As the professional season has now finished, here are my award winners for the campaign just gone.
Note to the winners: there are no actual awards.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
Despite good campaigns for Mark Selby, Stephen Maguire and Shaun Murphy, the winner is Ronnie O’Sullivan by virtue of winning the world and UK titles, regaining no.1 spot and making three maximum breaks. O’Sullivan also appeared in two further finals and won the Premier League.
BREAK OF THE SEASON
We saw a number of 147s, including one by Ronnie O’Sullivan in the deciding frame of his UK Championship semi-final with Mark Selby, but I can honestly say the best break I saw all season was one of just 48 by Fergal O’Brien in his Northern Ireland Trophy quarter-final against O’Sullivan.
O’Brien was 4-2 up but had reds on cushions and balls awkwardly placed as he came to the table. He crafted the break out of virtually nothing and it was a display of sheer artistry by one of the circuit’s unsung talents.
PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s supreme display in making five centuries in the five frames he won in beating Ali Carter 5-2 in the Northern Ireland Trophy. Included in it was a 147. It was awesome stuff.
MATCH OF THE SEASON
The China Open final was of superb quality and went down to a very exciting conclusion as Stephen Maguire edged Shaun Murphy 10-9 all in front of a capacity crowd who remained in their seats until gone midnight. O’Sullivan v Selby in the UK Championship semi-finals comes a close second.
ACHIEVEMENT OF THE SEASON
Just ahead of Ali Carter’s run to the Crucible final comes Mark Selby, who became the first player in 19 years to win the Wembley Masters at his first attempt. He beat three great players – Stephen Hendry, Stephen Maguire and Ken Doherty – in deciding frame finishes and compiled four centuries in beating Stephen Lee in the final.
It heralded his arrival in snooker’s winners’ circle and he followed it up with his capture of the Welsh Open a few weeks later.
BREAKTHROUGH OF THE SEASON
The Chinese contingent, in the shadow of Ding Junhui, came into their own with Liu Song reaching the Grand Prix quarter-finals and Liu Chuang making the Crucible at just 17.
However, Liang Wenbo really came into his own by fighting through to the World Championship quarter-finals, doing so with great humour, audacious shot selections and a little controversy. Let’s hope we see plenty more of him in the future.
INNOVATION OF THE SEASON
The Championship League is a far more significant development than most people seem to realise. It has shown how tournament promoters can bypass not only the governing body but also television broadcasters and basically just do it themselves.
Ali Carter and Joe Perry’s successful ends to the campaign are down in large part to the fact they got match fit in this new venture. I know of a (very) well known player who rang up to try and get in it only to be told he couldn’t as he was already in the Premier League and it wouldn’t be fair on the others.
QUOTE OF THE SEASON
John Higgins complaining about conditions at the Crucible: “The tournament director will put a blazer on, go in front of the BBC and probably quote section 3a or whatever from some handbook.”
Within minutes of Higgins saying this, Mike Ganley duly appeared on the BBC in his blazer. Sadly, he didn’t have a handbook with him.
LOW POINT OF THE SEASON
The round robins at the Grand Prix, and to a lesser extent at the Malta Cup, left the sport facing accusations of corruption amid talk of police investigations.
The very suggestion of this – whatever the truth – damages snooker’s reputation. Regardless of what World Snooker say, most players loathe the format. It won’t be employed at the Grand Prix next season – you read it here first.
HIGH POINT OF THE SEASON
Two high points, just over 24 hours apart, at the Crucible when first Ronnie O’Sullivan and then Ali Carter each constructed a 147 break, which brought the crowd to their feet in appreciation of the dazzling skill on show.
For all the talk and controversy and complaints and arguments, these scenes illustrated what all of us already know: that snooker is a great game and, at the very highest level, can produce moments of sporting excellence that will forever be frozen in time.
19.5.08
16.5.08
PERRY GOES LARGE
Joe Perry wore a broad smile as he left Crondon Park golf club in Essex last night as the winner of the inaugural Championship League.
What an end to the season it’s been for Perry. He picked up £52,000 for reaching the semi-finals of the 888.com World Championship and now has another £29,100 and a place in the lucrative Premier League next season.
Perry has also risen to 12th in the world rankings, the highest position of his 17-year professional career.
And he was the first to admit that the new Championship League has provided the springboard to this new run of form.
This has been a welcome snooker success story. There were 25 players in the event and not one expressed even mild criticism of it. And why would they? It’s brought the perfect mix of high quality match practice and financial reward to players forced to spend long periods twiddling their thumbs, if not their cues, due to the fragmented nature of the pro circuit.
Look at Ali Carter. He played in all seven qualifying groups of the League and ended up in the world final.
Like Perry, Carter has thus rediscovered his enthusiasm for playing snooker. A day after losing in Group 7 he got on a plane and flew to China as a late call up for an invitation tournament following the withdrawal of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
I suspect that 12 months ago he wouldn’t have fancied it but, right now, it seems he can’t get enough of snooker.
The Championship League was unique as it was targeted at the betting community and shown live on the web on betting sites.
All three sites – betfair.com, bet365.com and williamhill.com – have said that they regard the new tournament as a welcome development.
It was superbly run by Matchroom, a professional but refreshingly laidback company who tweaked what needed to be tweaked in the format and ensured it all ran smoothly.
Perform provided excellent coverage on the web. They did not have the resources of the major television broadcasters but their enthusiasm and commitment to the event enhanced it considerably.
Behind the scenes, the players all enjoyed some banter and there was a pleasant, relaxed feel about proceedings, although this naturally changed in the match arena.
The staff at Crondon Park also went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome.
The event will return in 2009.
I suspect those players who turned it down this year will be clambering to get in it next time around.
What an end to the season it’s been for Perry. He picked up £52,000 for reaching the semi-finals of the 888.com World Championship and now has another £29,100 and a place in the lucrative Premier League next season.
Perry has also risen to 12th in the world rankings, the highest position of his 17-year professional career.
And he was the first to admit that the new Championship League has provided the springboard to this new run of form.
This has been a welcome snooker success story. There were 25 players in the event and not one expressed even mild criticism of it. And why would they? It’s brought the perfect mix of high quality match practice and financial reward to players forced to spend long periods twiddling their thumbs, if not their cues, due to the fragmented nature of the pro circuit.
Look at Ali Carter. He played in all seven qualifying groups of the League and ended up in the world final.
Like Perry, Carter has thus rediscovered his enthusiasm for playing snooker. A day after losing in Group 7 he got on a plane and flew to China as a late call up for an invitation tournament following the withdrawal of Ronnie O’Sullivan.
I suspect that 12 months ago he wouldn’t have fancied it but, right now, it seems he can’t get enough of snooker.
The Championship League was unique as it was targeted at the betting community and shown live on the web on betting sites.
All three sites – betfair.com, bet365.com and williamhill.com – have said that they regard the new tournament as a welcome development.
It was superbly run by Matchroom, a professional but refreshingly laidback company who tweaked what needed to be tweaked in the format and ensured it all ran smoothly.
Perform provided excellent coverage on the web. They did not have the resources of the major television broadcasters but their enthusiasm and commitment to the event enhanced it considerably.
Behind the scenes, the players all enjoyed some banter and there was a pleasant, relaxed feel about proceedings, although this naturally changed in the match arena.
The staff at Crondon Park also went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome.
The event will return in 2009.
I suspect those players who turned it down this year will be clambering to get in it next time around.
15.5.08
GRAND PRIX TO BE SCRAPPED?
Mystery surrounds the fate of the Royal London Watches Grand Prix following the publication of a provisional calendar today on worldsnooker.com.
The calendar merely lists dates for 'BBC events' but does not specify what they are.
Why not? It can only be because there is some change to their exact composition.
There's no way the 888.com World Championship, Saga Insurance Masters or Maplin UK Championship will be changed so that leaves the Grand Prix, first staged in 1984, as the tournament under threat.
The BBC will still be showing a tournament that week.
The question is, what will it be?
There are three possibilities:
1) It's the Grand Prix
2) It's the Grand Prix with a different name (as when it was the LG Cup)
or
3) It's a completely different event
After the controversy of the round robin format, has the tournament now been ditched altogether?
And what will replace it?
Watch this space!
Also, the Shanghai Masters has been moved forward two days to now start on a Monday and end on a Sunday.
This will hardly be good news for John Higgins, whose World Series event in Moscow is scheduled for September 27-28, a day before the Shanghai tournament begins.
The calendar merely lists dates for 'BBC events' but does not specify what they are.
Why not? It can only be because there is some change to their exact composition.
There's no way the 888.com World Championship, Saga Insurance Masters or Maplin UK Championship will be changed so that leaves the Grand Prix, first staged in 1984, as the tournament under threat.
The BBC will still be showing a tournament that week.
The question is, what will it be?
There are three possibilities:
1) It's the Grand Prix
2) It's the Grand Prix with a different name (as when it was the LG Cup)
or
3) It's a completely different event
After the controversy of the round robin format, has the tournament now been ditched altogether?
And what will replace it?
Watch this space!
Also, the Shanghai Masters has been moved forward two days to now start on a Monday and end on a Sunday.
This will hardly be good news for John Higgins, whose World Series event in Moscow is scheduled for September 27-28, a day before the Shanghai tournament begins.
14.5.08
SNOOKERED OUT
There can be such a thing as too much snooker, as Ali Carter will testify.
A week on from losing in the 888.com World Championship final, he was back in action at Crondon Park Golf Club here in sunny Essex in the latest group of the Championship League.
Ali had played in all six previous groups but finished bottom of group 7. He was clearly exhausted and had nothing left to give.
Therefore, he won’t be playing any further part in the competition, which seems a shame given his great run through it.
Indeed, it was the Championship League that got Carter match fit for the Crucible.
He won £22,600 from the event and, of course, £203,500 at the World Championship.
It means his earnings this season represent around a third of what he’s won in his 12 year pro career.
Now seventh in the world rankings, the only way is up for the Captain.
A week on from losing in the 888.com World Championship final, he was back in action at Crondon Park Golf Club here in sunny Essex in the latest group of the Championship League.
Ali had played in all six previous groups but finished bottom of group 7. He was clearly exhausted and had nothing left to give.
Therefore, he won’t be playing any further part in the competition, which seems a shame given his great run through it.
Indeed, it was the Championship League that got Carter match fit for the Crucible.
He won £22,600 from the event and, of course, £203,500 at the World Championship.
It means his earnings this season represent around a third of what he’s won in his 12 year pro career.
Now seventh in the world rankings, the only way is up for the Captain.
10.5.08
WHERE IT'S AT
Just in case you thought snooker was going into hibernation for the summer, here are the dates for all the upcoming professional events.
Important note: this calendar is provisional and liable to change. Do not arrange tickets/travel/time off work without first checking with individual promoters.
The Malta Cup and China Open, as well as all the qualifiying dates, are still to be added and there will hopefully be further tournaments to be slotted in.
2008
May 12-15: Championship League at Crondon Park, Essex (Live on Betfair.com, Bet365.com and Williamhill.com)
Group 7 (Mon, Tue); Champions Group (Wed, Thu)
May 14-18: Huangshan Cup at Heifei, China
Invitation event featuring Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Ding Junhui, Liang Wenbo and others
June 6-8: Jiangsu Classic at Jiangsu, China
World Snooker promoted invitation event featuring 12 top players, including Ding Junhui
June 21-22: World Series at St. Hellier, Jersey (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and Ken Doherty plus four local players
July 8-13: Sangsom 6-red International at Montien Riverside Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
New event played with only six reds featuring several big names, including Peter Ebdon, Ken Doherty, Mark Williams, Jimmy White and Ding Junhui
July 12-13: World Series at Berlin, Germany (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring John Higgins, Stephen Maguire, Graeme Dott and Shaun Murphy plus four local players
August 24-31: Northern Ireland Trophy at Waterfront Hall, Belfast (Live on TG4 and Eurosport)
First ranking event of the season
September 11: Premier League at Grimsby Auditorium (Live on Sky Sports)
September 18: Premier League at the Anvil, Basingstoke (Live on Sky Sports)
September 25: Premier League at the Assembly Rooms, Derby (Live on Sky Sports)
September 27-28: World Series at Moscow, Russia (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring Graeme Dott, Steve Davis, Ding Junhui and Stephen Maguire plus four local players
October 1-7: Roewe Shanghai Masters (Live on Eurosport)
Second ranking event of the season
October 9: Premier League at Malvern Theatre, Great Malvern (Live on Sky Sports)
October 11-19: Royal London Watches Grand Prix at venue TBC (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
Third ranking event of the season
October 23: Premier League at Plymouth Pavilions (Live on Sky Sports)
October 25-26: World Series at Warsaw, Poland (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring Ding Junhui, Steve Davis, Stephen Maguire and Graeme Dott plus four local players
October 30: Premier League at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield (Live on Sky Sports)
November 6: Premier League at Newport Centre, Wales (Live on Sky Sports)
November 13: Premier League at Olympos, Haywards Heath (Live on Sky Sports)
November 20: Premier League at the Sands Centre, Carlisle (Live on Sky Sports)
November 27: Premier League at the Glades Arena, Kidderminster (Live on Sky Sports)
December 6-7: Premier League play-offs and final at Potters, Norfolk (Live on Sky Sports)
December 13-21: Maplin UK Championship at venue TBC (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
Fourth ranking event of the season
2009
January 11-18: Saga Insurance Masters at Wembley Arena (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
The game’s leading invitation event
February 9-15: Welsh Open at Newport Centre (Live on BBC Wales and Eurosport)
Fifth ranking event of the season
April 18-May 4: 888.com World Championship at Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
Seventh ranking event of the season
Important note: this calendar is provisional and liable to change. Do not arrange tickets/travel/time off work without first checking with individual promoters.
