It's interesting that the only top 16 player to enter the first Pro Challenge Series event ended up winning it.
Stephen Maguire is £5,000 better off for going to Leeds. Good luck to him. It's more profitable than knocking balls in at his home club.
Despite what people say, there is a clear difference in standard when you compare players at the top of the rankings with those lower down.
The top ranked players are where they are because they are better. They all started at the bottom and have risen through the ranks because of how well they have played.
I realise this sounds obvious but it is perhaps still worth saying.
"I realise this sounds obvious but it is perhaps still worth saying."
ReplyDeleteAgreed Dave
many believe the current rankings protect the top players. it didnt protect Doherty very well did it.
better you play higher up the rankings you go really whatever the ranking system thats the bottom line for everyone.
Well played Stephen Class told here.
Is there any news yet about Mcguire and Burnett?
ReplyDeleteI get fed up of hearing snooker observers saying 'there's great strength in depth in snooker' when there quite simply isn't. Good to read the opposite for once.
ReplyDeleteYou are not wrong Dave, but I would say that three of Maguire's matches went to a decider, two of which are ranked 47th and 61st so it wasn't totally plain sailing.
ReplyDeleteThen again I guess the difference between the good and the very good players is their ability to handle pressure and come through in these tight matches.
You see more errors in shot selection when you compare top players to lower ranked players. It's obvious when you study them.
ReplyDeleteWho is Mcguire?
ReplyDeleteI agree that top ranked players are where they are because they are better, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any players in the top 16 who shouldn’t be there. There are because the system is shielding them a bit. You have to have a pretty horrible season to drop down like Doherty or Dott, otherwise you are a bit protected.
ReplyDeleteIn this tournament, the top ranked player won because it was Maguire, world #2. I’m not going to point names but if there were other certain top 16 players instead of him in this Pro Challenge the outcome of the tournament might have been completely different.
I wonder if certain top 16 players decided not to participate to avoid the embarrassment of a loss to a low ranked player, something that would expose how bad their game is at the moment.
i disagree with everything youve out there Mig. :)
ReplyDelete14 members of the top 16 won their first round matches at the Crucible this year
ReplyDeleteSo not much embarrassment for them there
I believe the draw structure of the ranking tournaments protects the top players immensely.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the system not protecting Doherty that is not true . He has won 5 matches out of 20 in 2 seasons and is still in the top 48 because he was in the top 16 & 32 for the last 2 seasons.
I know there are players ranked well below Doherty who have won more than 20 matches in the same 2 seasons. If a top 16 player wins 6 first round matches this season a rookie would have to win 30 to earn the same amount of points.
IMHO if you proposed our draw structure to other sports they would laugh at you. And with a manager of several of the top 16 players on the WSA board I do not see the system changing anytime soon .
They are better in the match arena, but in practice I bet there is nothing between all the pro's really.
ReplyDelete110 have a number of players who are outside the top 16. I have no doubt that even if the points structure changed they would still have an equal amount in the top 16 because they are better players.
ReplyDeleteAfterall, they have seven of the last 16 and four of the quarter finalists in last years World Championships, the reason - they are btter than the average player.
it will help to pay his taxi bills....
ReplyDelete