John Higgins has given an interview to the Eurosport website in which he speaks of his frustration of how the sport is being run by World Snooker.
Higgins has become the most vocal critic of the governing body among the players since setting up the World Series earlier this year.
As a twice world champion he is entitled to his opinions and I think most of his fellow players would agree with them.
The World Series has shown that there is a huge appetite for snooker in Europe and credit goes to him for taking tournaments to the continent.
However, I am slightly alarmed by the mention lower down the interview of reducing the traditional game from 15 reds to six or ten.
John is right that there are many, many things that could be improved in terms of how snooker is run.
But one thing that does not need changing is the game itself.
Interview here.
17.11.08
16.11.08
AND THE WILDCARD GOES TO...
The wildcard for the Wembley Masters will be announced at some point between the qualifiers later this month and the UK Championship.
Therefore, Ricky Walden has to be considered the outstanding favourite to receive an invite.
He did, after all, win the Shanghai Masters with victories over Stephen Hendry, Neil Robertson, Steve Davis, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
I’d be surprised if Ricky is overlooked but it is not impossible. There are a number of other leading contenders as well.
Judd Trump impressed in a BBC tournament (which of course the Masters is as well) by beating O’Sullivan before losing to John Higgins in the Grand Prix semi-finals.
Liang Wenbo brought his exciting, ultra attacking style of play to the World Championship and got all the way to the quarter-finals.
Former top 16 stars Dave Harold and Matthew Stevens have appeared in ranking tournament finals while veteran Steve Davis has found a bit of form.
But surely Walden is the leading contender for a Wembley place.
And he’s just the sort of player who could do some damage there come January.
Therefore, Ricky Walden has to be considered the outstanding favourite to receive an invite.
He did, after all, win the Shanghai Masters with victories over Stephen Hendry, Neil Robertson, Steve Davis, Mark Selby and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
I’d be surprised if Ricky is overlooked but it is not impossible. There are a number of other leading contenders as well.
Judd Trump impressed in a BBC tournament (which of course the Masters is as well) by beating O’Sullivan before losing to John Higgins in the Grand Prix semi-finals.
Liang Wenbo brought his exciting, ultra attacking style of play to the World Championship and got all the way to the quarter-finals.
Former top 16 stars Dave Harold and Matthew Stevens have appeared in ranking tournament finals while veteran Steve Davis has found a bit of form.
But surely Walden is the leading contender for a Wembley place.
And he’s just the sort of player who could do some damage there come January.
WORTHY WINNER
Neil Robertson was the worthy winner of the Bahrain Championship.He went to Manama low in confidence but gradually found some during the week.
His performance in beating Stephen Maguire in the quarter-finals could well have turned his entire season around.
It’s unfair on the late Eddie Charlton to compare these two Australians because he was at his peak before there was a recognisable circuit like today.
Nevertheless, Robertson has a reasonable claim to be Australia’s most successful snooker player ever. His victory in Bahrain gave him his third rankling title. Only 15 other players in the game’s history have won this many.
He had some off table stuff to deal with last season that distracted him from his on table efforts.
He now has a new coach, Steve Prest, and practises in a new club and will hopefully kick on from this victory and win more tournaments.
I hope so. Neil is good to watch and it’s good for any sport to have players of different nationalities winning titles, particularly in the British dominated game of snooker.
Matthew Stevens could have led the final 8-6 but missed an awkward black and failed to win another frame.
This was a further disappointment for a man who had already won only one ranking title from six finals.
At least he has some confidence back and a bunch of points as he attempts to rejoin the elite top 16, which is where a player of his class belongs.
So what of the Bahrain Championship?
Not even the most deluded spin doctor could claim the crowd turnout during the week was good. It must have been the lowest attendance for a ranking tournament final I have ever seen.
Players thrive on an atmosphere and tend to raise their game when the crowd gets behind them.
We saw much high quality snooker during the week but the event obviously missed Mark Selby, John Higgins and Ding Junhui, who were all contracted to play in the Premier League, and Ronnie O’Sullivan and Steve Davis, who withdrew with sick notes, although of course Davis was also in the Premier League.