The Malta Cup and China Open, as well as all the qualifiying dates, are still to be added and there will hopefully be further tournaments to be slotted in.
2008
May 12-15: Championship League at Crondon Park, Essex (Live on Betfair.com, Bet365.com and Williamhill.com)
Group 7 (Mon, Tue); Champions Group (Wed, Thu)
May 14-18: Huangshan Cup at Heifei, China
Invitation event featuring Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry, Mark Williams, Ding Junhui, Liang Wenbo and others
June 6-8: Jiangsu Classic at Jiangsu, China
World Snooker promoted invitation event featuring 12 top players, including Ding Junhui
June 21-22: World Series at St. Hellier, Jersey (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Mark Selby and Ken Doherty plus four local players
July 8-13: Sangsom 6-red International at Montien Riverside Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand
New event played with only six reds featuring several big names, including Peter Ebdon, Ken Doherty, Mark Williams, Jimmy White and Ding Junhui
July 12-13: World Series at Berlin, Germany (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring John Higgins, Stephen Maguire, Graeme Dott and Shaun Murphy plus four local players
August 24-31: Northern Ireland Trophy at Waterfront Hall, Belfast (Live on TG4 and Eurosport)
First ranking event of the season
September 11: Premier League at Grimsby Auditorium (Live on Sky Sports)
September 18: Premier League at the Anvil, Basingstoke (Live on Sky Sports)
September 25: Premier League at the Assembly Rooms, Derby (Live on Sky Sports)
September 27-28: World Series at Moscow, Russia (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring Graeme Dott, Steve Davis, Ding Junhui and Stephen Maguire plus four local players
October 1-7: Roewe Shanghai Masters (Live on Eurosport)
Second ranking event of the season
October 9: Premier League at Malvern Theatre, Great Malvern (Live on Sky Sports)
October 11-19: Royal London Watches Grand Prix at venue TBC (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
Third ranking event of the season
October 23: Premier League at Plymouth Pavilions (Live on Sky Sports)
October 25-26: World Series at Warsaw, Poland (Live on Eurosport)
Featuring Ding Junhui, Steve Davis, Stephen Maguire and Graeme Dott plus four local players
October 30: Premier League at the English Institute of Sport, Sheffield (Live on Sky Sports)
November 6: Premier League at Newport Centre, Wales (Live on Sky Sports)
November 13: Premier League at Olympos, Haywards Heath (Live on Sky Sports)
November 20: Premier League at the Sands Centre, Carlisle (Live on Sky Sports)
November 27: Premier League at the Glades Arena, Kidderminster (Live on Sky Sports)
December 6-7: Premier League play-offs and final at Potters, Norfolk (Live on Sky Sports)
December 13-21: Maplin UK Championship at venue TBC (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
Fourth ranking event of the season
2009
January 11-18: Saga Insurance Masters at Wembley Arena (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
The game’s leading invitation event
February 9-15: Welsh Open at Newport Centre (Live on BBC Wales and Eurosport)
Fifth ranking event of the season
April 18-May 4: 888.com World Championship at Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (Live on BBC and Eurosport)
Seventh ranking event of the season
7.5.08
FINAL WORD ON THE CRUCIBLE
As the 888.com World Championship recedes into memory, here are my highlights...
SHOT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Ronnie O'Sullivan's 13th black in his 147. Forcing an angle to free one of the two remaining reds from the pink he played the perfect cannon.
SHOCK OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Although the scale of Ali Carter's defeat of Shaun Murphy surprised me, I'd go for Joe Perry's quarter-final victory over Stephen Maguire, who had been playing superbly up to this point.
CHARACTER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Liang Wenbo was a refreshing presence for various reasons, not just his all-out attacking approach.
BREAK OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Hard to choose between the two 147s but Ali Carter just takes it because it was his first and, given his tendency to feel the pressure in the past, he held himself together brilliantly.
QUOTE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
'I played like a man with no arms' - a decidedly un-PC Dave Harold after losing to Shaun Murphy.
PERFORMANCE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Stephen Maguire's 8-0 demolition of Neil Robertson in the first session of their second round match had to be seen to be believed, even outstripping Ronnie O'Sullivan's thrashing of Stephen Hendry.
MATCH OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Liang Wenbo v Joe Swail had it all: youth v experience, close frames, unexpected misses, controversy, premature celebrations, a deciding frame finish and recriminations afterwards. Classic stuff.
PLAYER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Who else but the winner? Ronnie O'Sullivan, ever enigmatic, ever his own man, joined the pantheon of players to have won three world titles and provided great entertainment along the way.
Roll on 2009!
SHOT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Ronnie O'Sullivan's 13th black in his 147. Forcing an angle to free one of the two remaining reds from the pink he played the perfect cannon.
SHOCK OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Although the scale of Ali Carter's defeat of Shaun Murphy surprised me, I'd go for Joe Perry's quarter-final victory over Stephen Maguire, who had been playing superbly up to this point.
CHARACTER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Liang Wenbo was a refreshing presence for various reasons, not just his all-out attacking approach.
BREAK OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Hard to choose between the two 147s but Ali Carter just takes it because it was his first and, given his tendency to feel the pressure in the past, he held himself together brilliantly.
QUOTE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
'I played like a man with no arms' - a decidedly un-PC Dave Harold after losing to Shaun Murphy.
PERFORMANCE OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Stephen Maguire's 8-0 demolition of Neil Robertson in the first session of their second round match had to be seen to be believed, even outstripping Ronnie O'Sullivan's thrashing of Stephen Hendry.
MATCH OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Liang Wenbo v Joe Swail had it all: youth v experience, close frames, unexpected misses, controversy, premature celebrations, a deciding frame finish and recriminations afterwards. Classic stuff.
PLAYER OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP
Who else but the winner? Ronnie O'Sullivan, ever enigmatic, ever his own man, joined the pantheon of players to have won three world titles and provided great entertainment along the way.
Roll on 2009!
6.5.08
THE WORLD TURNS FOR O'SULLIVAN
Ronnie O'Sullivan has always been a person of extreme highs and lows and last night savoured one of the all time highs of his extraordinary life.
OK, so it was a poor final. There was little drama and for long periods the snooker was of low quality.
Had O'Sullivan gone 17-6 up the players would have been brought off just so that there could be some snooker in the evening.
But despite all this, it was still a great night. O'Sullivan is a sportsman, indeed a person, who defies convention.
He's done things to make himself unpopular but he's also created a large store of wonderful memories for those who follow snooker.
All the Crucible spectators who saw his 147 up close can tell everyone they know that they were there.
I was pleased to see that Ronnie was genuinely happy with winning again because he won't have enjoyed the match.
He won't retire, regardless of what he says. Yes, snooker and the pursuit of perfection continues to torture him but it's in his blood and he needs it as much as the game needs him.
There will doubtless be more lows but also many more highs in this most remarkable career.
OK, so it was a poor final. There was little drama and for long periods the snooker was of low quality.
Had O'Sullivan gone 17-6 up the players would have been brought off just so that there could be some snooker in the evening.
But despite all this, it was still a great night. O'Sullivan is a sportsman, indeed a person, who defies convention.
He's done things to make himself unpopular but he's also created a large store of wonderful memories for those who follow snooker.
All the Crucible spectators who saw his 147 up close can tell everyone they know that they were there.
I was pleased to see that Ronnie was genuinely happy with winning again because he won't have enjoyed the match.
He won't retire, regardless of what he says. Yes, snooker and the pursuit of perfection continues to torture him but it's in his blood and he needs it as much as the game needs him.
There will doubtless be more lows but also many more highs in this most remarkable career.
5.5.08
RONNIE'S HAT-TRICK
Sport is a world of extremes. Defeat is the biggest calamity in the history of civilisation, victory the greatest achievement since the invention of the wheel.
There has been an extraordinary over reaction to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s progress towards a third world title, which he appears certain to land at the Crucible later today.
Let me say this from the start: Ronnie has played great snooker. Really good. In finishing off against Mark Williams and the second session against Stephen Hendry it was up there with the all time Crucible performances.
However, to compare him to Tiger Woods and Roger Federer is wrong. He has their talent but has not demonstrated their application or dedication to be a consistent winner.
The world title will be his third ranking event victory in three years. This is not the record of a dominant force.
Would Woods or Federer have played the kamikaze stuff O’Sullivan did at the China Open?
Rather, O’Sullivan is more a George Best or Paul Gascoigne: a genius whose flaws make him even more fascinating, even more attractive.
He can’t be placed above Stephen Hendry until he’s won more world titles. Yes, his maximum was superb but so was Ali Carter’s.
I’ve commentated on most of Ronnie’s matches this season and, in the main, he’s played like he did yesterday.
In other words, well enough to beat most players but, aside from a few occasions, not to the very high standards he sets himself.
This is his essential problem: he is striving for perfection and when he fails to find this it eats him up.
I don’t think he’ll derive much pleasure from winning the world title in this manner, which is a shame because he has given so many other people so much enjoyment.
Ronnie is the deserving champion this year but he hasn’t played any better than he did to win his other two worlds titles or any better than many of the other great champions have in previous years.
I hope he can enjoy his moment of victory but, alas, this can’t be guaranteed. It’s not the winning he likes so much as the fulfilment of snooker perfection.
Anything less won’t do, even if it is good enough to see off the best the game has to offer.
There has been an extraordinary over reaction to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s progress towards a third world title, which he appears certain to land at the Crucible later today.
Let me say this from the start: Ronnie has played great snooker. Really good. In finishing off against Mark Williams and the second session against Stephen Hendry it was up there with the all time Crucible performances.
However, to compare him to Tiger Woods and Roger Federer is wrong. He has their talent but has not demonstrated their application or dedication to be a consistent winner.
The world title will be his third ranking event victory in three years. This is not the record of a dominant force.
Would Woods or Federer have played the kamikaze stuff O’Sullivan did at the China Open?
Rather, O’Sullivan is more a George Best or Paul Gascoigne: a genius whose flaws make him even more fascinating, even more attractive.
He can’t be placed above Stephen Hendry until he’s won more world titles. Yes, his maximum was superb but so was Ali Carter’s.
I’ve commentated on most of Ronnie’s matches this season and, in the main, he’s played like he did yesterday.
In other words, well enough to beat most players but, aside from a few occasions, not to the very high standards he sets himself.
This is his essential problem: he is striving for perfection and when he fails to find this it eats him up.
I don’t think he’ll derive much pleasure from winning the world title in this manner, which is a shame because he has given so many other people so much enjoyment.
Ronnie is the deserving champion this year but he hasn’t played any better than he did to win his other two worlds titles or any better than many of the other great champions have in previous years.
I hope he can enjoy his moment of victory but, alas, this can’t be guaranteed. It’s not the winning he likes so much as the fulfilment of snooker perfection.
Anything less won’t do, even if it is good enough to see off the best the game has to offer.
4.5.08
REMEMBER 1986
I’ve had the pleasure of commentating with Joe Johnson throughout much of this World Championship and he is better qualified than most to assess Ali Carter’s chances of causing an upset in the final.
Joe famously beat Steve Davis 18-12 to win the title in 1986. The official programme of this year’s tournament ranks it as the second biggest shock in Crucible history, behind only Davis’s humbling 10-1 defeat to Tony Knowles in the first round in 1982.
Most people seem to think Ronnie O’Sullivan will not only beat Carter but beat him soundly. World Snooker has been ringing ex-players in case O’Sullivan wins with a session to spare and an exhibition is needed on Monday night.
888sport.com has O’Sullivan as 1/8 favourite with Carter 5/1.
I agree that O’Sullivan is likely to win given his form during the championship but Joe has made a few good points to me that are worth sharing.
Firstly, O’Sullivan was highly motivated in the semi-finals because he was playing Stephen Hendry. There would have been no disgrace in losing to this great champion but the respect Ronnie has for him brought out his best snooker.
He’s beaten Carter all eight times they have played and, being such a heavy favourite, has a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders.
Carter, in a sense, has nothing to lose, just as Joe didn’t in 1986. He could enjoy the occasion while the pressure was on Davis.
However, Ali must not settle for just being in the final. He has to – and I'm sure he does – believe he can win.
O’Sullivan needs to go into the final with the same mindset he had against Hendry but this will be difficult because he knows everyone expects him to win.
Of course, Davis had the baggage of what happened against Dennis Taylor the previous year. O’Sullivan’s only real baggage is his notoriously fragile emotional state, but he appears to have been on a largely even keel throughout the tournament.
In short, I think both Joe and I expect O’Sullivan to win but not by as big a margin as many are predicting, and not with a session to spare.
As ever, though, we will only find out when the punditry stops and the action begins at 3pm.
Joe famously beat Steve Davis 18-12 to win the title in 1986. The official programme of this year’s tournament ranks it as the second biggest shock in Crucible history, behind only Davis’s humbling 10-1 defeat to Tony Knowles in the first round in 1982.
Most people seem to think Ronnie O’Sullivan will not only beat Carter but beat him soundly. World Snooker has been ringing ex-players in case O’Sullivan wins with a session to spare and an exhibition is needed on Monday night.
