Is there any snooker story more boring than an Alex Higgins 'comeback'?
Higgins has been invited to play in the Irish Professional Championship next week. It makes sense for the organisers: he's a former champion but, more than that, he attracts considerable publicity for the event.
However, what people need to understand is this: Higgins is way, way past his best. Anyone who genuinely thinks this is a comeback is sadly misguided.
I don't begrudge Alex his latest return to competition. We should all remember his part in snooker's rise to prominence in the 1970s and 80s.
Higgins was the original bad-boy, but he was also a genius. Watch his 69 clearance against Jimmy White in their 1982 Crucible semi-final. Some of the shots he pulled off in that match-saving break remain beyond belief.
He was the 'people's champion' but these people should also accept his appalling record of behaviour.
It's tempting to look back misty-eyed on all this and take a kind of 'God bless Alex, he was a character' viewpoint but anyone who thinks physical assaults are acceptable have clearly never been on the end of one.
I prefer to remember Higgins from his 1982 world title victory, on the Crucible stage with his wife and daughter crying tears of happiness and relief, not as the figure he later became.
5.10.06
FAREWELL TO THE SPORTSMAN
The Sportsman - the sports betting newspaper set up last March - has today shut down.
This is particularly disappointing for me as I was their snooker correspondent.
I was in the first issue and I was in what proved to be the last issue. If I say so myself, I got off to a blinding start by tipping James Wattana to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in the China Open in the very first edition.
In fact, the whole of that tournament was successful for me but tipping, just like punting itself, is about swings and roundabouts and I didn't enjoy much success at the World Championship (tipping John Higgins to win the title; Michael Holt to reach the quarter-finals).
My last two tips? Ding Jun Hui to beat Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry to beat Steve Davis in tonight's Premier League.
The results? 5-1 to Jimmy and 5-1 to Steve.
Perhaps this is a good time to bow out.
This is particularly disappointing for me as I was their snooker correspondent.
I was in the first issue and I was in what proved to be the last issue. If I say so myself, I got off to a blinding start by tipping James Wattana to beat Ronnie O'Sullivan in the China Open in the very first edition.
In fact, the whole of that tournament was successful for me but tipping, just like punting itself, is about swings and roundabouts and I didn't enjoy much success at the World Championship (tipping John Higgins to win the title; Michael Holt to reach the quarter-finals).
My last two tips? Ding Jun Hui to beat Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry to beat Steve Davis in tonight's Premier League.
The results? 5-1 to Jimmy and 5-1 to Steve.
Perhaps this is a good time to bow out.
4.10.06
UPCOMING
World Snooker will announce on Thursday the venue and sponsor for The Masters as well as some other interesting news about the tournament.
I'm not going to pre-empt their announcement by revealing it here, but it is bound to cause plenty of discussion.
I'm not going to pre-empt their announcement by revealing it here, but it is bound to cause plenty of discussion.
WHEN THE DUST SETTLES...
Well that was fun, at least for those of us not having to play.
Player opinion on the new round robin qualifying system employed for the Royal London Watches GrandPrix was mixed. Some were for it but most of those I spoke to were against it - though many of these failed to qualify.
One well known player I spoke to off the record said this: "There was no need to do this for the qualifiers. It's something television has demanded but there's no TV here. Everyone's had to come here for five days but some players will earn as little as £250 out of it. It should have been knockout. Best of fives are too short."
Others were for it and I have to say I was surprised at how well it worked. It was certainly exciting on the last day and I'd suggest things will be closer still in Aberdeen because the groups contain only six players.
On balance, I prefer knockout snooker, but this has been an interesting experiment and should guarantee tension in spades at the televised phase.
The qualifiers were:
Group A: Issara Kachaiwong, Jamie Jones
Group B: Michael Judge, Dominic Dale
Group C: Jamie Cope, Paul Davison
Group D: Judd Trump, David Roe
Group E: Liang Wenbo, Gerard Greene
Group F: Robin Hull, Fergal O'Brien
Group G: Ben Woollaston, Andrew Norman
Group H: Mark Allen, Tom Ford
You'll recall I tried to predict who would get through shortly before it all started. As it transpired, I got 7 out of 16 right: not great, but not a disaster either.
