what is so bad about having to watch it on the red button? Most people have the red button.
Hi David. Higgins v Dott. Dott takes a 1-0 lead on the black, to win frame 1, when it looked against him. Higgins won fram 2, 1 all.
Let's get the incident in frame three, out of the way. Referee, Jan Verhaas, thought the scores were wrong. He was proved wrong. Graeme Dott missed the next shot. Referee, Verhaas, in my view, WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THAT ON PURPOSE. He is too good a ref. He correctly, addmitted he was wrong and apologised to Dott. I could see he truly meant it. Higgins won the frame. He lead 2-1.
A good response from Dott, after what went before. He won frame 4. 2 all at the mid-session interval.
After this, Higgins seemed the stronger. Breaks of 75 and 109, from him, on the way to a 5-2 lead. Three up, four to play.
Dott wins a more edgy 8th frame. 5-3.
From Dott's missed red, in frame 9, Higgins makes a very good 89 break, to win, 6-3. Credit to Dott. Higgins, in my view, deserved the win though, on quality of play.
Another great days play, in my view, To Go slighly of subject, Today, Januar 19th, 2012, is the 63rd birthday of Dennis Taylor. I would just like to wish him a happy birthday.
Jamie.
Applaud the bbc?
I detest them.
I HAVE to pay for it but dont want it.
I'd never applaud them.
JAMIE - I fully agree. BBC should show live snooker, Morning, afternoon and evening, all the way through an event. Well said.
The BBC is a terrible broadcaster, Jamie. We pay £150 a year for the crap they put out, and there is no clear divide in the quality between the BBC and the other terrestrial broadcasters. You look at HBO or something in America, and the quality of their output leaves the BBC standing, despite only charging half as much, and having a smaller viewership. The sad truth is that if the BBC were commercially funded, we'd lose the snooker but that's about it. We'd still get hairy bikers, Eastenders, Flog it, the crap cooking shows and Brian Cox.
And for the record, I don't expect BBC 2 to schedule snooker all day, I would be quite happy if Flog It and the cooking shows went on in the afternoon and they saved the snooker for the evening. Yes, I can 301 it, but that's pretty much preaching to the converted and does nothing to expose the game to new audiences, especially children who are at school in the day.
The BBC is supposed to be a public body, promoting the cultural heritage of the country, Jamie. I'd rather have the children of this country watching the snooker than Stargazing. Do you know what 14 year old boys do with telescopes, Jamie, once they get bored of looking at a crater on the moon? Let's put it this way, the snooker makes for more wholesome early evening viewing for them.
well done judd. you beat the 3rd most naturally gifted player there is.
HBO is not a British television company.
If you seriously think ITV, Channel 4 and Five put out as much quality as the BBC then you're sadly mistaken.
The BBC has produced the best comedies, drama, factual programming, sports coverage and poltical coverage than any broadcaster in history. BBC 4 alone is worth licence fee.
In terms of value for money, you will find that the BBC is far better value than Sky.
In fact, people shouldn't direct their ire at the BBC for these cuts. Instead take a pop at Jeremy Hunt, who froze the licence fee. Why? Because he is mates with the risible and corrupt Murdoch empire.
If we were to lose the BBC we would be left with a diet of celebrity trash, makeover shows, nonsensical drama like Midsomer Murders and a dearth in original programming.
The person who thinks the snooker should be on all day needs to get in the real world. The BBC is not a specialist sports channel, nor should it be, so you have to be fair minded and look at this from both sides of the fence.
I do think we should get a bit more in the afternoon, but aside from the business end of the event then don't see why the red button can't suffice. It is more readily available than Eurosport.
Cultural heritage? Try BBC 4, BBC 6 Music, BBC Proms and BBC Radio 4.
The anti-BBC stuff I read on this blog is embarassing, it goes to show the cultural sloth the country is in if we are suddenly saying ITV and others are superior to the BBC.
We bang on about maximum audience, but if the snooker was taken to sky, how is that maximising the audience?
I recall Dave saying he would argue with anyone who says Dott wasn't a worthy world champion. Well I'm the same with the BBC. While were at it I would challenge anyone who claims the Daily Mail is a quality paper, as their the biggest reason why there's so much vitriol aimed at the BBC.
People will become aware of the red button more now that it is in most homes.
For the record, these Hairy Bikers shows pull over 2million people regularly, the snooker does not. All channels can't ignore the ratings.
It's funny how Eurosport excuse not showing a climax to a final because more popular shows are pending, but the BBC are not afforded such reasoned grace.
What's embarassing is the ever recurring UK only point of view. China doesn't have a red button (at leas not the one refered to), nor do Europe and Australia. We don't have the luxury of the BBC, at least not standard and without paying a lot for it. The quality of the broadcaster is not the important discussion here. Deals between BBC, Eurosport and streaming sites is the only way forward.
HBO is not a British television company.
And mores the pity. The fact that the Americans can produce superior product with less money just about says it all about the state of British programming.
Of course the BBC has produced more quality product than its rivals over the course of its history, simply because it had a decades long head start. What they made 20-30 years ago is irrelevant, that's why they have a charter review every ten years.
