13.1.13

THE MASTERS: DAY ONE

So the Betfair Masters is upon us at the Alexandra Palace.

There’s no hiding place in this tournament: just one table and the top 16 players in the world.

Let’s take a look at today’s matches…

NEIL ROBERTSON v DING JUNHUI

A brutal opener, this, for both players featuring as it does the last two winners of the title.

Ding is suffering for his inconsistency by failing to secure a top eight place and thus facing one of the top eight in the first round. But this draw does Robertson no favours either because, on song, Ding is as good as anyone.

Defending champions are always under pressure on the opening day. Robertson was when he lost 10-8 to Judd Trump in the first round of the 2011 World Championship. The defending champion has lost on the first afternoon of the Masters for the last two years.

Robertson, though, is a first rate match player, calmness personified when the pressure comes on. Even so, any weaknesses in his game will surely be pounced on. Ding is a hard player to predict but after first round defeats in all of the big three tournaments in 2012 it’s about time he came good again.

PREDICTION: Ding 6-4


MARK ALLEN v MARK DAVIS

Davis is making his second appearance in the Masters, ten years after his first. He has enjoyed a terrific couple of years in which he has beaten top players and produced the goods on television.

Allen is a feisty talent from Northern Ireland who reached the Masters semi-finals two years ago. His game is formidable when he’s on song and after a first round exit at the UK Championship he’ll be looking to make amends here.

I think it’s only a matter of time before he wins one of the big three and wouldn’t be surprised if it was this week.

PREDICTION: Allen 6-3

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

My Prediction

Robertson to win 6-2
Allen to win 6-5

Anonymous said...

Hi Dave,

I liked your previous post about the Magic of the Masters, magic in itself that piece was. As a viewer at home, I do feel it lost some appeal since 2006 when it moved from the Wembley Conference Centre. That venue was unique, and gave it a unique presence, whereas the venues since then just look like largened versions of the ranking event cycle where they ship in the temporary seats, seems to be nothing different about it now.

However, it should be good. Other question I have for you, what is the reason that they don't have wildcards anymore in the last couple of years? I think the wildcards was a great thing, and it guaranteed the public to see someone that they are endeared to, such as a Davis or a White or a Hendry. I thought with Barry Hearn in charge that this would definitely still have been in place, and it would have been especially good this year as despite the number of good players on show, the draw is somewhat bereft of players who capture the public's imagination, with Hendry retired and O'Sullivan on a sabbatical.

Anonymous said...

Now that the seedings/ranking are updated 3 times a year why is the draw not 1 v 16, 2 v 15, 3 v 14 etc, as at Sheffield? It is ridiculous that Robbo has to play Ding in round 1 when he could be playing the player ranked 16.

Anonymous said...

Annoying that the BBC cut off in the tenth frame. Thank God for Eurosport and the great team there.

BTW are you and your fellow commentators at the venue this year? Would be great to hear/read some exclusive stuff from you guys.

Dave H said...

We are at the Ally Pally yes

JAMIE O'REILLY said...

Hi David. What a match to kick off the 2013 masters Robertson .V.Ding.

Robertson 2-0 up with a 76 break, and a steel on the pink. Ding responds well. A century, and he won the fourth. 2-all at the mid session interval. Robertson goes 3-2 up. Ding, helped by another century, leads 5-3. What a rospose by Robertson. Helped by a century, he trails 5-4. Then levels, 5-all. He then makes 90, to win. Robertson 6-5 Ding. What a superb match.

Anonymous said...

that's great youre at the venue david.

where are you situated when youre actually doing the commenting?

JAMIE O'REILLY said...

Hi David. A great standard second matvh today. Mark Allen .V. Mark Davis. Allen makes 136 from the Davis break-off. 1-0. Davis levels, 1-all. Allen goes 2-1 up, 2-all. Both plaayers over 90 percent pot success. After the interval, Allen took control. He won four in a row, to win, 6-2, and set up a mouth-watering Neil Robertson .V. Mark Allen quater-Final.

A great first day's play, in my view.

JAMIE O'REILLY said...

Hi David. I would also like to pay tribute, and wish a very happy 44th birthday, for today, to 6-time Masters winner, BBC pundit, and snooker legend, Stephen Hendry.

He was, of course, born on January 13, 1969.

Happy 44th birthday, for today, to Stephen Hendry M.B.E.

JAMIE O'REILLY said...

Hi David. As for a incident in The Masters when Mark Allen needed to use the long rest, today/ we all no what happend next. I'm sure most people have done it.

Anonymous said...

'perfect angle on the blue to split the reds. Ideally, needs to hit the pink full'.

So, all eyes (sadly, not the producer's) on the white and its collision with the pack of reds.
The aforementioned producer however, is more concerned with the blue's journey to the middle pocket.
Can we just see the full view of the table. That way, we see both aspects of the shot.
Incidentally, the guy employed to operate the camera that follows random balls round the table zooming in and out as he goes, he can be let go, surely !

Anonymous said...

@808

It's for people with 3D televisions. There isn't much point watching snooker in 3D if all you get is a table view, you need to have the balls rolling towards you to get the full effect.

Anonymous said...

that's great youre at the venue david.

where are you situated when youre actually doing the commenting?

Anonymous said...

808, do you go on football websites slagging off the cameramen there when they don't follow exactly what you want?

Anonymous said...

It's for people with 3D televisions, of course.
Personally, I'd rather watch both aspects of each shot, the pot and resultant position especially if it includes a canon or split of the pack etc.
Then again, obviously there is more of a demand for being hit in the face by a red ball !