If World Snooker stages this event next year then they should do so at a time when everyone can enter and if they have to come to a separate arrangement with O’Sullivan to get him there then they should seriously consider that as well.
No one player is bigger than the sport but snooker benefits from having all its stars taking part in tournaments, particularly new ones in new territories.
15.11.08
ROBERTSON FAVOURITE FOR BAHRAIN TITLE
As so often happens to players who go on to lift a title, Neil Robertson suffered a major scare in the opening round of the Bahrain Championship.
He led Marcus Campbell 4-1 but only beat him 5-4. Similarly, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ricky Walden were taken to deciders in their opening matches in Belfast and Shanghai respectively.
Of course, Robertson hasn't won the title yet but, like so many Aussie sportsmen, he is super confident and well aware that Matthew Stevens has lost five of his previous six ranking finals.
So I would make Robertson the favourite.
My main hope, though, is that the final is high quality and brings in a big crowd after what has been a disappointing turnout all week.
He led Marcus Campbell 4-1 but only beat him 5-4. Similarly, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Ricky Walden were taken to deciders in their opening matches in Belfast and Shanghai respectively.
Of course, Robertson hasn't won the title yet but, like so many Aussie sportsmen, he is super confident and well aware that Matthew Stevens has lost five of his previous six ranking finals.
So I would make Robertson the favourite.
My main hope, though, is that the final is high quality and brings in a big crowd after what has been a disappointing turnout all week.
14.11.08
THE FAB FOUR
For all the talk of withdrawals and non-entries, the cream has risen to the top in Bahrain.
The semi-final line-up is brimming with quality, although interestingly it features four players who were in no sort of form before the event began.
Stephen Hendry has been consistently impressive here – a stark contrast to his form in the first three ranking events of the season.
Matthew Stevens has won eight of his 19 meetings with the seven times world champion – a pretty good record – including two finals, the 2003 UK Championship and 2005 Northern Ireland Trophy.
How nice it is to see this talented Welshman playing so well again. I had questioned whether he could bounce back and here is the answer.
Neil Robertson impressed me against Stephen Maguire yesterday. The key frame was the fourth. Maguire had just made breaks of 122 and 81 and was starting to get on top.
Robertson, though, responded with a run of 75 and did not lose another frame.
The Aussie is through to only the third ranking event semi-final of his career. He won the other two and went on to be crowned Grand Prix and Welsh Open champion.
However, Robertson will have his work cut out against Mark Allen, who hit three centuries during his 5-2 defeat of Barry Hawkins in their quarter-final.
I expect Allen to win a ranking title sooner rather than later.
We haven’t seen him yet on the TV table in Bahrain but I’m looking forward to his semi-final, indeed both semi-finals.
Whatever the gripes and problems in snooker, the game itself remains as fascinating as ever.
The semi-final line-up is brimming with quality, although interestingly it features four players who were in no sort of form before the event began.
Stephen Hendry has been consistently impressive here – a stark contrast to his form in the first three ranking events of the season.
Matthew Stevens has won eight of his 19 meetings with the seven times world champion – a pretty good record – including two finals, the 2003 UK Championship and 2005 Northern Ireland Trophy.
How nice it is to see this talented Welshman playing so well again. I had questioned whether he could bounce back and here is the answer.
Neil Robertson impressed me against Stephen Maguire yesterday. The key frame was the fourth. Maguire had just made breaks of 122 and 81 and was starting to get on top.
Robertson, though, responded with a run of 75 and did not lose another frame.
The Aussie is through to only the third ranking event semi-final of his career. He won the other two and went on to be crowned Grand Prix and Welsh Open champion.
However, Robertson will have his work cut out against Mark Allen, who hit three centuries during his 5-2 defeat of Barry Hawkins in their quarter-final.
I expect Allen to win a ranking title sooner rather than later.