Player opinion on the new round robin qualifying system employed for the Royal London Watches GrandPrix was mixed. Some were for it but most of those I spoke to were against it - though many of these failed to qualify.
One well known player I spoke to off the record said this: "There was no need to do this for the qualifiers. It's something television has demanded but there's no TV here. Everyone's had to come here for five days but some players will earn as little as £250 out of it. It should have been knockout. Best of fives are too short."
Others were for it and I have to say I was surprised at how well it worked. It was certainly exciting on the last day and I'd suggest things will be closer still in Aberdeen because the groups contain only six players.
On balance, I prefer knockout snooker, but this has been an interesting experiment and should guarantee tension in spades at the televised phase.
The qualifiers were:
Group A: Issara Kachaiwong, Jamie Jones
Group B: Michael Judge, Dominic Dale
Group C: Jamie Cope, Paul Davison
Group D: Judd Trump, David Roe
Group E: Liang Wenbo, Gerard Greene
Group F: Robin Hull, Fergal O'Brien
Group G: Ben Woollaston, Andrew Norman
Group H: Mark Allen, Tom Ford
You'll recall I tried to predict who would get through shortly before it all started. As it transpired, I got 7 out of 16 right: not great, but not a disaster either.
HALFWAY POINT
Halfway through a tense day here at Prestatyn and these are the Royal London Watches Grand Prix qualifiers so far...
Group A: Issara Kachaiwong, Jamie Jones
Group B: Michael Judge, Dominic Dale
Group C: Jamie Cope, Paul Davison
Group D: Judd Trump, David Roe
It's been exciting to say the least. Dale needed Shokat Ali to beat Sean Storey 3-2 - no other score would have done - to go through.
Ali led 2-1 before Storey levelled. The Grimsby man needed to win to qualify but lost the decider and Dale duly advanced, saying "I must be the luckiest man here."
Group A: Issara Kachaiwong, Jamie Jones
Group B: Michael Judge, Dominic Dale
Group C: Jamie Cope, Paul Davison
Group D: Judd Trump, David Roe
It's been exciting to say the least. Dale needed Shokat Ali to beat Sean Storey 3-2 - no other score would have done - to go through.
Ali led 2-1 before Storey levelled. The Grimsby man needed to win to qualify but lost the decider and Dale duly advanced, saying "I must be the luckiest man here."
POSTCARD FROM PONTIN'S
Today promises to be fascinating as the 16 qualifiers for the Royal London Watches Grand Prix are finally known.
Here at Pontin’s, we have spent many an hour staring at the possibilities and all we have is a headache rather than a clear idea as to what will happen.
Jimmy White is out – we think, although there are scenarios being put forward that involve him going through in a one-frame shootout.
What we can say for sure is that the young players, used to this quickfire format, have fared the best.
The definite qualifiers so far are Judd Trump, Ben Woollaston, Issara Kachaiwong, Mark Allen, Jamie Cope and Liang Wenbo: all young, all good for the final stages where television debuts await for three of them.
Best of fives seem too short for many players here, but nobody can deny it’s exciting. And today it will get even more exciting as the qualifiers come down to the wire.
Here at Pontin’s, we have spent many an hour staring at the possibilities and all we have is a headache rather than a clear idea as to what will happen.
Jimmy White is out – we think, although there are scenarios being put forward that involve him going through in a one-frame shootout.
What we can say for sure is that the young players, used to this quickfire format, have fared the best.
The definite qualifiers so far are Judd Trump, Ben Woollaston, Issara Kachaiwong, Mark Allen, Jamie Cope and Liang Wenbo: all young, all good for the final stages where television debuts await for three of them.
Best of fives seem too short for many players here, but nobody can deny it’s exciting. And today it will get even more exciting as the qualifiers come down to the wire.
2.10.06
AS IT STANDS...