888sport.com has O’Sullivan as 1/8 favourite with Carter 5/1.
I agree that O’Sullivan is likely to win given his form during the championship but Joe has made a few good points to me that are worth sharing.
Firstly, O’Sullivan was highly motivated in the semi-finals because he was playing Stephen Hendry. There would have been no disgrace in losing to this great champion but the respect Ronnie has for him brought out his best snooker.
He’s beaten Carter all eight times they have played and, being such a heavy favourite, has a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders.
Carter, in a sense, has nothing to lose, just as Joe didn’t in 1986. He could enjoy the occasion while the pressure was on Davis.
However, Ali must not settle for just being in the final. He has to – and I'm sure he does – believe he can win.
O’Sullivan needs to go into the final with the same mindset he had against Hendry but this will be difficult because he knows everyone expects him to win.
Of course, Davis had the baggage of what happened against Dennis Taylor the previous year. O’Sullivan’s only real baggage is his notoriously fragile emotional state, but he appears to have been on a largely even keel throughout the tournament.
In short, I think both Joe and I expect O’Sullivan to win but not by as big a margin as many are predicting, and not with a session to spare.
As ever, though, we will only find out when the punditry stops and the action begins at 3pm.
3.5.08
CRUCIBLE 2008: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
As we approach the final of the World Championship, let's look back and the high and low points of the greatest snooker show on earth.
THUMBS UP FOR...
- Liang Wenbo
Yes, his shot selection was at times suicidal but he was a refreshing presence in the tournament. He became a cult hero after walking into the arena unannounced for his second session against Ken Doherty and proved his fighting qualities by prevailing against Joe Swail in the most exciting of all the matches thus far.
- Brendan Moore
This was Brendan's first time refereeing at the Crucible and I was very impressed with him. Definitely capable of taking charge of the final in future years.
- Close finishes
You can't beat the Crucible for drama when a match goes close and, in the first round in particular, we had a number that did: Hendry v Allen, Ebdon v Cope, Davis v Bingham to name but three. Davis's comeback was a joy to watch, even if he did fall short in the end.
- Ronnie O'Sullivan
On and off the table, O'Sullivan has been exemplary. The standard he produced in taking all eight frames from Stephen Hendry in the second session of their semi-final was up there with the all time great performances at the Crucible. His 147 was an exhibition of sheer natural talent.
- Ali Carter's 147
Carter has been guilty of slipping up at important moments throughout his career but was cool personified in completing a maximum break just a day after O'Sullivan made his. Some break it was, too, not least the final black, which would have been a pressure ball to win a frame, let alone for a 147.
- The sponsors
I thought whoever took over from Embassy would struggle to establish themselves as the recognised sponsor but 888.com have been so enthusiastic that they've managed it. I'd even argue that they've helped to reinvigorate the event over the last three years without it losing its essential heavyweight status.
THUMBS DOWN FOR...
- Conditions
Once again, the middle part of the tournament was overshadowed by complaints about playing conditions. It seems logical now to re-cloth the tables on the first Wednesday as well as the middle Sunday and second Wednesday. This would surely lessen any complaints at next year's championship.
- The Joe Swail-Liang Wenbo controversy
Swail didn't do himself any favours, although, in his defence, he was speaking minutes after suffering a very disappointing last gasp defeat. The fact is, the referee - in this case Alan Chamberlain - asked both players if they were happy the balls had been replaced properly. Swail said he was and, if he had not been, should have said so in the arena.
- MC Rob Walker's 'Let's get the boys on the baize' intro
I wouldn't fault Walker for his enthusiasm but I can't be the only person who finds this catchphrase annoying. Last night, we had two of snooker's greatest champions playing. O'Sullivan and Hendry are not 'boys' they're all time greats. Plus, the crowd does not need to be whipped into a frenzy when they basically have to be quiet for the best part of three hours.
- The strike 'threat'
Possibly the biggest non-story of the championship was the idea that top players will put down their cues because of a row over logo spaces. They won't. Simple as that.
- Football
Interested though many of us were in the Champions League semi-finals this week, there is a section of the media who seem to believe sports coverage should begin and end with football. After his epic win over Stephen Maguire, Joe Perry was asked by a journalist how it felt that nobody had been watching because they were all tuned in to Chelsea v Liverpool. Apart from this being obviously wrong - not least because the snooker was still going on a good hour and a half after the football had finished - Joe had every reason to feel aggreived having just pulled off the win of his career.
THUMBS UP FOR...
- Liang Wenbo
Yes, his shot selection was at times suicidal but he was a refreshing presence in the tournament. He became a cult hero after walking into the arena unannounced for his second session against Ken Doherty and proved his fighting qualities by prevailing against Joe Swail in the most exciting of all the matches thus far.
- Brendan Moore
This was Brendan's first time refereeing at the Crucible and I was very impressed with him. Definitely capable of taking charge of the final in future years.
- Close finishes
You can't beat the Crucible for drama when a match goes close and, in the first round in particular, we had a number that did: Hendry v Allen, Ebdon v Cope, Davis v Bingham to name but three. Davis's comeback was a joy to watch, even if he did fall short in the end.
- Ronnie O'Sullivan
On and off the table, O'Sullivan has been exemplary. The standard he produced in taking all eight frames from Stephen Hendry in the second session of their semi-final was up there with the all time great performances at the Crucible. His 147 was an exhibition of sheer natural talent.
- Ali Carter's 147
Carter has been guilty of slipping up at important moments throughout his career but was cool personified in completing a maximum break just a day after O'Sullivan made his. Some break it was, too, not least the final black, which would have been a pressure ball to win a frame, let alone for a 147.
- The sponsors
I thought whoever took over from Embassy would struggle to establish themselves as the recognised sponsor but 888.com have been so enthusiastic that they've managed it. I'd even argue that they've helped to reinvigorate the event over the last three years without it losing its essential heavyweight status.
THUMBS DOWN FOR...
- Conditions
Once again, the middle part of the tournament was overshadowed by complaints about playing conditions. It seems logical now to re-cloth the tables on the first Wednesday as well as the middle Sunday and second Wednesday. This would surely lessen any complaints at next year's championship.
- The Joe Swail-Liang Wenbo controversy
Swail didn't do himself any favours, although, in his defence, he was speaking minutes after suffering a very disappointing last gasp defeat. The fact is, the referee - in this case Alan Chamberlain - asked both players if they were happy the balls had been replaced properly. Swail said he was and, if he had not been, should have said so in the arena.
- MC Rob Walker's 'Let's get the boys on the baize' intro
I wouldn't fault Walker for his enthusiasm but I can't be the only person who finds this catchphrase annoying. Last night, we had two of snooker's greatest champions playing. O'Sullivan and Hendry are not 'boys' they're all time greats. Plus, the crowd does not need to be whipped into a frenzy when they basically have to be quiet for the best part of three hours.
- The strike 'threat'
Possibly the biggest non-story of the championship was the idea that top players will put down their cues because of a row over logo spaces. They won't. Simple as that.
- Football
Interested though many of us were in the Champions League semi-finals this week, there is a section of the media who seem to believe sports coverage should begin and end with football. After his epic win over Stephen Maguire, Joe Perry was asked by a journalist how it felt that nobody had been watching because they were all tuned in to Chelsea v Liverpool. Apart from this being obviously wrong - not least because the snooker was still going on a good hour and a half after the football had finished - Joe had every reason to feel aggreived having just pulled off the win of his career.
2.5.08
UNSTOPPABLE O'SULLIVAN
A total of 109 players entered this year’s World Championship. Of these, 32 made the Crucible, including great champions of the past and likely winners of the future.
However, it seems inconceivable now that Ronnie O’Sullivan won’t be the last man standing on Monday.
He has clinically taken Stephen Hendry apart in this morning’s session of their semi-final and I can’t see Ali Carter or Joe Perry stopping him in the final.
It was the first time Hendry has suffered a session whitewash in 23 Crucible appearances encompassing 80 matches. It was the seventh session whitewash in a Crucible semi-final and the third by O'Sullivan at Sheffield.
O'Sullivan has now constructed 47 centuries this season. If he makes seven more in the rest of this match and the final he will surpass Hendry's record of 53, set in the 1993/94 campaign.
This would be remarkable because it would have been accomplished in far fewer tournaments - 9 compared with Hendry's 15.
O'Sullivan is also now tied with John Higgins on 85 centuries, with Hendry still top at Sheffield on 116.
Some would argue the Rocket’s had an easy draw but I’d say this is unfair: it was only ‘easy’ because he is so good.
His main fortune has been to avoid players who play the kind of game he dislikes: slow, scrappy and drawn out.
All of his opponents thus far – Liu Chuang, Mark Williams, Liang Wenbo and Stephen Hendry – are open, attacking players who go for their shots. There is no better player in the modern game at this kind of snooker than O’Sullivan, so their approach would have suited him fine.
A Hendry comeback looks unlikely now and Carter or Perry will have to produce the snooker of their life to prevent Ronnie completing a hat-trick of world titles.
However, it seems inconceivable now that Ronnie O’Sullivan won’t be the last man standing on Monday.
He has clinically taken Stephen Hendry apart in this morning’s session of their semi-final and I can’t see Ali Carter or Joe Perry stopping him in the final.
It was the first time Hendry has suffered a session whitewash in 23 Crucible appearances encompassing 80 matches. It was the seventh session whitewash in a Crucible semi-final and the third by O'Sullivan at Sheffield.
O'Sullivan has now constructed 47 centuries this season. If he makes seven more in the rest of this match and the final he will surpass Hendry's record of 53, set in the 1993/94 campaign.
This would be remarkable because it would have been accomplished in far fewer tournaments - 9 compared with Hendry's 15.
O'Sullivan is also now tied with John Higgins on 85 centuries, with Hendry still top at Sheffield on 116.
Some would argue the Rocket’s had an easy draw but I’d say this is unfair: it was only ‘easy’ because he is so good.
His main fortune has been to avoid players who play the kind of game he dislikes: slow, scrappy and drawn out.
All of his opponents thus far – Liu Chuang, Mark Williams, Liang Wenbo and Stephen Hendry – are open, attacking players who go for their shots. There is no better player in the modern game at this kind of snooker than O’Sullivan, so their approach would have suited him fine.
A Hendry comeback looks unlikely now and Carter or Perry will have to produce the snooker of their life to prevent Ronnie completing a hat-trick of world titles.
1.5.08
DOWN TO THE SEMIS
Now we’re down to the semi-finals of the 888.com World Championship, let’s look back at my tips for the last four.
I went for:
Ding Junhui v Mark Williams
Shaun Murphy v Neil Robertson
Oh dear.
Still, I’d be amazed if anyone tipped Ali Carter v Joe Perry.
Carter reminds me a little of Joe Johnson, who found inspiration in 1986 to play some remarkable snooker and go all the way to the title.
Everyone seems to be saying that the winner of the O’Sullivan-Hendry semi will land the title.
Carter, though, is growing in confidence and could yet pull off what would be a huge upset.
I went for:
Ding Junhui v Mark Williams
Shaun Murphy v Neil Robertson
Oh dear.
Still, I’d be amazed if anyone tipped Ali Carter v Joe Perry.
Carter reminds me a little of Joe Johnson, who found inspiration in 1986 to play some remarkable snooker and go all the way to the title.
Everyone seems to be saying that the winner of the O’Sullivan-Hendry semi will land the title.
Carter, though, is growing in confidence and could yet pull off what would be a huge upset.
30.4.08
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC
I don’t know about you but my nerves are shredded by this extraordinary 888.com World Championship.
Last night saw more drama as Peter Ebdon failed on the 15th black on a 147 only for Ali Carter to knock in a maximum in the very next frame.
This came a day after Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 147, earning Carter a share of the £157,000 prize – although you couldn’t rule out another max before this remarkable Crucible event is over.
Carter is training to be an airline pilot and the ‘Captain’ charted a course to snooker history in fine style, not least in potting the last black, which would have been a pressure ball to win a frame, let alone make a 147.
It was the first time there have been two maximums in the TV stages of a major event.
After all the complaints about below par conditions, nobody can say they are anything but perfect now.
Last night saw more drama as Peter Ebdon failed on the 15th black on a 147 only for Ali Carter to knock in a maximum in the very next frame.
This came a day after Ronnie O’Sullivan’s 147, earning Carter a share of the £157,000 prize – although you couldn’t rule out another max before this remarkable Crucible event is over.
Carter is training to be an airline pilot and the ‘Captain’ charted a course to snooker history in fine style, not least in potting the last black, which would have been a pressure ball to win a frame, let alone make a 147.
It was the first time there have been two maximums in the TV stages of a major event.
After all the complaints about below par conditions, nobody can say they are anything but perfect now.
29.4.08
WARNING: GENIUS AT WORK
Ronnie O’Sullivan raised the bar still further with his audacious 147 yesterday that once again reaffirmed his instinctive snooker genius.
This was his ninth. Stephen Hendry has made eight. There are only seven years between them so it seems likely to be the only substantive record O’Sullivan will take from the game’s all time great.
In some ways it is indicative of his personality. Easily bored, he thrives on the euphoric thrill of a great moment rather than taking satisfaction from, say, a consistent season.
It was Ronnie’s third Crucible maximum and, not for the first time, he made the game look ridiculously easy in completing it.
The crowd reaction was a sight to behold. The usual quiet of the Crucible arena gave way to one of the loudest roars ever heard there as the spectators rose as one to applaud O’Sullivan off the stage.