We haven’t seen him yet on the TV table in Bahrain but I’m looking forward to his semi-final, indeed both semi-finals.
Whatever the gripes and problems in snooker, the game itself remains as fascinating as ever.
HENDRY: 'O'SULLIVAN DOES WHAT HE WANTS'
Stephen Hendry isn't happy that Ronnie O'Sullivan failed to go to Bahrain.
He told the Daily Record that the world champion 'just does what he wants.'
O'Sullivan withdrew from the tournament before it began, claiming to be 'run down.'
I have sympathy for what Hendry says because crowds have been poor and there is no guarantee this new ranking event will be staged again.
However, it is only fair to point out that he has changed his tune over O'Sullivan's behaviour.
He told the Daily Record that the world champion 'just does what he wants.'
O'Sullivan withdrew from the tournament before it began, claiming to be 'run down.'
I have sympathy for what Hendry says because crowds have been poor and there is no guarantee this new ranking event will be staged again.
However, it is only fair to point out that he has changed his tune over O'Sullivan's behaviour.
13.11.08
PLAYERS DESERVE SUPPORT
Crowds have been poor in Bahrain. This is a new event and they tend to take time to build up but some will wonder if there was ever really sufficient interest in this country.
My attitude is that any new tournament is better than none and that this one shouldn’t be knocked.
But to see even the great Stephen Hendry playing in an arena that isn’t even half full is a little dispiriting.
Of course, crowds are not always great in the UK. In Belfast they were poor, although I’d put that down to the fact it was held in August. In Glasgow last month they were much better.
Snooker is still very popular in Britain but there needs to be a big promotional push to let people know there are tournaments actually happening.
Unfortunately, relations between the media and the WPBSA have just fallen to an all time low for reasons I will explain in due course.
What we do know is that in continental Europe there would be a huge turnout were major events to be staged.
At the Berlin leg of the World Series in July there were sell-out crowds of up to 1,600 at a time.
In Warsaw last month there were also huge audiences and I believe this would be repeated in many other parts of Europe.
Let’s hope the final in Bahrain attracts a full house.
Top players revel in a great atmosphere. It also makes for good viewing. Despite all the non-entries and withdrawals, the cream has risen to the top now and it would be a shame if they did not get the support they deserve.
My attitude is that any new tournament is better than none and that this one shouldn’t be knocked.
But to see even the great Stephen Hendry playing in an arena that isn’t even half full is a little dispiriting.
Of course, crowds are not always great in the UK. In Belfast they were poor, although I’d put that down to the fact it was held in August. In Glasgow last month they were much better.
Snooker is still very popular in Britain but there needs to be a big promotional push to let people know there are tournaments actually happening.
Unfortunately, relations between the media and the WPBSA have just fallen to an all time low for reasons I will explain in due course.
What we do know is that in continental Europe there would be a huge turnout were major events to be staged.
At the Berlin leg of the World Series in July there were sell-out crowds of up to 1,600 at a time.
In Warsaw last month there were also huge audiences and I believe this would be repeated in many other parts of Europe.
Let’s hope the final in Bahrain attracts a full house.
Top players revel in a great atmosphere. It also makes for good viewing. Despite all the non-entries and withdrawals, the cream has risen to the top now and it would be a shame if they did not get the support they deserve.
MILKIN' IT
Robert Milkins deserves huge credit for overturning a 4-0 deficit to beat Michael Holt 5-4 in Bahrain yesterday.
This is unusual, though not unheard of.
I have huge sympathy for Holt, who seemed to be in the best form of his career. As I’d expect, he took it all with great self-deprecation, saying: “I wish there was a video of that match so we could give it to people who were feeling down on themselves. After watching it they’d be outside doing cartwheels and saying ‘at least I'm not Michael Holt.’”
At least he’s in good company. Even the greats of the game have lost matches from a long way in front.