Around halfway into the Royal London Watches Grand Prix qualifiers, these are the players going through:
Group A: Ricky Walden and Matthew Couch
Group B: Andrew Higginson and Michael Judge
Group C: Jamie Cope and Rory McLeod
Group D: Judd Trump and John Parrott
Group E: David Morris and Liang Wenbo
Group F: Fergal O'Brien and Adrian Gunnell
Group G: Ben Woollaston and Andrew Norman
Group H: Mark Allen and Tom Ford
Much can change of course before Wednesday's final round of matches
Group A: Ricky Walden and Matthew Couch
Group B: Andrew Higginson and Michael Judge
Group C: Jamie Cope and Rory McLeod
Group D: Judd Trump and John Parrott
Group E: David Morris and Liang Wenbo
Group F: Fergal O'Brien and Adrian Gunnell
Group G: Ben Woollaston and Andrew Norman
Group H: Mark Allen and Tom Ford
Much can change of course before Wednesday's final round of matches
1.10.06
ALARM BELLS RING IN PRESTATYN
A fire in one of the entertainment areas at Pontin's has caused the two playing arenas to be evacuated at the Royal London Grand Prix qualifiers.
The players have had to up-cues in the middle of their matches with no immediate sign when play can resume.
This is the last thing the tournament organisers wanted, bearing in mind the new round robin system which means there are around 40 matches played each day.
There will now be a huge backlog to get through, which suggests players and officials will be burning the midnight oil (not literally, I should add).
7PM UPDATE: Play has resumed after a two hour wait
The players have had to up-cues in the middle of their matches with no immediate sign when play can resume.
This is the last thing the tournament organisers wanted, bearing in mind the new round robin system which means there are around 40 matches played each day.
There will now be a huge backlog to get through, which suggests players and officials will be burning the midnight oil (not literally, I should add).
7PM UPDATE: Play has resumed after a two hour wait
POOR START FOR WHITE, GOOD START FOR PARROTT
Jimmy White lost his first two qualifying matches in the Royal London Watches Grand Prix at Pontin's, Prestatyn on Saturday and is now struggling to reach Aberdeen.
White was beaten 3-2 by Tom Ford and 3-1 by Joe Jogia and needs to win his last four group matches to stand any chance of making the TV phase.
However, another veteran, John Parrott, who beat White in the 1991 World Championship final, made a much better start, beating Drew Henry 3-2 and Dave Gilbert 3-1.
You can follow the scores live on GSC and worldsnooker.com by clicking the links to the right.
White was beaten 3-2 by Tom Ford and 3-1 by Joe Jogia and needs to win his last four group matches to stand any chance of making the TV phase.
However, another veteran, John Parrott, who beat White in the 1991 World Championship final, made a much better start, beating Drew Henry 3-2 and Dave Gilbert 3-1.
You can follow the scores live on GSC and worldsnooker.com by clicking the links to the right.
26.9.06
WHAT DO I KNOW?
Here's a chance to find out as I put my head on the block by predicting who will come through the Royal London Watches Grand Prix qualifiers at Prestatyn next week...
Group A: Ricky Walden and Tian Pengfei
Group B: Sean Storey and Michael Judge
Group C: Jamie Cope and Rory McLeod
Group D: Judd Trump and Dave Gilbert
Group E: Gerard Greene and David Morris
Group F: Adrian Gunnell and Stuart Pettman
Group G: Paul Davies and Ben Woollaston
Group H: Mark Allen and Tom Ford
Fingers crossed!
Group A: Ricky Walden and Tian Pengfei
Group B: Sean Storey and Michael Judge
Group C: Jamie Cope and Rory McLeod
Group D: Judd Trump and Dave Gilbert
Group E: Gerard Greene and David Morris
Group F: Adrian Gunnell and Stuart Pettman
Group G: Paul Davies and Ben Woollaston
Group H: Mark Allen and Tom Ford
Fingers crossed!
21.9.06
THE DEPRESSING TRUTH ABOUT RONNIE
Watching Stephen Fry’s programme on manic depression on BBC2 the other day I couldn’t help thinking of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Fry explored the bipolar condition that causes sufferers to experience both extreme highs and crushing lows.
Ronnie has been treated for depression and his moods seem to swing between the two ends of the spectrum with alarming unpredictability.