When any of the multitude of sneering, metropolitan broadsheet columnists deride snooker as being boring or in decline in the future, send them the tape of Ronnie’s 147.
And when they say, ‘well Ronnie’s all you’ve got,’ send them a tape of the extraordinary conclusion to the Liang Wenbo-Joe Swail match last night.
This was a Crucible thriller to rate alongside all the great games you can think of. Liang thought he’d won it on potting the blue at 12-10 but later struggled over the line 13-12.
It proved that snooker can still deliver great excitement, even from two players who are not high profile.
Yes, there has been plenty of complaints from players about various matters but the controversy has only added to what is already one of the best World Championships ever.
This was his ninth. Stephen Hendry has made eight. There are only seven years between them so it seems likely to be the only substantive record O’Sullivan will take from the game’s all time great.
In some ways it is indicative of his personality. Easily bored, he thrives on the euphoric thrill of a great moment rather than taking satisfaction from, say, a consistent season.
It was Ronnie’s third Crucible maximum and, not for the first time, he made the game look ridiculously easy in completing it.
The crowd reaction was a sight to behold. The usual quiet of the Crucible arena gave way to one of the loudest roars ever heard there as the spectators rose as one to applaud O’Sullivan off the stage.
When any of the multitude of sneering, metropolitan broadsheet columnists deride snooker as being boring or in decline in the future, send them the tape of Ronnie’s 147.
And when they say, ‘well Ronnie’s all you’ve got,’ send them a tape of the extraordinary conclusion to the Liang Wenbo-Joe Swail match last night.
This was a Crucible thriller to rate alongside all the great games you can think of. Liang thought he’d won it on potting the blue at 12-10 but later struggled over the line 13-12.
It proved that snooker can still deliver great excitement, even from two players who are not high profile.
Yes, there has been plenty of complaints from players about various matters but the controversy has only added to what is already one of the best World Championships ever.
28.4.08
SIR RODNEY'S TABLE TALK
Sir Rodney Walker, the chairman of World Snooker, has missed the point about the row over playing conditions at the 888.com World Championship.
In response to John Higgins’s trenchant criticisms following his Crucible defeat to Ryan Day, Walker told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme on Sunday that, as the table was the same for both players, Higgins’s comments may merely have been a reaction to losing.
“Ryan Day was playing on the same table and lots of other players have played on it,” Walker said.
“Maybe – and I’m not saying John didn’t have a legitimate complaint – with the benefit of hindsight he may not have been quite so critical as he was at the time.
“Emotions were running high. Overall, as John did say at one point, it’s the same for both players so they’re both affected equally.”
Yes, it was the same for both players but, as I wrote yesterday, this doesn’t mean it’s a level playing field.
I take nothing away from Day at all because he deserved to win but only the best conditions produce the best quality snooker.
If the grass on Centre Court at Wimbledon has not been cut, it would be the same for both players but conditions would not be conducive to top quality tennis.
Ditto if someone digs up the greens at St. Andrews or covers an F1 track with oil.
The main problem at the Crucible was odd bounces off cushions that were impossible to predict and a high number of bad contacts.
Higgins allowed this to get to him and has admitted that he shouldn’t have.
However, I don’t believe his comments were down to sour grapes on his part. He first complained to World Snooker officials when he was leading 5-3.
Peter Ebdon has also complained and he’s still going in the tournament.
Walker is not an expert on playing conditions – neither does he claim to be – but he would be better advised to listen to what the top players are saying rather than shrug off their complaints.
In response to John Higgins’s trenchant criticisms following his Crucible defeat to Ryan Day, Walker told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek programme on Sunday that, as the table was the same for both players, Higgins’s comments may merely have been a reaction to losing.
“Ryan Day was playing on the same table and lots of other players have played on it,” Walker said.
“Maybe – and I’m not saying John didn’t have a legitimate complaint – with the benefit of hindsight he may not have been quite so critical as he was at the time.
“Emotions were running high. Overall, as John did say at one point, it’s the same for both players so they’re both affected equally.”
Yes, it was the same for both players but, as I wrote yesterday, this doesn’t mean it’s a level playing field.
I take nothing away from Day at all because he deserved to win but only the best conditions produce the best quality snooker.
If the grass on Centre Court at Wimbledon has not been cut, it would be the same for both players but conditions would not be conducive to top quality tennis.
Ditto if someone digs up the greens at St. Andrews or covers an F1 track with oil.
The main problem at the Crucible was odd bounces off cushions that were impossible to predict and a high number of bad contacts.
Higgins allowed this to get to him and has admitted that he shouldn’t have.
However, I don’t believe his comments were down to sour grapes on his part. He first complained to World Snooker officials when he was leading 5-3.
Peter Ebdon has also complained and he’s still going in the tournament.
Walker is not an expert on playing conditions – neither does he claim to be – but he would be better advised to listen to what the top players are saying rather than shrug off their complaints.
27.4.08
LOGO AREAS, BAD BOUNCES AND SPIN
Today marks the mid point of what has thus far been an engrossing 888.com World Championship but much of the publicity surrounding the tournament remains negative.
This is partly due to the nature of what makes ‘news’ and partly because of problems in the way in which the sport is administered.
This story in the News of the World highlights growing unrest over player logos. However, the BBC has been unfairly blamed for this is my view.
Their guidelines limit players to two logos but it was not their decision to award one logo space to 888.com. This was down to World Snooker, as Barry Hearn makes clear in the NOTW article.
The BBC has taken a battering over this. A word of warning: if they pull out of snooker the professional circuit as we know it will be dead in the water.
The other major controversy has been the playing conditions.
Anyone who has watched the championship will have witnessed bad bounces off cushions and a high number of kicks.
Why are kicks now accepted as just part of the game?
Why is there no concerted effort to eradicate them?
John Higgins was scathing about the cushions and laid the blame at the door of World Snooker tournament director Mike Ganley for not re-covering the tables before the second round.
World Snooker issued a bland, meaningless statement at the same time that Ganley went in front of the BBC cameras to answer questions from Hazel Irvine, where he admitted he had been “disappointed” by the way the table had played.
“We always try to ensure the best conditions and it’s disappointing to have inconsistent bounces for the players,” he said.
“Years ago we only used to re-cover the tables before the semi-finals but it is disappointing, even if it’s the same for both players.
“We have sheets for the players to fill in after their matches if they have any comments to make. John has done so, as has Peter Ebdon but not many others. The boys need to knock on the door a bit more often.”
Credit to Ganley for being honest enough to admit the conditions weren’t good enough. Much thought needs to go into what will be done at next year’s World Championship because this cannot keep happening every year.
Yes, it’s the same for both players. But if Roger Federer and Andy Roddick turned up at Centre Court at Wimbledon to find the grass had not been cut would their match really be a true reflection of their talents?
Shaun Murphy last night heavily criticised playing conditions but readers of worldsnooker.com, the website of the governing body, would not think so.
Here’s what he said: “We have a gambling sponsor, why don't we take the championship to a casino and have a real game of chance?
"This is the world championship, the gala event we all look forward to. Yes, I'll hold my hands up, I missed some shots I shouldn't have but there were a lot of problems out there that cost me the match.
"It's not just me and John Higgins having a problem with it and it's not just because we lost. It will look like sour grapes but it's not and it will cost other players.
"The comments have been made backstage for days. The cloth is so thin and light it's only good for three days' play.
"After three days you get bad bounces and balls going where they shouldn't be and it makes a mockery of the biggest tournament we've got.”
Here’s what worldsnooker.com quoted: “I just think there are a whole mixtures of things that have gone on that have made the match that way and a lot of talk about the conditions and the playing conditions that we are all under but I’m not really that bothered at losing because I know I’ve played well all season, I’ve prepared as well as I’ve ever done to come to the Crucible, I played well against Dave and I know I played a lot of good shots out there today but the playing conditions weren’t beneficial to me at all.”
Leaving aside the fact that this comes across as gibberish, ‘not beneficial’ does not necessarily mean ‘poor’ and this sort of spin hardly enhances World Snooker’s reputation. Either quote what he said properly or don't quote him at all.
Thank goodness the snooker remains high quality as we enter the second half of the Crucible marathon.
This is partly due to the nature of what makes ‘news’ and partly because of problems in the way in which the sport is administered.
This story in the News of the World highlights growing unrest over player logos. However, the BBC has been unfairly blamed for this is my view.
Their guidelines limit players to two logos but it was not their decision to award one logo space to 888.com. This was down to World Snooker, as Barry Hearn makes clear in the NOTW article.
The BBC has taken a battering over this. A word of warning: if they pull out of snooker the professional circuit as we know it will be dead in the water.
The other major controversy has been the playing conditions.
Anyone who has watched the championship will have witnessed bad bounces off cushions and a high number of kicks.
Why are kicks now accepted as just part of the game?
Why is there no concerted effort to eradicate them?
John Higgins was scathing about the cushions and laid the blame at the door of World Snooker tournament director Mike Ganley for not re-covering the tables before the second round.
World Snooker issued a bland, meaningless statement at the same time that Ganley went in front of the BBC cameras to answer questions from Hazel Irvine, where he admitted he had been “disappointed” by the way the table had played.
“We always try to ensure the best conditions and it’s disappointing to have inconsistent bounces for the players,” he said.
“Years ago we only used to re-cover the tables before the semi-finals but it is disappointing, even if it’s the same for both players.
“We have sheets for the players to fill in after their matches if they have any comments to make. John has done so, as has Peter Ebdon but not many others. The boys need to knock on the door a bit more often.”
Credit to Ganley for being honest enough to admit the conditions weren’t good enough. Much thought needs to go into what will be done at next year’s World Championship because this cannot keep happening every year.
Yes, it’s the same for both players. But if Roger Federer and Andy Roddick turned up at Centre Court at Wimbledon to find the grass had not been cut would their match really be a true reflection of their talents?
Shaun Murphy last night heavily criticised playing conditions but readers of worldsnooker.com, the website of the governing body, would not think so.
Here’s what he said: “We have a gambling sponsor, why don't we take the championship to a casino and have a real game of chance?
"This is the world championship, the gala event we all look forward to. Yes, I'll hold my hands up, I missed some shots I shouldn't have but there were a lot of problems out there that cost me the match.
"It's not just me and John Higgins having a problem with it and it's not just because we lost. It will look like sour grapes but it's not and it will cost other players.
"The comments have been made backstage for days. The cloth is so thin and light it's only good for three days' play.
"After three days you get bad bounces and balls going where they shouldn't be and it makes a mockery of the biggest tournament we've got.”
Here’s what worldsnooker.com quoted: “I just think there are a whole mixtures of things that have gone on that have made the match that way and a lot of talk about the conditions and the playing conditions that we are all under but I’m not really that bothered at losing because I know I’ve played well all season, I’ve prepared as well as I’ve ever done to come to the Crucible, I played well against Dave and I know I played a lot of good shots out there today but the playing conditions weren’t beneficial to me at all.”
Leaving aside the fact that this comes across as gibberish, ‘not beneficial’ does not necessarily mean ‘poor’ and this sort of spin hardly enhances World Snooker’s reputation. Either quote what he said properly or don't quote him at all.
Thank goodness the snooker remains high quality as we enter the second half of the Crucible marathon.
26.4.08
DING FALLS TO THE KING
Stephen Hendry seems certain to beat Ding Junhui at the Crucible this afternoon and thus stop him from assuming his own mantle of youngest ever world champion.
Resuming 11-5 up, it's very unlikely Hendry will lose given the excellent form he is in.
Ding should have been no worse than 9-7 down but missed the black to win the 11th frame and frame ball red in the 15th.
Make no mistake, though: he is a man under intense pressure.
Ding is the standard bearer of the Chinese snooker revolution. Around 30 accredited Chinese journalists are at the Crucible and millions (and I do mean millions) are following it live on TV.
He won his three ranking titles before the close scrutiny he is now under began and seems to be struggling to cope with it.
What he needs - and what is happening with the emergence of Liang Wenbo and others - is more talented Chinese players doing well in the pro ranks to take some of the weight off his shoulders.
And what of Hendry?
He started the match with a century and made a vintage clearance to win that 15th frame. It was just like the old days.
Crucially, his concentration is back and, cueing as nicely as he is, he can beat anyone in the field.
Is an eighth world title on the cards?
There are still plenty of top class players left in the field who can prevent him but he must know that this is his big chance to land the game's top prize once again.
Resuming 11-5 up, it's very unlikely Hendry will lose given the excellent form he is in.
Ding should have been no worse than 9-7 down but missed the black to win the 11th frame and frame ball red in the 15th.
Make no mistake, though: he is a man under intense pressure.
Ding is the standard bearer of the Chinese snooker revolution. Around 30 accredited Chinese journalists are at the Crucible and millions (and I do mean millions) are following it live on TV.
He won his three ranking titles before the close scrutiny he is now under began and seems to be struggling to cope with it.
What he needs - and what is happening with the emergence of Liang Wenbo and others - is more talented Chinese players doing well in the pro ranks to take some of the weight off his shoulders.
And what of Hendry?
He started the match with a century and made a vintage clearance to win that 15th frame. It was just like the old days.
Crucially, his concentration is back and, cueing as nicely as he is, he can beat anyone in the field.
Is an eighth world title on the cards?
There are still plenty of top class players left in the field who can prevent him but he must know that this is his big chance to land the game's top prize once again.
23.4.08
UNDER PRESSURE
Have we ever had a more exciting start to the World Championship than the first few days this year?