Steve Davis led Alex Higgins 7-0 in the 1983 UK Championship final and was beaten 16-15; he led Dennis Taylor 8-0 in the 1985 World Championship final and lost 18-17; he led Ryan Day 4-0 in the first round of the 2000 Welsh Open and lost 5-4.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was 8-2 up on Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals of the 2005 World Championship but was beaten 13-11.
Stephen Hendry led Mark Williams 8-4 in the quarter-finals of the 2001 UK Championship but lost 9-8.
This is unusual, though not unheard of.
I have huge sympathy for Holt, who seemed to be in the best form of his career. As I’d expect, he took it all with great self-deprecation, saying: “I wish there was a video of that match so we could give it to people who were feeling down on themselves. After watching it they’d be outside doing cartwheels and saying ‘at least I'm not Michael Holt.’”
At least he’s in good company. Even the greats of the game have lost matches from a long way in front.
Steve Davis led Alex Higgins 7-0 in the 1983 UK Championship final and was beaten 16-15; he led Dennis Taylor 8-0 in the 1985 World Championship final and lost 18-17; he led Ryan Day 4-0 in the first round of the 2000 Welsh Open and lost 5-4.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was 8-2 up on Peter Ebdon in the quarter-finals of the 2005 World Championship but was beaten 13-11.
Stephen Hendry led Mark Williams 8-4 in the quarter-finals of the 2001 UK Championship but lost 9-8.
12.11.08
CAN PINCHES LORD IT OVER HENDRY?
It was once written in a newspaper that Barry Pinches spends his time “lording it round the snooker clubs of Norwich.”
There have been a lot of odd things written over the years but this will take some beating.
Anyone who knows Barry knows that ‘lording it’ is not something he would ever do, in Norwich or anywhere else.
Most people seem to assume he will be easily beaten by Stephen Hendry at the Bahrain Championship today.
I would offer a note of caution to Hendry fans.
You don’t need a particularly long memory to recall their match in the second round of the 2004 World Championship, which went to a deciding frame before Hendry won 13-12.
The seven times Crucible champion has also won their other two meetings but Pinches, who wears a distinctive waistcoast in his beloved Norwich City’s colours, is one of those players who can cause all sorts of problems for players not on their game.
He’s been a pro for 19 years now and although he has never quite risen above journeyman status he has a maximum to his name and is closing in on 100 centuries (currently on 92).
He has already had two tons in Manama this week and will exploit any errors coming from the cue of Hendry.
Barry’s in the position of having nothing to lose, really. Hendry, on the other hand, is desperate for a good run and so will be the one under pressure.
It's all live on Eurosport at 12pm UK time.
There have been a lot of odd things written over the years but this will take some beating.
Anyone who knows Barry knows that ‘lording it’ is not something he would ever do, in Norwich or anywhere else.
Most people seem to assume he will be easily beaten by Stephen Hendry at the Bahrain Championship today.
I would offer a note of caution to Hendry fans.
You don’t need a particularly long memory to recall their match in the second round of the 2004 World Championship, which went to a deciding frame before Hendry won 13-12.
The seven times Crucible champion has also won their other two meetings but Pinches, who wears a distinctive waistcoast in his beloved Norwich City’s colours, is one of those players who can cause all sorts of problems for players not on their game.
He’s been a pro for 19 years now and although he has never quite risen above journeyman status he has a maximum to his name and is closing in on 100 centuries (currently on 92).
He has already had two tons in Manama this week and will exploit any errors coming from the cue of Hendry.
Barry’s in the position of having nothing to lose, really. Hendry, on the other hand, is desperate for a good run and so will be the one under pressure.
It's all live on Eurosport at 12pm UK time.
11.11.08
DULL RECORD EQUALLED
There was a frame in the Stephen Maguire v Mark Davis match in Bahrain today that finished 49-1 to Davis.
The 50 points scored thus equalled the lowest aggregate frame score in a ranking event match. Graham Horne and Barry Mapstone also aggregated 50 in a frame during a qualifying match for the 1996 British Open qualifiers. Horne won the frame 34-16.
This is slightly misleading, though, as it does not include frames where players have conceded at ridiculously early points, as several have over the years.
