Stephen Hendry is now unlikely to drop out of the elite top 16 after his 5-3 win yesterday over Robert Milkins at the Bank of Beijing China Open.
Hendry can stay in even if he loses today to Ricky Walden and to Mark Williams in the first round of the World Championship.
Journalistic impartiality and all, but I'm glad. I like legends to be doing well, or at least not mired in the qualifying scramble.
Speaking of legends, Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins will play each other in the quarter-finals in Beijing if they respectively beat wildcards Xiao Guodong and Tian Pengfei today.
I think O'Sullivan will win easily but Higgins could have his work cut out. Tian impressed me very much in beating Marco Fu. He didn't start to twitch in the way Xiao did against Ding Junhui.
Despite a few shocks, the likes of Ali Carter, Mark Selby and Shaun Murphy are still going strong and we're set for a fascinating finish to the tournament.
It has been well attended so far. This isn't always apparent from the TV pictures but huge numbers of people sit towards the back of the arena in - to put it bluntly - the cheaper seats.
The media attendance dwarfs anything seen in the UK and the event receives huge amounts of coverage in China.
All this can only be for the good of the game.
Speaking of which, I know who is going to be sponsoring the World Championship but it would be wrong for me to pre-empt the official announcement next week.
All I can say is that they have sponsored snooker before and are a 'proper' company that will be good for the tournament.
That's really GREAT NEWS that there will be a sponsor! Can't wait for the official announcement!
ReplyDeletemtfh.
ReplyDeleteit would be wrong for us to guess too?
Dave you are a tease!
ReplyDeleteAs a snooker fan that's such a huge relief.
ReplyDeleteGreat news ... :) Made my day!
ReplyDeleteThey've sponsored before... B&H? Embassy? Rothmans? Anything as long as it's not 888.com who filled my computer with viruses when I first got it 8(88) years ago and then ploughed into my favourite sport and decorated the holy grail with tacky ribbons.
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing London Watches but I'm hoping for a brewery or distillery. After all, who buys watches these days?
It obviously isn't a cigarette company. Hopefully it's an international firm like LG, coming back to Snooker. Royal London Watches would not be a good prospect as they do not have a significant international (or national for that matter) presence. If it's them it would suggest desperation by World Snooker to get a sponsor at any cost.
ReplyDeleteDear David Hendon
ReplyDeletewww.snooker-fineart.com
Being such a prolific snooker writer to so many outlets I hope this info' is not kept "in house".
That was very devious Clive, giving such a lame excuse for your dismissal from the BBC. They wanted a Harry Worth.
You became complacent Clive in commentary's: The reason the cue ball didn't reach the cushion was: The ball was not hit hard enough! And two shots later: The reason the cue ball hit the cushion and went round the green that time was: The cue ball was hit too hard.
These expressions Clive are less than ponderous; even to the "fool from Goole". Joe Davis was snookers first coach, Mr Copyright, Joe reinvented the game and indirectly created many multi-million pound industries that depended solely on the Joe Davis coaching methods.
Joe was one of three remarkable characters. A very liberal and generous person, a wrongly advised person that could not take advice, or a duped person subjected to “early day muggers”.
Joe Davis in today’s (me) culture; Joe would be Mr WPBSA and Mr Original and definitely a Lord of the Realm for creating a completely new industry and millions of jobs worldwide.
The fact that, the Joe Davis © method "got lost" in the “Public Domain” must be a great relief to many snooker bandits, especially Terry with his diplomas for sale business in Wales. W/S should launch an enquiry into the disappearance of the Joe Davis copyright. The great mans family name and the "Game of Snooker" and the country has lost Royal Recognition.
PS Was Joe or his rep' invited to the tobacco table?
Mr. Hey you
you may be correct SF
ReplyDeleteGreat news, Dave! Made my day too :)
ReplyDeleteI am more interested in who the World Chapionships sponsor is than reading this drivel.........
ReplyDeleteHow recently did they previously sponsor snooker David?
ReplyDeleteIt's got to be one of LG, Maplin, Royal Watches, Saga, Travis Perkins although what does Dave mean by 'proper' company?
ReplyDeleteWho is this goon that keeps putting up the same message re: Clive Everton and Joe Davis, around the place? Go away! It's on a few other snooker related sites, just a copy and paste, what an idiot. Sorry Dave.
ReplyDeleteGreat news about the sponsor! Thank goodness!!
G
If I were a betting man, I'd have a few quid on it being Coral!
ReplyDeleteIt's only great news if it's a proper sponsorhip, providing all the prize money and not the WS selling the tournament short, which to be honest would not surprise me one bit.
ReplyDeleteas i said earlier
ReplyDeletemtfh
great win for Hendry against one of the "top" performers in the last year or 2
that is interesting Nottingham snooker news but i would like LG
ReplyDeleteI hope it's Lada again!
ReplyDeleteHofmeister.........do they still make lager? The world championships is to be turned into a doubles tournament.
ReplyDeleteSome much good news in one post. And it's definitely too late for an April Fool!
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking Yamaha Organs are the barnd new sponsor.
ReplyDeleteThere will be 3 players in the final this year playing each other on a round robin basis and the tournament is being moved to The Assmebly Rooms in Derby.