Close finishes, comebacks and tension a-plenty. It can only be the Crucible.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was clearly feeling the pressure this afternoon against Liu Chuang this afternoon, missing pots and misjudging position.
Let’s lay one myth to rest: ‘Ronnie can win if he wants to.’
The fact is, he does want to. This is why he felt the pressure. If he couldn’t care less, he wouldn’t feel any at all.
I think he’ll still beat Liu but he isn’t the certainty he appeared to be this morning.
It’s a worrying sign for Ronnie because it follows three close defeats in as many tournaments.
In the Masters in January he missed a blue he should have potted in the decider against Stephen Maguire and lost 6-5.
He led Mark Selby 8-5 in February’s Welsh Open final but missed chances to win and was beaten 9-8.
He played kamikaze snooker in losing 5-4 to Marco Fu in the China Open last month.
None of this means he has ‘gone.’ He made two good clearances under pressure to hold off Liu. Everyone knows how good he can be when it all comes together.
However, O’Sullivan will be looking to improve in tomorrow’s final session to regain what appears to be lost confidence.
Close finishes, comebacks and tension a-plenty. It can only be the Crucible.
Ronnie O’Sullivan was clearly feeling the pressure this afternoon against Liu Chuang this afternoon, missing pots and misjudging position.
Let’s lay one myth to rest: ‘Ronnie can win if he wants to.’
The fact is, he does want to. This is why he felt the pressure. If he couldn’t care less, he wouldn’t feel any at all.
I think he’ll still beat Liu but he isn’t the certainty he appeared to be this morning.
It’s a worrying sign for Ronnie because it follows three close defeats in as many tournaments.
In the Masters in January he missed a blue he should have potted in the decider against Stephen Maguire and lost 6-5.
He led Mark Selby 8-5 in February’s Welsh Open final but missed chances to win and was beaten 9-8.
He played kamikaze snooker in losing 5-4 to Marco Fu in the China Open last month.
None of this means he has ‘gone.’ He made two good clearances under pressure to hold off Liu. Everyone knows how good he can be when it all comes together.
However, O’Sullivan will be looking to improve in tomorrow’s final session to regain what appears to be lost confidence.
22.4.08
GOLDEN GREATS SERVE UP VINTAGE DAY
All sports rely on an influx of fresh, new talent but you can’t quite beat the legends rolling back the years for excitement.
Yesterday’s play at the 888.com World Championship was thrilling as first Stephen Hendry, then Steve Davis evoked memories of their respective heydays by hitting the comeback trail at the Crucible.
Hendry pulled it off, rallying from 6-3 and 9-7 down to see off Mark Allen 10-9.
Davis just came up short, losing 10-8 to Stuart Bingham after fighting from 8-3 adrift to 8-8.
Hendry’s recovery proved that the Crucible has inspired him to produce close to his best form. Although Allen slipped up, the Scot finished off in style, in one visit in the decider.
“There are a lot of good players capable of winning the title but as long as I’m still in it they’ve got a headache,” he said afterwards.
And who could possibly argue with that?
Davis lost out after messing up position from blue to pink in an extraordinary 17th frame. He had Bingham on the ropes and failed to land the knockout blow but what a great performance it was.
Gone are the days 50 year-old Davis is booed at venues. The support he enjoyed from the crowd last night was amazing.
Nobody can go on forever, but Hendry and Davis are a breed apart because the competitive fire burns deeper in them than any of the players who have followed them.
They would always look to the next tournament after picking up a trophy. They never got comfortable.
Hendry believes he can land an eighth world title. As long as he remains in the event then this possibility cannot be written off.
As for Davis, he will have to qualify next year. Regardless, I repeat what I said in my closing line of commentary for Eurosport last night: He’s walked off the Crucible stage for what may be the last time, but hasn’t he left us with some wonderful memories.
Yesterday’s play at the 888.com World Championship was thrilling as first Stephen Hendry, then Steve Davis evoked memories of their respective heydays by hitting the comeback trail at the Crucible.
Hendry pulled it off, rallying from 6-3 and 9-7 down to see off Mark Allen 10-9.
Davis just came up short, losing 10-8 to Stuart Bingham after fighting from 8-3 adrift to 8-8.
Hendry’s recovery proved that the Crucible has inspired him to produce close to his best form. Although Allen slipped up, the Scot finished off in style, in one visit in the decider.
“There are a lot of good players capable of winning the title but as long as I’m still in it they’ve got a headache,” he said afterwards.
And who could possibly argue with that?
Davis lost out after messing up position from blue to pink in an extraordinary 17th frame. He had Bingham on the ropes and failed to land the knockout blow but what a great performance it was.
Gone are the days 50 year-old Davis is booed at venues. The support he enjoyed from the crowd last night was amazing.
Nobody can go on forever, but Hendry and Davis are a breed apart because the competitive fire burns deeper in them than any of the players who have followed them.
They would always look to the next tournament after picking up a trophy. They never got comfortable.
Hendry believes he can land an eighth world title. As long as he remains in the event then this possibility cannot be written off.
As for Davis, he will have to qualify next year. Regardless, I repeat what I said in my closing line of commentary for Eurosport last night: He’s walked off the Crucible stage for what may be the last time, but hasn’t he left us with some wonderful memories.
21.4.08
BARRY POTTER AND THE CASE OF THE LONG WAIT
It was Mike Ganley’s call to bring Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins off at 9-9, causing a two hour wait before the resumption.
Ganley is World Snooker’s tournament director and had to weigh up the various factors governing the decision.
Had they carried on when it went 9-9 at 6.35pm, they would most likely have run into the final session.
The other view is that, as it was a decider, they should have remained out there, not least so that the crowd who had stuck with it could see the end.
In Ganley’s job, you are never going to please all of the people all of the time. Certainly, Hawkins wasn’t happy because he had just won three successive frames and the momentum was clearly with him.
However, to read some of the coverage you would think that such a pull-off is unprecedented. It isn’t. It happens every year.
The cut-off point for starting another frame is 40 minutes before the following session.
Therefore, Ganley was right to bring them off.
He could have used his discretion but may then have got it in the neck from those waiting to play the evening session.
Ganley is World Snooker’s tournament director and had to weigh up the various factors governing the decision.
Had they carried on when it went 9-9 at 6.35pm, they would most likely have run into the final session.
The other view is that, as it was a decider, they should have remained out there, not least so that the crowd who had stuck with it could see the end.
In Ganley’s job, you are never going to please all of the people all of the time. Certainly, Hawkins wasn’t happy because he had just won three successive frames and the momentum was clearly with him.
However, to read some of the coverage you would think that such a pull-off is unprecedented. It isn’t. It happens every year.
The cut-off point for starting another frame is 40 minutes before the following session.
Therefore, Ganley was right to bring them off.
He could have used his discretion but may then have got it in the neck from those waiting to play the evening session.
20.4.08
HIGGINS SHOWS HIS CLASS
As great champions do, John Higgins raised his game when the pressure was on to see off Matthew Stevens in what turned out to be a very interesting first day encounter at the 888.com World Championship.
Having seen his 7-2 lead reduced to just 7-5, Higgins fired in breaks of 75, 120 and 103 to win 10-5. It was reminiscent, as he himself said, of his finish against Mark Selby in last year's Crucible final.
Few have tipped John to win the title this year. Then again, few tipped him to win it last year.
He hasn't practised as hard as he usually would this season but, like a student cramming for exams, has been putting the hours in at the Craigpark Masters in Glasgow these last three weeks.
If he hits top form in Sheffield he could well land a third world title. Ask the other players and many, if not most, would say he is a better all round player than Ronnie O'Sullivan when at his best.
When Higgins won the title in 1998, I assumed, as did many others, he would be a three, four or even five time winner.
That's not what's happened so far and, as he told me himself in an interview for the Sunday Herald, time is not on his side, even though he's still only 32.
“I’m capable of winning the world title again but I know time is running out,” Higgins said. “I’ll have to do it in the next few years because it gets harder as you get older.
“You look at Jimmy White. Four years ago he won the Players Championship, now he’s almost off the tour. Mark Williams looks like losing his top 16 place and for a while was in danger of falling out of the top 32, which would have been ridiculous because just a few years ago he held the game’s top four titles. It just shows how quickly it can all disappear.”
Who is to say that, now safely through what looked like a tricky opening round encounter, Higgins can't become the first player in 12 years to successfully defend the greatest snooker prize of them all?
(There is a full account of the first day's play here)
Having seen his 7-2 lead reduced to just 7-5, Higgins fired in breaks of 75, 120 and 103 to win 10-5. It was reminiscent, as he himself said, of his finish against Mark Selby in last year's Crucible final.
Few have tipped John to win the title this year. Then again, few tipped him to win it last year.
He hasn't practised as hard as he usually would this season but, like a student cramming for exams, has been putting the hours in at the Craigpark Masters in Glasgow these last three weeks.
If he hits top form in Sheffield he could well land a third world title. Ask the other players and many, if not most, would say he is a better all round player than Ronnie O'Sullivan when at his best.
When Higgins won the title in 1998, I assumed, as did many others, he would be a three, four or even five time winner.
That's not what's happened so far and, as he told me himself in an interview for the Sunday Herald, time is not on his side, even though he's still only 32.
“I’m capable of winning the world title again but I know time is running out,” Higgins said. “I’ll have to do it in the next few years because it gets harder as you get older.
“You look at Jimmy White. Four years ago he won the Players Championship, now he’s almost off the tour. Mark Williams looks like losing his top 16 place and for a while was in danger of falling out of the top 32, which would have been ridiculous because just a few years ago he held the game’s top four titles. It just shows how quickly it can all disappear.”
Who is to say that, now safely through what looked like a tricky opening round encounter, Higgins can't become the first player in 12 years to successfully defend the greatest snooker prize of them all?
(There is a full account of the first day's play here)
19.4.08
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
This is an interesting story reflecting the global interest in the 888.com World Championship but it does not change the fact that of the 32 competitors at the Crucible, 27 are from the UK and Ireland.
The game is actually less international now than it was 20 years ago when various Canadians and Australians were part of the scene. Thailand, Finland, Malta and Iceland are among the other countries to have been represented at the home of snooker.
What can be done?
It would take a complete overhaul of the format to enable individual qualifying in different countries but one thing that will help is if players such as Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson continue their success.
Neil tells me snooker in Australia is starting to pick up after years in the doldrums. He's getting some recognition and his profile is gradually growing.
Ding has, of course, already inspired Liang Wenbo and Liu Chuang, who will be making their Crucible debuts next week.
Fast forward 20 years the field may well be dominated by non-British stars.
Then we'll have situation as in tennis where the British sporting public are rooting for a couple of home grown stars, with the inevitable heartbreak ensuing.
The game is actually less international now than it was 20 years ago when various Canadians and Australians were part of the scene. Thailand, Finland, Malta and Iceland are among the other countries to have been represented at the home of snooker.
What can be done?
It would take a complete overhaul of the format to enable individual qualifying in different countries but one thing that will help is if players such as Ding Junhui and Neil Robertson continue their success.
Neil tells me snooker in Australia is starting to pick up after years in the doldrums. He's getting some recognition and his profile is gradually growing.
Ding has, of course, already inspired Liang Wenbo and Liu Chuang, who will be making their Crucible debuts next week.
Fast forward 20 years the field may well be dominated by non-British stars.
Then we'll have situation as in tennis where the British sporting public are rooting for a couple of home grown stars, with the inevitable heartbreak ensuing.
18.4.08
ALL EYES ON THE CRUCIBLE
Soon the talking will, thank goodness, be over and we can actually get on with the 888.com World Championship.
The build up in the newspapers this year has been low key to say the least.
This may reflect a decline in interest from the British media in general but I expect coverage to pick up once the tournament begins. It tends to be that all the people and publications that ignore snooker throughout the season suddenly decide it’s worth covering after all.
Let’s hope it’s covered properly.
The BBC website has a large section on the event. It’s a shame, then, that they have the draw in the wrong order and Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins playing three sessions in their first round match (do they know something we don’t?).
The BBC also has an extremely late nightly highlights programme (midnight most nights and contrary to their own listings) during the first week having come off air at 8pm with the evening session just getting interesting.
They are showing it all live on their interactive service but this doesn’t include a presenter or interviews with players.
Eurosport will be showing pretty much every session live and there is a full coverage on their website.
However you are following the tournament – at the Crucible, on TV or via live scoring – I hope you enjoy it.
The build up in the newspapers this year has been low key to say the least.
This may reflect a decline in interest from the British media in general but I expect coverage to pick up once the tournament begins. It tends to be that all the people and publications that ignore snooker throughout the season suddenly decide it’s worth covering after all.
Let’s hope it’s covered properly.
The BBC website has a large section on the event. It’s a shame, then, that they have the draw in the wrong order and Ali Carter and Barry Hawkins playing three sessions in their first round match (do they know something we don’t?).
The BBC also has an extremely late nightly highlights programme (midnight most nights and contrary to their own listings) during the first week having come off air at 8pm with the evening session just getting interesting.
They are showing it all live on their interactive service but this doesn’t include a presenter or interviews with players.
Eurosport will be showing pretty much every session live and there is a full coverage on their website.
However you are following the tournament – at the Crucible, on TV or via live scoring – I hope you enjoy it.