If we were to lose the BBC we would be left with a diet of celebrity trash, makeover shows, nonsensical drama like Midsomer Murders and a dearth in original programming.
We still get that with the BBC Jamie. Where is this original programming on the BBC you speak of? I suppose Strictly Dancing isn't "celebrity trash" by virtue of being on the BBC. I suppose Casualty is on a par with The Sopranos in your book. And Masterchef and Flog It are the epicentre of original programming. The sad thing here is that you don't actually back up your points with any facts, and saying it over and over doesn't make it any more true. You're right that Sky is shit, but since they don't rob me to pay for it then I don't have a problem with that. What are the BBC putting on that isn't available in some form on the other channels? The snooker is about the only thing I can think of.
The person who thinks the snooker should be on all day needs to get in the real world. The BBC is not a specialist sports channel, nor should it be, so you have to be fair minded and look at this from both sides of the fence.
I do think we should get a bit more in the afternoon, but aside from the business end of the event then don't see why the red button can't suffice. It is more readily available than Eurosport.
No-one has talked about the snooker being on all day other than you Jamie. And why would we need more coverage in the afternoon when they often top up their coverage with highlights from the previous evening?? Evening coverage on a main channel (i.e. one that appears in a newspaper guide) is important for sustaining the appeal of the sport. Everyone understands that apart from you. This debate is not about access, it's about exposure. As for Eurosport, don't make me laugh, since it's a pay-per-view channel in Britain then it has the same limitations as 301.
Nevermind the buzzcocks, Q.I., Mock the week, anything involving David Attenburough, anything involving Michael Palin (and other Pythons), most documentaries (especially the ones about music) ...
But the main thing BH should do when reconstructing the calendar is try to get better broadcasting times to a broader audience (teenagers, international fans).
For most tournements there are many options, but the big 3 remain under the control of the BBC. He needs to somehow break that pattern, before they start messing with the WC and Masters.
BBC 4 puts on loads of things that you wouldn't find on other channels. Take the brilliant Borgen and it's Danish predecessor, The Killing.
The BBC are the only channel with dedicated political coverage, and the only free to air station with a credible music show in the shape of Later With Jools Holland.
The BBC provide the baulk of our athletics, bowls, and snooker coverage for free to air broadcasters.
You're hardly going to get comedy like The Trip and How Not To Live Your Life on Sky and ITV.
There not going to mess with the Masters or World Championship, and the tinkering to the UK Championship seemed to go down well in the end.
We need coverage to extend later in the afternoon to attract the coming home from school audience. I meant to say red button coverage should suffice on weekday evenings, but it would nice to see the 7pm-8pm slot restored from Monday to Wednesday.
One thing I love about the BBC is that there are no adverts, something which helps programmes to flow more.
No one forces you to get a TV, so their not robbing you.
I'm not defending BBC because I think snooker in the UK is all that matters, but don't see how UK events are that badly timed for continental Europe, except for the 8pm start to finals which should change, and has for the Crucible.
China is important but we shouldn't forget the importance of keeping the game healthy here. What I want see is big events in all continents.
Eurosport are still important in exposing the game to mainland Europe. It's not too badly priced either. I think people are too channel snobbish, the red button is a channel that shows the snooker, just because we are not normalised into thinking it is a big channel doesn't make it any less valid or harder to watch.
In fact, when the switchover is completed in London next year it will be available in any house with a TV.
I find a lot of people are lazy with their viewing. One example is how an Andy Murray match gets a bigger audience on BBC1 than BBC2, which is just madness really given you can access either just as easily.
A cracking line-up left for the weekend which will hopefully elevate the tournament to another level. It's been pretty good so far but by no means vintage.
Would desire a Trump v Higgins final.
You seem to be forgetting that the red button is being scaled down to one channel after the Olympics.
There will be at best one table and often no tables at all on it.
I look forward to your spirited defence of this.
like arguing with a wall, david
he conveniently ignored my point about the red button and the bbc and my HAVING to pay for something i dont want
id rather not have it at all and watch on ES
£150 of junk EVERY YEAR
and i still dont know why its called a tv license
The red button is now only available on one channel for freeview viewers, so don't see how it is going to make much difference post-Olympics.
During a tournament there never seems to be much in the way of snooker anyway. In addition, more and more people can watch online either table.
You can mock my defence all you like but will never back down from the fact that BBC is a great broadcaster that has been fucked over by Sky.
If you want a far better defence than I could offer than google Polly Toynbee's article in the Guardian about how Sky still owe the BBC millions, and also adds substance to what I was saying about Jeremy Hunt and his Tory cronies.
The article was published January 2nd.
I still don't get snooker people who think losing the BBC coverage would be a good thing.
I never ignored the point about the red button as it is already one channel now.
To sum up, I do think we should get some more snooker on BBC2, but why I'm so impassioned with my defence is it not the BBC's fault.
The fury should be directed at the Tories and the Murdoch empire.
The BBC are not making the cuts to piss people off but because they have too. Sport is going to get hit more because it so expensive.
BBC4 costs as much to run as the ten races they lost for Formula One.
The anon poster should also read Toynbee to see what value for money means.
Post a Comment