Ronnie O’Sullivan tonight became the first player to win two Players Tour Championship titles in a single season with a 4-2 defeat of Matthew Stevens in Gloucester.
I was there on Friday and O’Sullivan was focused and committed from the start.
He travelled down with Damien Hirst, a fellow artist, and conducted himself in exemplary fashion, signing autographs, posing for pictures and generally being professional.
Why shouldn’t he, you may well ask. That’s what pro snooker players are supposed to do. And you’d be right.
The point is, though, that there were no distractions for him. His mind was concentrated fully on the job in hand. He went there to win and that's what he did.
I watched a couple of his matches in the arena and it was clear how seriously he was taking it. His disappointment at bad shots was obvious and he couldn’t have tried harder.
O’Sullivan got his reward in the end and well done to him. He remains snooker’s leading attraction and I'm pleased to see him enjoying himself and playing some good stuff again.
He also knows he can’t afford to take any tournament carrying ranking points lightly with his top 16 place under constant threat this season unless he gets some major points on board.
If he can remain in this frame of mind he has every chance of doing so.
Uniquely, the players wore pink polo shirts to raise money and awareness for breast cancer charities.
It was an emotional few days for South West Snooker Academy owner Paul Mount, after whose sister the Kay Suzanne trophy was named.
The final was played on the fifth anniversary of Paul Hunter’s death and it was therefore fitting that his best friend on the circuit, Stevens, had such a good run.
And as play was progressing today, cancer claimed another victim among the snooker fraternity as Dave Coleshill, the long time TV lighting technician, passed away.
Big Dave was a cheerful, reliable figure backstage with many friends on the circuit. His name won’t be known by many snooker fans but he played a very important part in the way the look of TV tournaments evolved over the last 25 years.
The players are the shop window of the game but there are many others who make it a professional sport, and Dave was one of the biggest characters at any tournament. He will be sadly missed.
18 comments:
"He travelled down with Damien Hirst, a fellow artist"
in what sense is ROS an artist?
Well done Ronnie! It was noteworthy that the final colour he potted was a pink.
11:57 Get a life!
Hey Ronnie's artwork is pretty good—it's currently being exhibited on his mother's kitchen wall.
All you have to do is watch him play, to see that he is indeed an Artist.
Delighted for Ronnie.
He seems to be hoovering up lots of points in the PTC events, but is sliding down the rankings.
Just goes to show how much more important the major ranking events are, where he has done poorly so far.
Ronnie seems obliviouas to this blog and the intransigency of the less discerning poster.
His future lies in short matches played while in the prescence of an artist who slices cattle in half and places them in formadyhide.
11:57
because he's Liam Gallagher's secret twin.
He had to stop diving in the audience because of his back problems.
You should watch (again) 5:20.
It might convince you that ROs is gifted, as McEnroe was in tennis.
1.48 .. That's a moo-t point, one of the funniest responses I have ever read!
I reckon Damian stores the unwanted half cow udder Ronnie's practice table...
I worked with Dave Coleshill a few years ago and he was the most caring, fun person who would always have time for everyone. Massively sad loss
i think its nonsense to say anyone can win a PTC you have to play well to win them.
5 out of 7 this season has been won by World Champions and Ranking Event Winners. even Andrew Higginson has made a Full Ranking Final.
They Are Levellers to some extent but more often than not the Best Players wins Them.
Just to let you know Dave Irelands radio show pat kenny on RTE RADIO 1 will be doing a piece on Hurricane Higgins today the show is on now until 12
The PTC results seem to have held to a more predictable pattern this season. Either the TV coverage and audiences are adding a more traditional pressure or the top players have realised they have to be taken seriously, after seeing what has happened to Hendry and Ronnie this season. Either way, it shows that the rankings aren't really "protecting" the top seeds: the top players got there for a reason, and stayed there for a reason.
Tony Francis on the Hurricane on Irish radio earlier;
"He was extremely difficult to manage. Indeed one manager, Howard Kruger went bankrupt after a stint managing him".
lol.
There is a reason O'Sullivan has had a 147, 20+ centuries and two PTC wins this season (first player to win 2 in 1 season).
It is because he is playing very well. That's it. Whilst I have reservations about PTC on the whole (mainly how the points system is for all events in Snooker), it seems to me the same haters can't stand O'Sullivan succeeding and blowing their "He is finished" argument out of the water.
He is not Mr "finished at 27" Hendry.
Hendry won the world title, Masters and UK at 27 you muppet.
Hendry won 1 major after 1996. That is what I was referring to.
Terribly sad news about Dave Coleshill.
A terrific guy, good fun to be with, good company on a night out, and someone who would always help you when he could.
A decade ago, when the all-new TSN were attempting to do something very different online with snooker, I remember we were filming interviews at Bournemouth.
While we had a camera and microphones, we needed lights. Dave was asked, said he'd see what he could do, and half and hour later, with extension cable and lamps appearing through various entrances and fire doors (so no-one else knew where they'd come from) and we had lights.
As David Hendon rightly says, Dave was one of the many people who made snooker happen. A sad loss to the game, and, to those who knew him.
Stewart Weir
Only just heard the sad news about Dave today
An absolutely lovely guy,I did a fair amount of jobs for Dave
and loved the banter and pisstaking we always had.
I was the 'northern monkey' and he was the 'southern scum'
RIP mate,
Love-Banksy
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