16.4.08
BLIND DATES
Next season’s Shanghai Masters will start on a Wednesday and finish on a Tuesday (October 1-7). This will be the first time a ranking event has ever ended on a Tuesday, unless you count the last two world finals, which both finished post-midnight on successive May Bank Holiday Mondays.
It is unusual but there’s a reason for it: the day in question is a public holiday in Shanghai, just as we have the May Day holiday in the UK.
When you think about it, there’s no real reason why events always have to end at the weekend, apart from that it is when people are less likely to be working and can therefore attend.
However, such is the competition with other sports for media coverage that a midweek final could end up being a huge plus.
What is less easy to comprehend is how the Shanghai tournament fits in with the rest of the schedule.
When it finishes, there will be just four days until the Grand Prix in Scotland. After that, the next ranking event – the UK Championship – will not be staged for another two months.
Remember, next season’s first ranking event – the Northern Ireland Trophy – is on from August 24-31 so there will be a whole month between this and Shanghai.
Of course, there may be – and we all hope there will be – more events to be slotted in, but this seems unlikely given that Matchroom have already published their Premier League dates.
Twenty years ago, indeed ten years ago, you knew where you were. Each tournament had a recognisable sponsor, venue and slot in the calendar.
If it was October, it’d be the Rothmans Grand Prix in Reading. February would mean the B&H Masters at Wembley, and so on.
Now, tournaments are moved about with such regularity that you need Sat Nav to find them.
And the huge gaps between them hardly convince a sceptical media that we have a thriving circuit.
This is not meant as explicit criticism of World Snooker. Staging ranking tournaments is hard work and securing venues not a piece of cake. World Snooker’s on site tournament team do a good job and rarely get any praise for this.
But to have a month between next season’s first and second tournament, four days between second and third and then two months between third and fourth is going to strike almost everybody – not least the players – as very odd indeed.
There has been criticism in the press – albeit anonymously – from players of late and this only seems likely to continue until new tournaments are announced.
Edit (on April 24): I'm now assured that the Shanghai Masters will now end on Sunday, October 5 after all, having been moved forward two days
It is unusual but there’s a reason for it: the day in question is a public holiday in Shanghai, just as we have the May Day holiday in the UK.
When you think about it, there’s no real reason why events always have to end at the weekend, apart from that it is when people are less likely to be working and can therefore attend.
However, such is the competition with other sports for media coverage that a midweek final could end up being a huge plus.
What is less easy to comprehend is how the Shanghai tournament fits in with the rest of the schedule.
When it finishes, there will be just four days until the Grand Prix in Scotland. After that, the next ranking event – the UK Championship – will not be staged for another two months.
Remember, next season’s first ranking event – the Northern Ireland Trophy – is on from August 24-31 so there will be a whole month between this and Shanghai.
Of course, there may be – and we all hope there will be – more events to be slotted in, but this seems unlikely given that Matchroom have already published their Premier League dates.
Twenty years ago, indeed ten years ago, you knew where you were. Each tournament had a recognisable sponsor, venue and slot in the calendar.
If it was October, it’d be the Rothmans Grand Prix in Reading. February would mean the B&H Masters at Wembley, and so on.
Now, tournaments are moved about with such regularity that you need Sat Nav to find them.
And the huge gaps between them hardly convince a sceptical media that we have a thriving circuit.
This is not meant as explicit criticism of World Snooker. Staging ranking tournaments is hard work and securing venues not a piece of cake. World Snooker’s on site tournament team do a good job and rarely get any praise for this.
But to have a month between next season’s first and second tournament, four days between second and third and then two months between third and fourth is going to strike almost everybody – not least the players – as very odd indeed.
There has been criticism in the press – albeit anonymously – from players of late and this only seems likely to continue until new tournaments are announced.
Edit (on April 24): I'm now assured that the Shanghai Masters will now end on Sunday, October 5 after all, having been moved forward two days
15.4.08
WHITE TAKES CENTRE STAGE
Jimmy White fans – and there are, of course, many of them – can’t watch their hero in next week’s 888.com World Championship but he will be in action in the Championship League on Wednesday and Thursday.
White joins Mark Selby and Gerard Greene in Group 6. There are no seats for spectators but all the action is screened live on the internet on three betting websites – Betfair.com, Bet365.com and Williamhill.com.
Jimmy was beaten 10-3 by Mark King in the final qualifying round of the World Championship and has not been invited to the Premier League next season.
However, he will still get in if he gets into and then wins the Champions Group next month.
White will doubtless have mixed feelings about playing with the World Championship coming up but I’m sure his army of supporters will be willing on his every shot.
White joins Mark Selby and Gerard Greene in Group 6. There are no seats for spectators but all the action is screened live on the internet on three betting websites – Betfair.com, Bet365.com and Williamhill.com.
Jimmy was beaten 10-3 by Mark King in the final qualifying round of the World Championship and has not been invited to the Premier League next season.
However, he will still get in if he gets into and then wins the Champions Group next month.
White will doubtless have mixed feelings about playing with the World Championship coming up but I’m sure his army of supporters will be willing on his every shot.
14.4.08
SNOOKER ISN'T IN CRISIS...SAY WORLD SNOOKER
World Snooker have hit back at the 'mystery' player who criticised them in the News of the World with a statement on their website.
In this, they defend their actions and point to the various positives since Sir Rodney Walker was made chairman in 2004.
Personally, I wouldn't take issue with any of them and it's actually refreshing that the governing body should defend its position rather than say nothing at all, which has all too often been their stance in the past.
However, to talk about 'discussions' for events in the Middle East and Europe is not a good idea because we've been hearing this for, literally, four or five years and such 'discussions' have not yet borne any fruit at all in terms of actual tournaments.
World Snooker have previously announced events in Brazil, Thailand, Macao and Holland that have simply never taken place.
I think players have every right to complain in public if they are unhappy with how their sport is being run but would add that they should do so on the record rather than anonymously.
However, the notion, as suggested in the last paragraph of the statement, that players should only say nice things about the governing body - regardless of what they feel about them - is, frankly, ludicrous.
In this, they defend their actions and point to the various positives since Sir Rodney Walker was made chairman in 2004.
Personally, I wouldn't take issue with any of them and it's actually refreshing that the governing body should defend its position rather than say nothing at all, which has all too often been their stance in the past.
However, to talk about 'discussions' for events in the Middle East and Europe is not a good idea because we've been hearing this for, literally, four or five years and such 'discussions' have not yet borne any fruit at all in terms of actual tournaments.
World Snooker have previously announced events in Brazil, Thailand, Macao and Holland that have simply never taken place.
I think players have every right to complain in public if they are unhappy with how their sport is being run but would add that they should do so on the record rather than anonymously.
However, the notion, as suggested in the last paragraph of the statement, that players should only say nice things about the governing body - regardless of what they feel about them - is, frankly, ludicrous.
CUETUBE
This week, to get us in the mood for Ronnie O'Sullivan's 888.com World Championship meeting with Liu Chuang, some footage of their only other meeting.
This was in last season's China Open in Beijing when Liu was a wildcard.
I'm sure he's hoping Ronnie doesn't turn it on like this at the Crucible...
This was in last season's China Open in Beijing when Liu was a wildcard.
I'm sure he's hoping Ronnie doesn't turn it on like this at the Crucible...
13.4.08
SNOOKER ISN'T IN CRISIS
This story in today's News of the World claims that a number of leading snooker players are 'fed up' with World Snooker, the governing body.
It quotes a top player as saying: "I'm fed up with world snooker, sometimes I wonder whether they have the best interests of the game at the top of their agenda.
"Prize money is down and there are not as many tournaments as there used to be, which frustrates me and a lot of the other players.
"I remember when there were 15 tournaments in a season and there was a lot more money on offer.
"At one point this season there was a two-month break between tournaments. That's not the way to run the game."
The newspaper does not name the player because he feared disciplinary action so neither will I, but I can tell you he has had a love/hate relationship with World Snooker throughout his career.
However, his comments do not mean that 'a string of top players' are 'fed up.' He speaks for himself, nobody else.
Everyone would like more tournaments but although World Snooker have done themselves few favours over the years, the fault for all this is not theirs and theirs alone.
In 2001, 110sport won a court ruling which meant any promoter could stage events without a World Snooker sanction.
But very few have been staged since by anyone other than the governing body.
Why?
Because getting tournaments on is hard work. You need a venue, sponsor, broadcaster and top players, and it's hard to get, say, the first without already having the second and vice versa.
If the top players really are 'fed up' then why haven't they voted out the World Snooker board in the various elections of the last few years?
They've had ample chance to organise themselves to take proper action. Almost uniquely, snooker is run by the players, at least in theory.
I don't believe snooker is 'in crisis' as the story suggests. It could be doing much, much better but it could equally be doing far, far worse.
It quotes a top player as saying: "I'm fed up with world snooker, sometimes I wonder whether they have the best interests of the game at the top of their agenda.
"Prize money is down and there are not as many tournaments as there used to be, which frustrates me and a lot of the other players.
"I remember when there were 15 tournaments in a season and there was a lot more money on offer.
"At one point this season there was a two-month break between tournaments. That's not the way to run the game."
The newspaper does not name the player because he feared disciplinary action so neither will I, but I can tell you he has had a love/hate relationship with World Snooker throughout his career.
However, his comments do not mean that 'a string of top players' are 'fed up.' He speaks for himself, nobody else.
Everyone would like more tournaments but although World Snooker have done themselves few favours over the years, the fault for all this is not theirs and theirs alone.
In 2001, 110sport won a court ruling which meant any promoter could stage events without a World Snooker sanction.
But very few have been staged since by anyone other than the governing body.
Why?
Because getting tournaments on is hard work. You need a venue, sponsor, broadcaster and top players, and it's hard to get, say, the first without already having the second and vice versa.
If the top players really are 'fed up' then why haven't they voted out the World Snooker board in the various elections of the last few years?
They've had ample chance to organise themselves to take proper action. Almost uniquely, snooker is run by the players, at least in theory.
I don't believe snooker is 'in crisis' as the story suggests. It could be doing much, much better but it could equally be doing far, far worse.
12.4.08
DEPRESSED DOTT CONSIDERS CRUCIBLE WITHDRAWAL
Graeme Dott, the 2006 888.com world champion, has been diagnosed with depression and is reported to be considering withdrawing from this year’s Crucible event.
He has failed to win any of his last 15 matches in a run stretching back to last August’s Shanghai Masters.
In December 2006, Alex Lambie, Dott’s father-in-law and long time manager, died of cancer.
Dott’s wife Elaine had a cancer scare in January 2007 before being given the all clear.
This season, he was involved in a time consuming fight with World Snooker when they tried to discipline him for comments he made about Ian McCulloch.
It was clear all was not well at the Welsh Open in February when he broke off in one frame of his match with Michael Judge in such a negative mood that, trying not to disturb too many reds, he missed the pack altogether.
Last month at the China Open in Beijing he was close to tears when a journalist asked whether Lambie's death had affected his form.
“I desperately want to play but I’ve not been in the right frame of mind for some time as you can see from my results. I will only go to Sheffield if I feel I can do myself justice,” Dott told the Scottish Sun.
The 30 year-old is due to play Joe Perry on Tuesday, April 22 and Wednesday, April 23.
If he pulled out it would be the first time any player had failed to turn up for a Crucible match.
My gut feeling is that he will play, but it depends on how serious the diagnosis is.
Contrary to what some people believe, you can’t just tell depressed people to “cheer up.”
Graeme should do what is in his own best interests in this case. His health is more important than a snooker match.
He has failed to win any of his last 15 matches in a run stretching back to last August’s Shanghai Masters.
In December 2006, Alex Lambie, Dott’s father-in-law and long time manager, died of cancer.
Dott’s wife Elaine had a cancer scare in January 2007 before being given the all clear.
This season, he was involved in a time consuming fight with World Snooker when they tried to discipline him for comments he made about Ian McCulloch.
It was clear all was not well at the Welsh Open in February when he broke off in one frame of his match with Michael Judge in such a negative mood that, trying not to disturb too many reds, he missed the pack altogether.
Last month at the China Open in Beijing he was close to tears when a journalist asked whether Lambie's death had affected his form.
“I desperately want to play but I’ve not been in the right frame of mind for some time as you can see from my results. I will only go to Sheffield if I feel I can do myself justice,” Dott told the Scottish Sun.
The 30 year-old is due to play Joe Perry on Tuesday, April 22 and Wednesday, April 23.
If he pulled out it would be the first time any player had failed to turn up for a Crucible match.
My gut feeling is that he will play, but it depends on how serious the diagnosis is.
Contrary to what some people believe, you can’t just tell depressed people to “cheer up.”
Graeme should do what is in his own best interests in this case. His health is more important than a snooker match.
11.4.08
WILL THESE BE THE FINAL FOUR?
Here is my prediction for the semi-final line-up at the 888.com World Championship:
Ding Junhui v Mark Williams
Shaun Murphy v Neil Robertson
After this I predict Ding will beat Robertson 18-10 in the final.
Before anyone suggests therapy, I should point out that I used to have a very good record in tipping the winner of the world title. This was mainly because I always used to tip Stephen Hendry.
I also called it for Mark Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan the years they won it and, in 2003, got all four semi-finalists right.
In the last three years, though, I don’t think I’ve got any of them right. The reason is quite simple: there are so few tournaments that form is irrelevant.
OK, so Murphy, Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire have been the three form players of the season but by the time the Crucible comes round none of them will have played for three weeks (apart from Selby’s two days in the Championship League).