I'm sure John Dunning reached the final back then.
Great news, but the question is for how long is the new sponsor going to last! hope they make a great contract for long long time... and it doesn't matter who the sponsor really is as long as they are doing the proper job in snooker! Cheers and greetings from Croatia :-)
ReplyDeleteIt must be time for the return of the Dulux World Championships and the dog can present the cup!
ReplyDelete...and the winner can paint the town red...
ReplyDelete(sorry)
how about the Tennants, Stormseal, Coalite, Wickes, or Jamesons World championshis
ReplyDeleteSurely if it was Dulux it would have been plastered all over the papers...
ReplyDeleteI remember Silvino winning the Dulux British Open
ReplyDeleteIt was a very emulsional moment
Jamesson or Hofmeister sounds best to me - with free samples for all spectators. Then again why not Fosters - they did a year of the doubles too.
ReplyDeleteDulux wouldnt be interested as Griffiths and Thorburn have retired so it is no longer like watching paint dry!
ReplyDeleteHaving said that they, at there best, would beat most of this years 32 with ease and leave them out in the dog house.
I've heard it's Betfred
ReplyDeleteI've heard its Paddy Power
ReplyDeleteI've heard its Ladbrokes
ReplyDeletebetfred is a shout, but coral or LG are my faveroutes
ReplyDeleteNone of those 3 have sponsored ranking snooker before (Betfred did the Premier league)
ReplyDeleteThe betting industry, at least where the big boys are concerned, seems to be coping pretty well in these difficult financial times so it wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if one of them became involved. As Dave keeps saying snooker is getting bigger in Europe so for a betting company who want to grow their european brand this seems like a sensible move. I'm interested to know which one it will be. Am I right in saying that Betfred and Corals (I mean sportsbooks as opposed to casinos) are the only one's who have sponsored previously?
ReplyDeleteIf we've counting the Premiere League then there's Party Poker.com. There may be others as I think there's been new sponsors since BetFred gave it up.
ReplyDelete'The Great' says it's BetFred - then it's BetFred
ReplyDeleteDulux or not, I hope it is a good sponsor. I want World Snooker to stay....... solvent.
ReplyDeletegeddit?
...I'll get my coat.
It's definetly not Betfred.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bookie... FACT
ReplyDeleteGreat news about the sponsor, but why on earth do World Snooker appear to take an age to announce them.
ReplyDeleteThey announced the Bank of Beijing/Hyundai deal for the China open at the eleventh hour too.
I am however glad WS did not sell-out cheaply their showpiece event and that they hung on for a substantial sponsor. (From what I gather from what Dave has said this is the case)
My understanding is that they would release this info at the first oppertunity, as it is just over 2 weeks away now. By that at least some media coverage/interest could be drummed up, but we all know about WS's relationship with many aspects of the media.
It remains to be seen how 'substantial' the deal is. Is it just for one year or is it for several years. So the jury is out on whether it is a 'cheap sell out' or not.
ReplyDeletedoc marten
ReplyDeleteHi Dave (am going to be lazy and repost this...am I warm on any of more views?)
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I am wrong, but I notice the London Watches/Maplin boards around other tournament tables, than the tourments they actually sponsor(Masters/UK Championship.)
So, do they drip-feed extra sponsor money into other tournaments and, if so, would it not be possible for them to contribute to the Sheffield jamboree? It would make sense, seeing as they only have them for a maximum of 7 days TV play at other tournmanets, when this is 17 days of great blanket coverage.
Any idea how much these companies put in and why they couldn't do it for The Crucible?
Thanks, Joe
PS But I think it is LG now.
Hi Dave (am going to be lazy and repost this...am I warm on any of more views?)
ReplyDeleteCorrect me if I am wrong, but I notice the London Watches/Maplin boards around other tournament tables, than the tourments they actually sponsor(Masters/UK Championship.)
So, do they drip-feed extra sponsor money into other tournaments and, if so, would it not be possible for them to contribute to the Sheffield jamboree? It would make sense, seeing as they only have them for a maximum of 7 days TV play at other tournmanets, when this is 17 days of great blanket coverage.
Any idea how much these companies put in and why they couldn't do it for The Crucible?
Thanks, Joe
PS But I think it is LG now.
It has to be the Guinness World Professional Snooker Championship - has a nice ring to it!
ReplyDeleteTo the "fine art" guy, you're becoming very boring indeed now. My advice to you would be to produce a World Champion using your methods, then we might take you seriously!
ReplyDeleteRegarding sponsors- We've missed out Liverpool Victoria I think- they're still going aren't they?
Hofmeister stopped being produced several years ago- it was one of the weaker lagers, and people these days prefer the stronger, continental types.
I would be amazed if it was anyone other than Royal Liverpool, LG, or one of the betting companies.
As for the China Open, really enjoying it so far. Great to have Eurosport back after I renewed my subscription after a period away. One problem though is that the sound levels from the arena aren't nearly high enough- we can't appreciate the atmosphere with it like that.
actually, it's not so much people only buying cheaper tickets... the section that's closest to the baulk cushion (which is mostly what the camera captures) is a VIP section attended by players, VIPs and people with connections, hence not always full (or half full)...
ReplyDeleteChina is a very vast area, on fact massive.
ReplyDelete