Of course, this has affected his career to the extent that he hasn’t won as many tournaments as his talent deserves.
However, it has also helped fashion him as an enigma, whose curious statements and behaviour add to the excitement of how he plays.
In his autobiography, O’Sullivan talked of how Prozac helped him to control the problem but it clearly persists.
Watching Fry’s programme, you wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
Fry explored the bipolar condition that causes sufferers to experience both extreme highs and crushing lows.
Ronnie has been treated for depression and his moods seem to swing between the two ends of the spectrum with alarming unpredictability.
Of course, this has affected his career to the extent that he hasn’t won as many tournaments as his talent deserves.
However, it has also helped fashion him as an enigma, whose curious statements and behaviour add to the excitement of how he plays.
In his autobiography, O’Sullivan talked of how Prozac helped him to control the problem but it clearly persists.
Watching Fry’s programme, you wouldn’t wish it on anyone.
18.9.06
HENDRY: SHY BUT NOT RETIRING
Stephen Hendry once vowed to retire at 30. He’s now 37 and still going strong.
Then again, he was in his early 20s when he made his claim and 30 must have seemed a long way off.
Hendry, the most successful player in snooker history, is back as world no.1 in the rankings eight years after relinquishing pole position. Remarkably, it is 16 years since he first secured top spot.
The Scot has won seven Crucible titles, five UK Championships, six Wembley Masters crowns and a total of 36 ranking event trophies – eight more than nearest challenger Steve Davis.
He has compiled more centuries than any other player – close to 700 – and has amassed over £8m in prize money.
On the face of it, he’s done it all and could, in theory, retire happily. But what would be the point if he still believes he can provide a significant challenge to his younger rivals?
I don’t think Hendry is the player he was in the early to mid 1990s, when he was quite simply the best the game has ever seen. He took snooker to a different level and his commitment and total self belief were to be admired.
There’s few in the game who didn’t wish Jimmy White had won at least one of their four world finals but Hendry was there to do his job and did so with considerable authority.
Not everyone took to him. They mistook his innate shyness for aloofness and contrasted his quiet determination with White's natural ebullience.
An edge has gone from Hendry’s game, though on his day he is still a force to be reckoned with. I think it is chiefly his concentration that is the problem. He never enjoyed safety, preferring to attack, but now seems completely unwilling to engage in the tactical side of the game.
He misses the odd pot here and there that would have been unthinkable 10-15 years ago and is a less frequent visitor to the game’s winner’s circle as a result.
All this is inevitable. It happened to Steve Davis as he got older. It happens to all players.
However, I wouldn’t back against Hendry collecting further silverware. All he needs is a week in which everything goes right again. At his best, he is still one of the very best.
Retirement at 30 didn’t happen. I’d bet on him being around long after he turns 40.
Then again, he was in his early 20s when he made his claim and 30 must have seemed a long way off.
Hendry, the most successful player in snooker history, is back as world no.1 in the rankings eight years after relinquishing pole position. Remarkably, it is 16 years since he first secured top spot.
The Scot has won seven Crucible titles, five UK Championships, six Wembley Masters crowns and a total of 36 ranking event trophies – eight more than nearest challenger Steve Davis.
He has compiled more centuries than any other player – close to 700 – and has amassed over £8m in prize money.
On the face of it, he’s done it all and could, in theory, retire happily. But what would be the point if he still believes he can provide a significant challenge to his younger rivals?
I don’t think Hendry is the player he was in the early to mid 1990s, when he was quite simply the best the game has ever seen. He took snooker to a different level and his commitment and total self belief were to be admired.
There’s few in the game who didn’t wish Jimmy White had won at least one of their four world finals but Hendry was there to do his job and did so with considerable authority.
Not everyone took to him. They mistook his innate shyness for aloofness and contrasted his quiet determination with White's natural ebullience.
An edge has gone from Hendry’s game, though on his day he is still a force to be reckoned with. I think it is chiefly his concentration that is the problem. He never enjoyed safety, preferring to attack, but now seems completely unwilling to engage in the tactical side of the game.