The last three winners – Murphy, Graeme Dott and John Higgins – all had poor seasons heading to Sheffield before finding form over the 17 days.
Ding is my tip to win, which is strange, really, when you consider he has the hardest first round draw in Marco Fu.
He could lose this but if he doesn’t I fancy him to go all the way.
Williams has, of course, been off the boil of late but let’s not forget that its only five years since he won the biggest cheque in snooker history - £270,000 – in winning the title for a second time (incidentally, I’ve no idea what the winner gets this year as the prize money appears to be a state secret).
With Ronnie O’Sullivan’s tendency this season to struggle against the more methodical players, I think Williams has a great chance to take him out in the second round.
Murphy is Mr. Consistency and although he’s in a tough quarter that includes Selby and Peter Ebdon, I reckon he’ll come through it.
Robertson has done nothing of note all season but is the sort of player who could suddenly spring into life with devastating effect.
Maguire is favourite in this quarter but has been laid up this last week with flu and unable to practice – hardly ideal preparation for the game’s biggest event.
How many of my four tips will actually reach the semis?
Probably none, but who’d bet on snooker these days? It’s never been so unpredictable.
That’s why watching the championship will be so enjoyable – anything can happen.
Please post your own predictions below.
Ding Junhui v Mark Williams
Shaun Murphy v Neil Robertson
After this I predict Ding will beat Robertson 18-10 in the final.
Before anyone suggests therapy, I should point out that I used to have a very good record in tipping the winner of the world title. This was mainly because I always used to tip Stephen Hendry.
I also called it for Mark Williams and Ronnie O’Sullivan the years they won it and, in 2003, got all four semi-finalists right.
In the last three years, though, I don’t think I’ve got any of them right. The reason is quite simple: there are so few tournaments that form is irrelevant.
OK, so Murphy, Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire have been the three form players of the season but by the time the Crucible comes round none of them will have played for three weeks (apart from Selby’s two days in the Championship League).
The last three winners – Murphy, Graeme Dott and John Higgins – all had poor seasons heading to Sheffield before finding form over the 17 days.
Ding is my tip to win, which is strange, really, when you consider he has the hardest first round draw in Marco Fu.
He could lose this but if he doesn’t I fancy him to go all the way.
Williams has, of course, been off the boil of late but let’s not forget that its only five years since he won the biggest cheque in snooker history - £270,000 – in winning the title for a second time (incidentally, I’ve no idea what the winner gets this year as the prize money appears to be a state secret).
With Ronnie O’Sullivan’s tendency this season to struggle against the more methodical players, I think Williams has a great chance to take him out in the second round.
Murphy is Mr. Consistency and although he’s in a tough quarter that includes Selby and Peter Ebdon, I reckon he’ll come through it.
Robertson has done nothing of note all season but is the sort of player who could suddenly spring into life with devastating effect.
Maguire is favourite in this quarter but has been laid up this last week with flu and unable to practice – hardly ideal preparation for the game’s biggest event.
How many of my four tips will actually reach the semis?
Probably none, but who’d bet on snooker these days? It’s never been so unpredictable.
That’s why watching the championship will be so enjoyable – anything can happen.
Please post your own predictions below.
10.4.08
SHOCKS TO THE SYSTEM
There will no doubt be shock results at the Crucible, but what constitutes a shock?
For instance, would Mark Allen beating Stephen Hendry be a shock considering he did so at the same stage of this season’s UK Championship?
Would Marco Fu beating Ding Junhui be a shock? Or Matthew Stevens beating John Higgins?
The biggest shock of them all at Sheffield was Tony Knowles’s 10-1 trouncing of the then defending champion Steve Davis in 1982.
However, if Liu Chuang beats Ronnie O’Sullivan this year it will dwarf that and then some. It would be the most surprising victory in the sport’s history.
To qualify as a shock, the losing player must be one of the very top players and the winner has to be a virtual unknown, or someone whose career has been going downhill.
Stephen Hendry was famously ‘shocked’ twice in the first round, by Jimmy White in 1998 and Stuart Bingham in 2000. He also lost to Nigel Bond in 2006 but this wasn’t such a shock because Hendry was not considered the title favourite, as he had been the previous two times.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s defeat to David Gray in 2000 was a surprise, as was John Higgins’s to Mark Selby in 2006.
Steve Davis was not expected to lose to Peter Ebdon in 1992 and John Parrott’s defeat to Rod Lawler in 1996 was a complete surprise.
So where will the shocks come this year?
Looking at the first round matches, I think Stephen Maguire could be vulnerable against Anthony Hamilton, which would be a surprise result because Maguire’s had a good season and just won the China Open.
Also, I wouldn’t rule out Mark King upsetting Mark Selby.
However, the whole point about shocks is that you don’t see them coming...
For instance, would Mark Allen beating Stephen Hendry be a shock considering he did so at the same stage of this season’s UK Championship?
Would Marco Fu beating Ding Junhui be a shock? Or Matthew Stevens beating John Higgins?
The biggest shock of them all at Sheffield was Tony Knowles’s 10-1 trouncing of the then defending champion Steve Davis in 1982.
However, if Liu Chuang beats Ronnie O’Sullivan this year it will dwarf that and then some. It would be the most surprising victory in the sport’s history.
To qualify as a shock, the losing player must be one of the very top players and the winner has to be a virtual unknown, or someone whose career has been going downhill.
Stephen Hendry was famously ‘shocked’ twice in the first round, by Jimmy White in 1998 and Stuart Bingham in 2000. He also lost to Nigel Bond in 2006 but this wasn’t such a shock because Hendry was not considered the title favourite, as he had been the previous two times.
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s defeat to David Gray in 2000 was a surprise, as was John Higgins’s to Mark Selby in 2006.
Steve Davis was not expected to lose to Peter Ebdon in 1992 and John Parrott’s defeat to Rod Lawler in 1996 was a complete surprise.
So where will the shocks come this year?
Looking at the first round matches, I think Stephen Maguire could be vulnerable against Anthony Hamilton, which would be a surprise result because Maguire’s had a good season and just won the China Open.
Also, I wouldn’t rule out Mark King upsetting Mark Selby.
However, the whole point about shocks is that you don’t see them coming...
9.4.08
POCKET MONEY
I’ve reviewed this book for the new issue of Snooker Scene and would heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in the game.
Indeed, I would recommend any of Gordon Burn’s books because he’s one of those writers who can make you interested in just about any subject.
Pocket Money, which has just been reissued with an afterword by Snooker Scene editor Clive Everton, covers the 1985/86 season and is bookended by Steve Davis’s two world final defeats – on the black to Dennis Taylor and 18-12 to Joe Johnson.
On the way to the Crucible it takes on all points on a circuit that was flourishing at the height of the 1980s snooker boom.
Davis’s manager Barry Hearn becomes the main focus through his expanding Matchroom empire.
The money and prosperity sloshing about in the game then is hard to believe in these days of a disjointed circuit and groans over low prize money.
Pocket Money is not only a celebration of the golden days but also served as a warning that these days would not last forever – a warning that was ignored.
Indeed, I would recommend any of Gordon Burn’s books because he’s one of those writers who can make you interested in just about any subject.
Pocket Money, which has just been reissued with an afterword by Snooker Scene editor Clive Everton, covers the 1985/86 season and is bookended by Steve Davis’s two world final defeats – on the black to Dennis Taylor and 18-12 to Joe Johnson.
On the way to the Crucible it takes on all points on a circuit that was flourishing at the height of the 1980s snooker boom.
Davis’s manager Barry Hearn becomes the main focus through his expanding Matchroom empire.
The money and prosperity sloshing about in the game then is hard to believe in these days of a disjointed circuit and groans over low prize money.
Pocket Money is not only a celebration of the golden days but also served as a warning that these days would not last forever – a warning that was ignored.
8.4.08
CUETUBE
This week, the greatest player in the history of the game.
Stephen Hendry is this not just because he is the most successful but also because of his extraordinary natural ability - something that is, oddly, hardly ever referred to.
Consider this: he started playing at 12. At 16 he was at the Crucible.
This clip is from his 1987 quarter-final with Joe Johnson. It was this style of play that inspired a generation and helped move snooker on to be the ultra-attacking game it is today.
Stephen Hendry is this not just because he is the most successful but also because of his extraordinary natural ability - something that is, oddly, hardly ever referred to.
Consider this: he started playing at 12. At 16 he was at the Crucible.
This clip is from his 1987 quarter-final with Joe Johnson. It was this style of play that inspired a generation and helped move snooker on to be the ultra-attacking game it is today.
7.4.08
MEET THE MISSES
We can all think of great shots we’ve seen down the years but it’s often those spectacular misses that have turned frames, matches and even whole tournaments that live long in the memory.
In all sport, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is fascinating to observe, even if it’s crippling to endure for the person screwing up in front of millions.
Here, then, are my five biggest misses in snooker history.
Please feel free to agree or disagree with any of the choices.
5) WILLIE THORNE’S BLUE, 1985 UK CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Thorne was leading Steve Davis 13-8 in this best of 31 frame final and looked certain to extend his advantage to six frames when clearing up in the 22nd.
However, he missed a straightforward blue he would pot 99 times out of a 100 and went on to lose 16-14 as Davis sensed blood, regrouped and ruthlessly punished him.
Willie never got over this and his career of underachievement – considering his great talent – came to be defined by it.
4) JIMMY WHITE’S BLACK, 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
This was White’s sixth world final and at last, at long last, it appeared as if it would provide him with his first world title.
Up 37-24 with the balls well set in the decider, he snatched on a routine black. It was only pressure that caused him to miss it; pressure built up by the weight of expectation after so many failures at the Crucible’s final hurdle and the knowledge that so many millions were willing him on.
Hendry, as he always did in those days, cleared up from the miss and White never again featured in a world final.
3) REX WILLIAMS’S BLUE, 1972 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS
This was, without overstatement, one of the most significant shots in snooker history. Williams was well placed to win the deciding frame of his semi-final with Alex Higgins when he missed a relatively easy blue.
Higgins won the decider and went on to claim the title. His flamboyant, controversial, mercurial style lit the blue touch paper for snooker and undoubtedly accelerated the game’s march to the top of the TV ratings charts in the 1980s.
This would in all likelihood still have happened but, had Williams potted that blue, probably not anywhere near as quickly.
2) KEN DOHERTY’S BLACK, 2000 MASTERS FINAL
Doherty’s temperament has never been in doubt but it was surely only nerves that caused him to miss the black on 140 in the 2000 Masters final at Wembley. Had it gone in, he would have emulated Kirk Stevens’s maximum feat in 1984. To date, only Ding Junhui (2007) has added to the Masters 147 list.
The nerves were understandable. The Wembley Conference Centre was the game’s biggest venue, there were millions watching on TV and there was an £80,000 sportscar on offer for a max. The next day, a national newspaper took Doherty to a local snooker club and he successfully potted the black from the same position he had missed it ten times in a row.
But by then it was, of course, far too late.
1) STEVE DAVIS’S BLACK, 1985 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
It wasn’t dead simple but it was a ball the all-conquering Davis would have potted at any other time in any other frame.
As it was, at 17-17 and down to the last ball of his Crucible final with Dennis Taylor, he felt the pressure. He knew as he missed it - a little cut-back into a blind pocket - that he’d left it for Taylor. Watching it back, you can almost see all life drain from his features as he trudges back to his seat.
This uncharacteristic slip up proved that even the authentic greats are human and was further proof that, in snooker, it’s every bit as exciting when they miss and when the great pots are flying in.
In all sport, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is fascinating to observe, even if it’s crippling to endure for the person screwing up in front of millions.
Here, then, are my five biggest misses in snooker history.
Please feel free to agree or disagree with any of the choices.
5) WILLIE THORNE’S BLUE, 1985 UK CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Thorne was leading Steve Davis 13-8 in this best of 31 frame final and looked certain to extend his advantage to six frames when clearing up in the 22nd.
However, he missed a straightforward blue he would pot 99 times out of a 100 and went on to lose 16-14 as Davis sensed blood, regrouped and ruthlessly punished him.
Willie never got over this and his career of underachievement – considering his great talent – came to be defined by it.
4) JIMMY WHITE’S BLACK, 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
This was White’s sixth world final and at last, at long last, it appeared as if it would provide him with his first world title.
Up 37-24 with the balls well set in the decider, he snatched on a routine black. It was only pressure that caused him to miss it; pressure built up by the weight of expectation after so many failures at the Crucible’s final hurdle and the knowledge that so many millions were willing him on.
Hendry, as he always did in those days, cleared up from the miss and White never again featured in a world final.
3) REX WILLIAMS’S BLUE, 1972 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINALS
This was, without overstatement, one of the most significant shots in snooker history. Williams was well placed to win the deciding frame of his semi-final with Alex Higgins when he missed a relatively easy blue.
Higgins won the decider and went on to claim the title. His flamboyant, controversial, mercurial style lit the blue touch paper for snooker and undoubtedly accelerated the game’s march to the top of the TV ratings charts in the 1980s.
This would in all likelihood still have happened but, had Williams potted that blue, probably not anywhere near as quickly.
2) KEN DOHERTY’S BLACK, 2000 MASTERS FINAL
Doherty’s temperament has never been in doubt but it was surely only nerves that caused him to miss the black on 140 in the 2000 Masters final at Wembley. Had it gone in, he would have emulated Kirk Stevens’s maximum feat in 1984. To date, only Ding Junhui (2007) has added to the Masters 147 list.