Therefore, the record only applies to 'proper' frames.
Regardless, it's not really the sort of record you'd want to hold.
EDIT: This may all be nonsense (see comment below)
The 50 points scored thus equalled the lowest aggregate frame score in a ranking event match. Graham Horne and Barry Mapstone also aggregated 50 in a frame during a qualifying match for the 1996 British Open qualifiers. Horne won the frame 34-16.
This is slightly misleading, though, as it does not include frames where players have conceded at ridiculously early points, as several have over the years.
Therefore, the record only applies to 'proper' frames.
Regardless, it's not really the sort of record you'd want to hold.
EDIT: This may all be nonsense (see comment below)
HALLETT LIVES!
Reports of Mike Hallett's death have been greatly exaggerated.
In fact, they've been made up.
According to this online encyclopedia, Mike "died of medical complications following a stroke he suffered four days before his death. His family are currently seeking compensation from the NHS and Berkshire hospitals for negligence that may have resulted in his death. He was 46."
Indeed, he was 46 but he's now 49.
If Mike has been dead all this time then he's done a remarkable job as a commentator alongside me on Eurosport.
Mike is well and truly alive in more ways than one - he reached the final of the last PIOS event, won his first match in the latest one yesterday and is poised for a return to the main tour.
Whoever wrote the entry has either badly got the wrong end of the stick or maliciously tried to start a rumour.
Either way, I'm happy to confirm that Mike lives.
In fact, they've been made up.
According to this online encyclopedia, Mike "died of medical complications following a stroke he suffered four days before his death. His family are currently seeking compensation from the NHS and Berkshire hospitals for negligence that may have resulted in his death. He was 46."
Indeed, he was 46 but he's now 49.
If Mike has been dead all this time then he's done a remarkable job as a commentator alongside me on Eurosport.
Mike is well and truly alive in more ways than one - he reached the final of the last PIOS event, won his first match in the latest one yesterday and is poised for a return to the main tour.
Whoever wrote the entry has either badly got the wrong end of the stick or maliciously tried to start a rumour.
Either way, I'm happy to confirm that Mike lives.
HOORAY HENDRY
You write off truly great players at your peril.
Stephen Hendry is the greatest snooker player of all time.
Therefore, it wasn't a huge surprise that he should finally find some form this season, as he did in beating Ricky Walden 5-3 in the Bahrain Championship last night.
The back-to-back centuries he compiled were a reminder of how good Hendry can be.
We should not get carried away. This is only one match, one result.
But he cued very nicely indeed and if he continues this form will take some stopping in Manama this week.
I know Stephen believes he is still good enough to win titles. I personally wouldn't back against it in Bahrain.
Stephen Hendry is the greatest snooker player of all time.
Therefore, it wasn't a huge surprise that he should finally find some form this season, as he did in beating Ricky Walden 5-3 in the Bahrain Championship last night.
The back-to-back centuries he compiled were a reminder of how good Hendry can be.
We should not get carried away. This is only one match, one result.
But he cued very nicely indeed and if he continues this form will take some stopping in Manama this week.
I know Stephen believes he is still good enough to win titles. I personally wouldn't back against it in Bahrain.
10.11.08
BAHRAIN TITLE RACE WIDE OPEN
The last 16 line up at the Bahrain Championship is becoming not so much a who’s who of snooker as a who’s that?
So far, only two members of the elite top 16 – Ryan Day and Neil Robertson – have made it through.
There will surely be more to follow today and tomorrow but it does still give hope to some of the lower ranked professionals that this may be their turn to shine.
Take Robert Milkins. But for a miracle pot on a green by Matthew Stevens the Gloucester man would probably have been in the 2005 Irish Masters final.
Since losing that semi-final 9-8 from 8-5 up he has done very little. Down to 71st in the provisional rankings, his match against Michael Holt will be his first appearance in the last 16 of a ranking tournament since the 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy.
Holt will start favourite having beaten Jamie Cope in the previous round, although playing Milkins may bring back painful memories for him.