He misses the odd pot here and there that would have been unthinkable 10-15 years ago and is a less frequent visitor to the game’s winner’s circle as a result.
All this is inevitable. It happened to Steve Davis as he got older. It happens to all players.
However, I wouldn’t back against Hendry collecting further silverware. All he needs is a week in which everything goes right again. At his best, he is still one of the very best.
Retirement at 30 didn’t happen. I’d bet on him being around long after he turns 40.
14.9.06
RONNIE AND DING SET TO RENEW RIVALRY
The big money Betfred Premier League kicks off for another year tonight, with the first match featuring the two favourites for the title.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the event for the last two years and is as short as evens with the Tote to complete a hat-trick.
It’s an ideal competition for O’Sullivan. Uniquely, there is a 25 seconds per shot time limit in operation, which means players have to get on with it, limiting the amount of safety play.
Also, O’Sullivan is known to hate having to hang around at week long tournaments, where there may be two or three days between matches. In the League, he merely has to breeze in, play his match and then breeze out again.
There is a huge financial incentive on offer as well. The top prize is £50,000 – more than most ranking events – and players receive £1,000 for every frame won plus another £1,000 for every century.
O’Sullivan scooped £87,000 from the event last year and will be highly motivated to top up his bank balance still further.
However, his opponent in Carlisle tonight, China’s Ding Jun Hui, comes into the event having beaten O’Sullivan 9-6 in the season’s first tournament, last month’s Northern Ireland Trophy.
Ding, still only 19, plays the same flowing sort of game as O’Sullivan and is his main rival to League success this season.
The League line-up is determined by promoters Matchroom and their decision to exclude John Higgins, the only player to win more than one major title last season, has raised eyebrows.
Instead, Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty, world champion Graeme Dott and veterans Steve Davis and Jimmy White have been given the nod.
Hendry, six times the champion, is in action tonight against Dott, who will surely struggle at first with the shot-clock.
Dott’s style is resolutely methodical – he battled against Peter Ebdon for 14 hours in their world final – and he will have to change his entire game if he’s to make any impact on the League.
Hendry, though back to no.1 in the world, has not produced consistently good form for a couple of years but his fast, attacking style of play is tailor made for success in the League, which is why he’s only once failed to qualify for the semi-finals in the 14 years since play-offs were introduced.
Ronnie O’Sullivan has won the event for the last two years and is as short as evens with the Tote to complete a hat-trick.
It’s an ideal competition for O’Sullivan. Uniquely, there is a 25 seconds per shot time limit in operation, which means players have to get on with it, limiting the amount of safety play.
Also, O’Sullivan is known to hate having to hang around at week long tournaments, where there may be two or three days between matches. In the League, he merely has to breeze in, play his match and then breeze out again.
There is a huge financial incentive on offer as well. The top prize is £50,000 – more than most ranking events – and players receive £1,000 for every frame won plus another £1,000 for every century.
O’Sullivan scooped £87,000 from the event last year and will be highly motivated to top up his bank balance still further.
However, his opponent in Carlisle tonight, China’s Ding Jun Hui, comes into the event having beaten O’Sullivan 9-6 in the season’s first tournament, last month’s Northern Ireland Trophy.
Ding, still only 19, plays the same flowing sort of game as O’Sullivan and is his main rival to League success this season.
The League line-up is determined by promoters Matchroom and their decision to exclude John Higgins, the only player to win more than one major title last season, has raised eyebrows.
Instead, Stephen Hendry, Ken Doherty, world champion Graeme Dott and veterans Steve Davis and Jimmy White have been given the nod.
Hendry, six times the champion, is in action tonight against Dott, who will surely struggle at first with the shot-clock.
Dott’s style is resolutely methodical – he battled against Peter Ebdon for 14 hours in their world final – and he will have to change his entire game if he’s to make any impact on the League.
Hendry, though back to no.1 in the world, has not produced consistently good form for a couple of years but his fast, attacking style of play is tailor made for success in the League, which is why he’s only once failed to qualify for the semi-finals in the 14 years since play-offs were introduced.
8.9.06
ROUND ROBINS: ASKING FOR TROUBLE?