When they met at the 2001 B&H Championship Holt missed a red in the decider and banged his fist on the table rail in frustration.
So hard did he bang it that he had to be taken to hospital with a broken knuckle.
Looking back he was lucky this did not affect his career (he didn’t, as claimed by worldsnooker.com, pull out of the following month’s UK Championship).
What of the other lower rankers?
Could Barry Pinches or Mike Dunn win a ranking title?
Unlikely but you never know.
Few gave Bob Chaperon much hope in the 1990 British Open and he ended up winning it.
Whoever wins out of Stephen Hendry and Ricky Walden this evening will fancy their chances.
We still have the likes of Stephen Maguire, Ali Carter and Mark Allen to come.
But this has already been the sort of event where a shock winner would not be such a shock.
So far, only two members of the elite top 16 – Ryan Day and Neil Robertson – have made it through.
There will surely be more to follow today and tomorrow but it does still give hope to some of the lower ranked professionals that this may be their turn to shine.
Take Robert Milkins. But for a miracle pot on a green by Matthew Stevens the Gloucester man would probably have been in the 2005 Irish Masters final.
Since losing that semi-final 9-8 from 8-5 up he has done very little. Down to 71st in the provisional rankings, his match against Michael Holt will be his first appearance in the last 16 of a ranking tournament since the 2006 Northern Ireland Trophy.
Holt will start favourite having beaten Jamie Cope in the previous round, although playing Milkins may bring back painful memories for him.
When they met at the 2001 B&H Championship Holt missed a red in the decider and banged his fist on the table rail in frustration.
So hard did he bang it that he had to be taken to hospital with a broken knuckle.
Looking back he was lucky this did not affect his career (he didn’t, as claimed by worldsnooker.com, pull out of the following month’s UK Championship).
What of the other lower rankers?
Could Barry Pinches or Mike Dunn win a ranking title?
Unlikely but you never know.
Few gave Bob Chaperon much hope in the 1990 British Open and he ended up winning it.
Whoever wins out of Stephen Hendry and Ricky Walden this evening will fancy their chances.
We still have the likes of Stephen Maguire, Ali Carter and Mark Allen to come.
But this has already been the sort of event where a shock winner would not be such a shock.
DAVIS OUT OF BAHRAIN
Steve Davis has now withdrawn from the Bahrain Championship, giving Dominic Dale a bye through to the quarter-finals.
The official reason given is ill health. Of course, Davis is due to play in the Premier League on Thursday.
The official reason given is ill health. Of course, Davis is due to play in the Premier League on Thursday.
WILL IT BE RYAN'S DAY?
The biggest surprise for me about the Royal London Watches Grand Prix was that Ryan Day, who played the best snooker of the tournament, performed so badly in the final.
You’ll recall he lost 9-7 to John Higgins, who would himself admit that he was nowhere near his best.
Can Ryan make amends in Bahrain?
I see no reason why not. He has played the best snooker of his career over the last 18 months and, despite not having won a ranking title, is currently third in the provisional rankings.
Day has beaten Dave Harold 5-2 to become the first top 16 player into the last 16 after seven completed matches.
It is an advantage that a number of top players are either out of the tournament or not part of it to start with but there is still plenty of quality around, not least Day’s next opponent, his fellow Welshman Matthew Stevens.
But Day must know this is one of the best chances he will ever have to land a ranking event.
You’ll recall he lost 9-7 to John Higgins, who would himself admit that he was nowhere near his best.
Can Ryan make amends in Bahrain?
I see no reason why not. He has played the best snooker of his career over the last 18 months and, despite not having won a ranking title, is currently third in the provisional rankings.
Day has beaten Dave Harold 5-2 to become the first top 16 player into the last 16 after seven completed matches.
It is an advantage that a number of top players are either out of the tournament or not part of it to start with but there is still plenty of quality around, not least Day’s next opponent, his fellow Welshman Matthew Stevens.
But Day must know this is one of the best chances he will ever have to land a ranking event.