Two men who deserve your sympathy in the coming weeks are Mike Ganley and Martin Clark, World Snooker's excellent tournament directors.
Mike and Martin well be especially tested at the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Aberdeen, and before that at the qualifiers in Prestatyn, because the tournament is being played under a new round robin format.
Put simply, at Prestatyn this means 224 matches in just five days. There are eight groups of eight players with the top two from each going forward to the final stages. All matches are best of five frames and there will be as many as six sessions a day.
What a logistical nightmare this could prove to be. A couple of slow matches could throw a serious spanner into the works.
However, there are more worrying possibilities with this new format, namely collusion.
If player A has lost his first five matches and can no longer qualify, why should he try especially hard to beat player B? Equally, why should player C, already assured of qualification, be bothered about beating player D?
Perhaps player E would rather play in group 1 than 2 at Aberdeen and so conspires to finish second rather than first in his group.
Perhaps player F has lost six matches already and simply drives home rather than play match seven, skewing the group by handing someone a walkover.
In the final stages, faced with a choice of playing Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last 16 or the world no.80 if he lost, what would player G realistically choose?
I'm not suggesting any of this will happen, or that the players aren't honest (they are, almost universally) but this is the very real danger of such a bold new format.
That said, there is a general - though misinformed, I'd argue - notion that snooker is staid and desperately in need of changes.
At least by trying something new World Snooker have got people talking, which is no bad thing.
My main worry is that a best of five is far too short a test in a ranking event, even if players will play a number of matches.
The format favours lower ranked players. The world no.80 (I'll have to look up who this is...according to the ranking list on worldsnooker.com there isn't one!) would be very unlikely to beat O'Sullivan in a best of 19 frame match but would have every chance over a much shorter distance.
So it will be interesting to see what happens. Most top players appear to welcome the change, however cautiously, although one of them - a member of the top 16 - told me he thought it was "a shambles."
Fingers crossed it will prove to be a good decision, but spare a thought for Mike and Martin when it all begins on September 30.
Mike and Martin well be especially tested at the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Aberdeen, and before that at the qualifiers in Prestatyn, because the tournament is being played under a new round robin format.
Put simply, at Prestatyn this means 224 matches in just five days. There are eight groups of eight players with the top two from each going forward to the final stages. All matches are best of five frames and there will be as many as six sessions a day.
What a logistical nightmare this could prove to be. A couple of slow matches could throw a serious spanner into the works.
However, there are more worrying possibilities with this new format, namely collusion.
If player A has lost his first five matches and can no longer qualify, why should he try especially hard to beat player B? Equally, why should player C, already assured of qualification, be bothered about beating player D?
Perhaps player E would rather play in group 1 than 2 at Aberdeen and so conspires to finish second rather than first in his group.
Perhaps player F has lost six matches already and simply drives home rather than play match seven, skewing the group by handing someone a walkover.
In the final stages, faced with a choice of playing Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last 16 or the world no.80 if he lost, what would player G realistically choose?
I'm not suggesting any of this will happen, or that the players aren't honest (they are, almost universally) but this is the very real danger of such a bold new format.
That said, there is a general - though misinformed, I'd argue - notion that snooker is staid and desperately in need of changes.
At least by trying something new World Snooker have got people talking, which is no bad thing.
My main worry is that a best of five is far too short a test in a ranking event, even if players will play a number of matches.
The format favours lower ranked players. The world no.80 (I'll have to look up who this is...according to the ranking list on worldsnooker.com there isn't one!) would be very unlikely to beat O'Sullivan in a best of 19 frame match but would have every chance over a much shorter distance.
So it will be interesting to see what happens. Most top players appear to welcome the change, however cautiously, although one of them - a member of the top 16 - told me he thought it was "a shambles."
Fingers crossed it will prove to be a good decision, but spare a thought for Mike and Martin when it all begins on September 30.
7.9.06
NEW ISSUE OUT NOW
The September issue of Snooker Scene is out now.
It includes:
- A full report of Ding Jun Hui's capture of the Northern Ireland Trophy
- The new Cue Factor project launched by Peter Bainbridge
- An analysis of the ranking system
- The latest in the Everton v WPBSA conflict
- A report of the IPT pool event in Las Vegas
- All the other news from the world of cue sports
It includes:
- A full report of Ding Jun Hui's capture of the Northern Ireland Trophy
- The new Cue Factor project launched by Peter Bainbridge
- An analysis of the ranking system
- The latest in the Everton v WPBSA conflict
- A report of the IPT pool event in Las Vegas
- All the other news from the world of cue sports
ALL THE WAY TO RENO
I spoke to Jimmy White yesterday after he was disqualified from a match in the IPT World 8 Ball Pool Championship in Reno, Nevada because his tip did not meet the requirements laid out by the organisers.
Jimmy was using a phonelic tip on his break cue. At the players meeting before the tournament it was stated that players must only use leather tips.
However, Jimmy was delayed in Los Angeles and so couldn't attend. Therefore, his mistake was an innocent one.
It didn't make much difference in the end as he lost all his other matches in any case.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's last minute withdrawal is reportedly because he was suffering from an ear infection and was advised not to fly.
At the time of writing, Tony Drago was still going strong, as was Quinten Hann, banned from snooker for agreeing to throw a match for £50,000.
What a two fingers up to snooker it would be if he won the title.
Jimmy was using a phonelic tip on his break cue. At the players meeting before the tournament it was stated that players must only use leather tips.
However, Jimmy was delayed in Los Angeles and so couldn't attend. Therefore, his mistake was an innocent one.
It didn't make much difference in the end as he lost all his other matches in any case.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's last minute withdrawal is reportedly because he was suffering from an ear infection and was advised not to fly.
At the time of writing, Tony Drago was still going strong, as was Quinten Hann, banned from snooker for agreeing to throw a match for £50,000.
What a two fingers up to snooker it would be if he won the title.
3.9.06
WHERE'S RONNIE?
When Ronnie O'Sullivan elected not to enter Pot Black, won yesterday by Mark Williams, it was widely assumed to be because he was heading to Reno for the latest IPT pool tournament.
However, O'Sullivan is not listed among the entrants for the big money World 8-Ball Championship, which starts today.
I would suggest it is not a good sign if he has given up on the IPT circuit already, having played in only one event.
However, O'Sullivan is not listed among the entrants for the big money World 8-Ball Championship, which starts today.
I would suggest it is not a good sign if he has given up on the IPT circuit already, having played in only one event.
2.9.06
PETER DYKE
Peter Dyke, one of the most important figures in snooker's rise to the big time, has died.
Peter appeared in the presentation party of every World Championship final at the Crucible under Embassy's sponsorship through his various roles with Imperial Tobacco.
He helped bring in millions for the players and was an enthusiastic supporter of the sport.
Peter's gregarious nature ensured his after dinner speeches were full of outrageous jokes and lots of laughs. He never took himself too seriously and will be sadly missed.
Peter appeared in the presentation party of every World Championship final at the Crucible under Embassy's sponsorship through his various roles with Imperial Tobacco.
He helped bring in millions for the players and was an enthusiastic supporter of the sport.
Peter's gregarious nature ensured his after dinner speeches were full of outrageous jokes and lots of laughs. He never took himself too seriously and will be sadly missed.
1.9.06
ON POT BLACK
Pot Black this Saturday is primarily a bit of fun and a way of filling the BBC's Grandstand with something popular but the importance of the competition to snooker's development as a major television sport should not be underestimated.
The year was 1969 and colour TV was being introduced. The controller of new channel BBC2, David Attenborough, now a widely respected presenter of natural history programmes, wanted something to showcase the new invention and snooker - with its various coloured balls and cloth - fitted the bill perfectly.
The first edition of Pot Black was transmitted in the same week as man first walked on the moon. It proved to be one giant leap for the sport. Soon, the players, who had all been merely scratching out a living on the exhibition circuit, were household names: Ray Reardon, John Spencer, Eddie Charlton among them.
The popularity of the weekly Pot Black programme led to the BBC - and later ITV - broadcasting whole tournaments, leading to the extraordinary snooker boom of the 1980s.