9.11.08
MURPHY'S SLUMP
If four successive first round defeats don’t constitute a crisis then nothing does.
This is particularly true for Shaun Murphy, beaten 5-4 by Mike Dunn in Bahrain today, because he has been a model of consistency for the last couple of years.
Last season, he lost just one first round match.
He will go to the Maplin UK Championship next month winless since beating Dave Harold in the first round of the World Championship last April.
What went wrong?
Even the best players feel the pressure. Confidence is so important and you only need to lose a couple of matches to suddenly be under it.
The same thing happened to Mark Williams. He won his first match in 48 successive ranking events – easily a record – before finally losing to Fergal O’Brien in the 2003 UK Championship.
This one defeat precipitated a decline so rapid that it cost him his top 16 place.
There have been newspaper reports of difficulties in Shaun’s marriage.
That's entirely his business but it’s worth remembering that all players have lives away from the green baize and that they face the same problems and struggles as anyone else.
He’s too good a player not to pull himself out of this slump but these are worrying signs.
More worrying was his statement at the Grand Prix that he was happy with how he was hitting the ball.
The only way to solve a problem is to admit there is one to solve.
This is particularly true for Shaun Murphy, beaten 5-4 by Mike Dunn in Bahrain today, because he has been a model of consistency for the last couple of years.
Last season, he lost just one first round match.
He will go to the Maplin UK Championship next month winless since beating Dave Harold in the first round of the World Championship last April.
What went wrong?
Even the best players feel the pressure. Confidence is so important and you only need to lose a couple of matches to suddenly be under it.
The same thing happened to Mark Williams. He won his first match in 48 successive ranking events – easily a record – before finally losing to Fergal O’Brien in the 2003 UK Championship.
This one defeat precipitated a decline so rapid that it cost him his top 16 place.
There have been newspaper reports of difficulties in Shaun’s marriage.
That's entirely his business but it’s worth remembering that all players have lives away from the green baize and that they face the same problems and struggles as anyone else.
He’s too good a player not to pull himself out of this slump but these are worrying signs.
More worrying was his statement at the Grand Prix that he was happy with how he was hitting the ball.
The only way to solve a problem is to admit there is one to solve.
THAILAND'S NEW SNOOKER STAR
Perhaps Thailand finally has someone who can emulate the achievements of James Wattana.Yesterday, Thepchaiya Un Nooh, who is 23, beat Colm Gilcresst 11-7 to win the IBSF World Amateur Championship in Wels, Austria.
He had beaten Wattana on the way to the final and compiled breaks of 143 and 139 in defeating Gilcreest.
It’s worth remembering that Thailand was the leading place for snooker outside of the UK for several years throughout the 1990s.
Players were treated like pop stars and Wattana’s success inspired a nation to become interested in the game.
Yet the last of 14 ranking events to be staged in Thailand was back in 2002. There is no imminent sign of a return.
Let's hope Thepchaiya's emergence will reignite interest in this once snooker-mad country.
8.11.08
MARCUS CAMPBELL: MAXIMUM MAN
I’m pleased for Marcus Campbell, who today constructed the 66th maximum in snooker history and the first in the Middle East.
His cheque for £22,000 – assuming no other player makes a 147 (not a safe assumption these days) – is the biggest of his 17-year professional career. Last season, he only earned £17,000 during the whole campaign.
Marcus has almost defined the term ‘journeyman.’ He is far too good a player to drop off the circuit but has never quite threatened to win a major title.
It is ten years, almost to the week, since his other great achievement when he defeated Stephen Hendry 9-0 in the first round of the 1998 UK Championship, arguably the biggest shock in snooker history.
He has never risen higher than 41st in the rankings and has reached only one ranking event quarter-final, at the 1998 Scottish Open in Aberdeen.
However, to have remained on the circuit for this long is a considerable achievement.
Marcus’s previous claim to fame in an overseas event was making a hole in one during a round of golf at Mission Hills, Shenzhen at the 2000 China Open.