No honeymoon lasts forever, but snooker today is still attracting healthy TV audiences in the UK, is enjoying a huge following in Europe thanks to Eurosport's extensive coverage and is also booming in China, helped of course by Ding Jun Hui's success.
All of this is down in no small way to Pot Black, which is reason enough to cheer its return this weekend.
The year was 1969 and colour TV was being introduced. The controller of new channel BBC2, David Attenborough, now a widely respected presenter of natural history programmes, wanted something to showcase the new invention and snooker - with its various coloured balls and cloth - fitted the bill perfectly.
The first edition of Pot Black was transmitted in the same week as man first walked on the moon. It proved to be one giant leap for the sport. Soon, the players, who had all been merely scratching out a living on the exhibition circuit, were household names: Ray Reardon, John Spencer, Eddie Charlton among them.
The popularity of the weekly Pot Black programme led to the BBC - and later ITV - broadcasting whole tournaments, leading to the extraordinary snooker boom of the 1980s.
No honeymoon lasts forever, but snooker today is still attracting healthy TV audiences in the UK, is enjoying a huge following in Europe thanks to Eurosport's extensive coverage and is also booming in China, helped of course by Ding Jun Hui's success.
All of this is down in no small way to Pot Black, which is reason enough to cheer its return this weekend.
30.8.06
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING
The season has made something of a false start. Now that the Northern Ireland Trophy is over, we have to wait until October 21 for the next event, the Grand Prix.
However, here is a rundown of what's been happening of late:
- Michael Holt has won the German Open, an enthusiatically attended pro-am in Furth. Holty beat Barry Hawkins in the final and Matthew Stevens, Ken Doherty and Joe Swail in the earlier rounds
- Royal London Watches will sponsor the Grand Prix in a three-year deal worth more than £1m
- World Snooker have confirmed that the Grand Prix will be played using a round robin format. At the qualifiers, there will be 224 matches in five days featuring eight groups of eight, with the top two from each advancing to the venue. In Aberdeen, there will be eight groups of six - 120 matches over four days - with the top two going through to the last 16
- More than £30,000 was raised at a testimonial evening for Chris Small, who retired last year because of the degenerative spinal disease ankylosing spondilytis
- World Snooker unveiled a new logo. It's red
- Ronnie O'Sullivan has elected not to play in this Saturday's Pot Black. He has instead entered the latest IPT pool event in Reno
- Judd Trump demonstrated his talent for golf as well as snooker by winning a junior stableford event in Bristol
- The England team of David Lilley, David Craggs and Michael Rhodes won the inaugural IBSF World Team Cup in San Jose, California
- 888.com, sponsors of the World Championship, launched a new stable of players who will wear their logo: John Higgins, Ding Jun Hui and Graeme Dott - the winners of the BBC televised tournaments last season
However, here is a rundown of what's been happening of late:
- Michael Holt has won the German Open, an enthusiatically attended pro-am in Furth. Holty beat Barry Hawkins in the final and Matthew Stevens, Ken Doherty and Joe Swail in the earlier rounds
- Royal London Watches will sponsor the Grand Prix in a three-year deal worth more than £1m
- World Snooker have confirmed that the Grand Prix will be played using a round robin format. At the qualifiers, there will be 224 matches in five days featuring eight groups of eight, with the top two from each advancing to the venue. In Aberdeen, there will be eight groups of six - 120 matches over four days - with the top two going through to the last 16
- More than £30,000 was raised at a testimonial evening for Chris Small, who retired last year because of the degenerative spinal disease ankylosing spondilytis
- World Snooker unveiled a new logo. It's red
- Ronnie O'Sullivan has elected not to play in this Saturday's Pot Black. He has instead entered the latest IPT pool event in Reno
- Judd Trump demonstrated his talent for golf as well as snooker by winning a junior stableford event in Bristol
- The England team of David Lilley, David Craggs and Michael Rhodes won the inaugural IBSF World Team Cup in San Jose, California
- 888.com, sponsors of the World Championship, launched a new stable of players who will wear their logo: John Higgins, Ding Jun Hui and Graeme Dott - the winners of the BBC televised tournaments last season
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