He used to play in glasses before having his eyes ‘lasered’ in an attempt to improve his fortunes.
He qualified for the televised phase of the World Championship at the Crucible in 2001 but his career suffered a major blow in 2004 when his cue was broken beyond repair by baggage handlers at Cardiff airport.
Campbell’s previous highest break was 141, made in the 2006 Grand Prix, and he becomes the eighth Scottish player to make a 147 in competition after Hendry, John Higgins, Stephen Maguire, Graeme Dott, John Rea, Jamie Burnett and David McLellan.
This is the third maximum of the season after Jamie Cope’s effort in the Shanghai Masters and Liang Wenbo’s 147 in the Bahrain qualifiers.
They have become far more common since Steve Davis made the first on TV in 1982 but it is still an achievement worth noting and Marcus should be very proud of himself.
His cheque for £22,000 – assuming no other player makes a 147 (not a safe assumption these days) – is the biggest of his 17-year professional career. Last season, he only earned £17,000 during the whole campaign.
Marcus has almost defined the term ‘journeyman.’ He is far too good a player to drop off the circuit but has never quite threatened to win a major title.
It is ten years, almost to the week, since his other great achievement when he defeated Stephen Hendry 9-0 in the first round of the 1998 UK Championship, arguably the biggest shock in snooker history.
He has never risen higher than 41st in the rankings and has reached only one ranking event quarter-final, at the 1998 Scottish Open in Aberdeen.
However, to have remained on the circuit for this long is a considerable achievement.
Marcus’s previous claim to fame in an overseas event was making a hole in one during a round of golf at Mission Hills, Shenzhen at the 2000 China Open.
He used to play in glasses before having his eyes ‘lasered’ in an attempt to improve his fortunes.
He qualified for the televised phase of the World Championship at the Crucible in 2001 but his career suffered a major blow in 2004 when his cue was broken beyond repair by baggage handlers at Cardiff airport.
Campbell’s previous highest break was 141, made in the 2006 Grand Prix, and he becomes the eighth Scottish player to make a 147 in competition after Hendry, John Higgins, Stephen Maguire, Graeme Dott, John Rea, Jamie Burnett and David McLellan.
This is the third maximum of the season after Jamie Cope’s effort in the Shanghai Masters and Liang Wenbo’s 147 in the Bahrain qualifiers.
They have become far more common since Steve Davis made the first on TV in 1982 but it is still an achievement worth noting and Marcus should be very proud of himself.
7.11.08
WILD AT HEART
Wildcards add an important local dimension to ranking tournaments but it seems unlikely any of the six involved in the Bahrain Championship tomorrow can cause an upset.
The six have been drawn from different countries in the Gulf region where snooker is popular but the standard is yet to reach that we are used to on the circuit.
Of course, part of the reason for having wildcards is to help encourage the growth of the game in a particular country.
Ding Junhui was a wildcard in the 2005 China Open in Beijing and went on to win the title, sparking a snooker boom in the process.
Oddly, the one wildcard possibly capable of springing a surprise, Bahrain’s own Habib Subah, who has previously played on the main tour, has not been put on the main table by tournament organisers.
This means Eurosport’s coverage launches with Rod Lawler’s match against Isa Ali Al-Hashimi and highlights of Mike Dunn against Ahmed Abdulla Asiry.
The six have been drawn from different countries in the Gulf region where snooker is popular but the standard is yet to reach that we are used to on the circuit.
Of course, part of the reason for having wildcards is to help encourage the growth of the game in a particular country.
Ding Junhui was a wildcard in the 2005 China Open in Beijing and went on to win the title, sparking a snooker boom in the process.
Oddly, the one wildcard possibly capable of springing a surprise, Bahrain’s own Habib Subah, who has previously played on the main tour, has not been put on the main table by tournament organisers.
This means Eurosport’s coverage launches with Rod Lawler’s match against Isa Ali Al-Hashimi and highlights of Mike Dunn against Ahmed Abdulla Asiry.
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