The nerves were understandable. The Wembley Conference Centre was the game’s biggest venue, there were millions watching on TV and there was an £80,000 sportscar on offer for a max. The next day, a national newspaper took Doherty to a local snooker club and he successfully potted the black from the same position he had missed it ten times in a row.
But by then it was, of course, far too late.
1) STEVE DAVIS’S BLACK, 1985 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
It wasn’t dead simple but it was a ball the all-conquering Davis would have potted at any other time in any other frame.
As it was, at 17-17 and down to the last ball of his Crucible final with Dennis Taylor, he felt the pressure. He knew as he missed it - a little cut-back into a blind pocket - that he’d left it for Taylor. Watching it back, you can almost see all life drain from his features as he trudges back to his seat.
This uncharacteristic slip up proved that even the authentic greats are human and was further proof that, in snooker, it’s every bit as exciting when they miss and when the great pots are flying in.
3.4.08
PRECIOUS CHINA
This is an interesting story for three reasons:
1) For the way snooker has come to be seen as 'respectable' in China
2) For the suggestion that there may be as many as ten events in China in the future
3) For describing Jimmy White as a 'former world champion' - is the author the only person in the world who doesn't know about Jimmy's many Crucible heartbreaks?
1) For the way snooker has come to be seen as 'respectable' in China
2) For the suggestion that there may be as many as ten events in China in the future
3) For describing Jimmy White as a 'former world champion' - is the author the only person in the world who doesn't know about Jimmy's many Crucible heartbreaks?
2.4.08
MAGUIRE IN FORM FOR CRUCIBLE
Stephen Maguire's Beijing form certainly makes him one of the favourites for the world title but it's been ten years since the player who won the tournament immediately before the World Championship went on to triumph at the Crucible.
That was John Higgins, who won the 1998 British Open in Plymouth before landing the sport's greatest prize.
What does this mean? Probably nothing, as few players win back-to-back ranking titles in any case.
Maguire is in what appears to be the easiest quarter of the draw, which includes the struggling Graeme Dott and inconsistent Neil Robertson.
If he could get through this Shaun Murphy or Mark Selby could be waiting in the semis.
Whatever, it's good to see Stephen playing well again.
I'm going to crow here - because I get very little chance to do so - and republish something I wrote on this very blog last July:
Looking at the season as a whole I’m going to predict one player in particular to watch: Stephen Maguire.
You’ll recall the manner of his semi-final defeat to Higgins at the Crucible. Entering the final session leading 14-10 – having played superbly – he was beaten 17-15, missing the pink in losing a crucial 30th frame which would have put him 16-14 up.
I well remember Maguire turning pro in 1999. I interviewed him after his very first match. He seemed far too polite and reserved for this game but they breed them pretty tough in Glasgow and his personality soon came to the fore.
He’ll have been gutted by his Sheffield exit with the sure knowledge that he let a gilt-edged chance to become world champion slip.
And he’ll be back fighting harder than ever to prove himself as one of the game’s best, which he is, as proved by the manner in which he won the 2004 UK Championship.
I suspect he feels like a wounded animal at the moment and will want to get stuck into the new season to cast off the disappointments of the last campaign.
How things have turned round for him.
He heads to Sheffield in less than three week's time with the perfect chance to make amends for last year's disappointment.
That was John Higgins, who won the 1998 British Open in Plymouth before landing the sport's greatest prize.
What does this mean? Probably nothing, as few players win back-to-back ranking titles in any case.
Maguire is in what appears to be the easiest quarter of the draw, which includes the struggling Graeme Dott and inconsistent Neil Robertson.
If he could get through this Shaun Murphy or Mark Selby could be waiting in the semis.
Whatever, it's good to see Stephen playing well again.
I'm going to crow here - because I get very little chance to do so - and republish something I wrote on this very blog last July:
Looking at the season as a whole I’m going to predict one player in particular to watch: Stephen Maguire.
You’ll recall the manner of his semi-final defeat to Higgins at the Crucible. Entering the final session leading 14-10 – having played superbly – he was beaten 17-15, missing the pink in losing a crucial 30th frame which would have put him 16-14 up.
I well remember Maguire turning pro in 1999. I interviewed him after his very first match. He seemed far too polite and reserved for this game but they breed them pretty tough in Glasgow and his personality soon came to the fore.
He’ll have been gutted by his Sheffield exit with the sure knowledge that he let a gilt-edged chance to become world champion slip.
And he’ll be back fighting harder than ever to prove himself as one of the game’s best, which he is, as proved by the manner in which he won the 2004 UK Championship.
I suspect he feels like a wounded animal at the moment and will want to get stuck into the new season to cast off the disappointments of the last campaign.
How things have turned round for him.
He heads to Sheffield in less than three week's time with the perfect chance to make amends for last year's disappointment.
1.4.08
31.3.08
RANKINGS RIDDLE
There I am relaxing after the China Open and I'm asked for help with an intriguing query regarding the world ranking list.
Or more specifically, whether it's been worked out incorrectly.
This all goes back to the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Aberdeen last October.
According to the official World Snooker ranking points schedule, the 16 qualifiers from Prestatyn earned 1,438 points. The seeded players (ranked 1-32) who finished third or fourth earned 1,750 points. The seeded players who finished fifth or sixth earned 719 points.
The key word here is 'seeded'. Nowhere on the schedule does it say that a qualifier finishing third or fourth receives 1,750 points.
However, four players who did just this - Rory McLeod, Stuart Pettman, Tom Ford and Jimmy Michie - did receive this amount.
I suspect that the schedule is merely ambiguously written and that any player finishing third or fourth was entitled to 1,750. This would certainly make sense because it rewards those who win two or three matches.
But the use of the word 'seeded' suggests this may not be the case.
And if it isn't the case, the four aforementioned players have been given too many points.
This would obviously have major implications for the ranking list, not least because McLeod, Ford and Michie are all perilously close to the 48 mark. If they dropped lower than this they would have to play an extra qualifying round in ranking tournaments next season.
To cut a very long-winded story short, does anyone know whether the list is right or not?
Or more specifically, whether it's been worked out incorrectly.
This all goes back to the Royal London Watches Grand Prix in Aberdeen last October.
According to the official World Snooker ranking points schedule, the 16 qualifiers from Prestatyn earned 1,438 points. The seeded players (ranked 1-32) who finished third or fourth earned 1,750 points. The seeded players who finished fifth or sixth earned 719 points.
The key word here is 'seeded'. Nowhere on the schedule does it say that a qualifier finishing third or fourth receives 1,750 points.
However, four players who did just this - Rory McLeod, Stuart Pettman, Tom Ford and Jimmy Michie - did receive this amount.
I suspect that the schedule is merely ambiguously written and that any player finishing third or fourth was entitled to 1,750. This would certainly make sense because it rewards those who win two or three matches.
But the use of the word 'seeded' suggests this may not be the case.
And if it isn't the case, the four aforementioned players have been given too many points.
This would obviously have major implications for the ranking list, not least because McLeod, Ford and Michie are all perilously close to the 48 mark. If they dropped lower than this they would have to play an extra qualifying round in ranking tournaments next season.
To cut a very long-winded story short, does anyone know whether the list is right or not?
MAGUIRE WINS CHINA THRILLER
What a match, what a frame and what an extraordinary shot from yellow to green by Stephen Maguire to win it.
He and Shaun Murphy served up the match of the season so far as their China Open final went the distance in Beijing.
It always had the look of a contest that was too close to call. In the end, Maguire’s shot to bring the green off the side cushion and away from the blue was the match winner. He could not have executed it any more perfectly.
The final finished at 00.20am but most of the crowd remained in their seats until the end.
Well done to Stephen, bad luck to Shaun and roll on the Crucible!
He and Shaun Murphy served up the match of the season so far as their China Open final went the distance in Beijing.
It always had the look of a contest that was too close to call. In the end, Maguire’s shot to bring the green off the side cushion and away from the blue was the match winner. He could not have executed it any more perfectly.
The final finished at 00.20am but most of the crowd remained in their seats until the end.
Well done to Stephen, bad luck to Shaun and roll on the Crucible!
30.3.08
CHALK AND CHEESE
Stephen Maguire and Shaun Murphy are never going to be best friends. This undoubtedly sharpens their on table rivalry and, for snooker, this is a good thing.
The ‘chalkgate’ incident has been done to death and should be put to bed but that doesn’t mean no one should point out the differences in personality between these two talented players.
Because today’s China Open final in Beijing is as much a personality clash as a meeting of two fine cuemen.
Maguire tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. Like Graeme Dott, he uses negative feelings as a positive. This is the first time he’s played Murphy in a final but you suspect it’s always a final to him when they clash cues.
Murphy is a more laid back character. He’s a great professional and a credit to his sport but not everyone’s cup of tea, certainly not Maguire’s if past quotes are anything to go by.
Snooker is a friendly sport. Yes, of course there are rows and bust-ups but most of the top players get on.
Socially, this is a good thing but all sports need rivalries and not just ones that end in the arena.
In snooker, of course, the players are warned by their governing body not to allow any off table enmity to surface in the public domain but when this does happen it only adds to the times when they do play.
Maguire and Murphy will always be rivals. Ahead of today’s Beijing final it was four apiece in career wins and I suspect there won’t be much between them at the end of their careers.
The late John Spencer, three times the world champion, once said he couldn’t understand why the top players that followed him practised together.
There’s little danger of Maguire and Murphy doing this.
The ‘chalkgate’ incident has been done to death and should be put to bed but that doesn’t mean no one should point out the differences in personality between these two talented players.
Because today’s China Open final in Beijing is as much a personality clash as a meeting of two fine cuemen.
Maguire tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. Like Graeme Dott, he uses negative feelings as a positive. This is the first time he’s played Murphy in a final but you suspect it’s always a final to him when they clash cues.
Murphy is a more laid back character. He’s a great professional and a credit to his sport but not everyone’s cup of tea, certainly not Maguire’s if past quotes are anything to go by.
Snooker is a friendly sport. Yes, of course there are rows and bust-ups but most of the top players get on.
Socially, this is a good thing but all sports need rivalries and not just ones that end in the arena.
In snooker, of course, the players are warned by their governing body not to allow any off table enmity to surface in the public domain but when this does happen it only adds to the times when they do play.
Maguire and Murphy will always be rivals. Ahead of today’s Beijing final it was four apiece in career wins and I suspect there won’t be much between them at the end of their careers.
The late John Spencer, three times the world champion, once said he couldn’t understand why the top players that followed him practised together.
There’s little danger of Maguire and Murphy doing this.
29.3.08
MAXIMUM FOR MAGUIRE
Stephen Maguire has just become the first player to make a 147 in a ranking event in China.
Maguire, who at the 2000 Scottish Open became the youngest ever player to compile a maximum at 19, made the perfect run in frame two of his China Open semi-final against Ryan Day. James Wattana knocked in a 147 in an invitation event in China in 1997.
Watch it here.
Maguire, who at the 2000 Scottish Open became the youngest ever player to compile a maximum at 19, made the perfect run in frame two of his China Open semi-final against Ryan Day. James Wattana knocked in a 147 in an invitation event in China in 1997.
Watch it here.
28.3.08
RONNIE NEEDS TO APOLOGISE
They say that those who the gods adore, first they make mad. If this is the case then the gods must really have the hots for Ronnie O’Sullivan.
His slapdash shot selections at the end of his 5-4 defeat to Marco Fu in the China Open this week raised eyebrows but his behaviour at the post match press conference defied belief.
You will probably have read his comments and maybe viewed the video footage. It was, as World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker has said today, unacceptable.
Ronnie was obviously bored by the amount of time the Chinese journalists’ questions and his answers were taking to be translated between languages and amused himself by chatting to a World Snooker official.
At this point, he appeared not to consider he was being filmed and recorded but he must have known, on picking up the microphone and uttering a particularly lewd remark, that this would be picked up.
The blame for all of this lies with Ronnie and Ronnie alone. It’s easy to blame World Snooker officials and say that they should have stopped him but you can’t. He is, and always has been, his own man.
In a previous life, I was myself World Snooker press officer and we had O’Sullivan along to launch a tournament. His behaviour then was similar to how it was in Beijing this week. I aired my misgivings back at base but nothing was done then and very little has been done since.
Also, don’t blame the media for reporting it. There have been instances where Ronnie has said other outrageous things in press conferences and they have gone unreported.
However, in this case his comments were not only filmed but posted on the internet. They went around the web yesterday like a runaway train, impossible to stop.
It’s easy, of course, for newspapers to take the moral high ground. Although many people would have been offended by the footage, just as many will have found it hilarious.
However, Ronnie hasn’t done himself any favours and my advice to him now is very simple: issue an immediate apology and draw a line under the whole thing.
Nobody wants to drive Ronnie out of snooker but this has not been his finest hour and he will have to face up to whatever the consequences are.
His slapdash shot selections at the end of his 5-4 defeat to Marco Fu in the China Open this week raised eyebrows but his behaviour at the post match press conference defied belief.
You will probably have read his comments and maybe viewed the video footage. It was, as World Snooker chairman Sir Rodney Walker has said today, unacceptable.
Ronnie was obviously bored by the amount of time the Chinese journalists’ questions and his answers were taking to be translated between languages and amused himself by chatting to a World Snooker official.
At this point, he appeared not to consider he was being filmed and recorded but he must have known, on picking up the microphone and uttering a particularly lewd remark, that this would be picked up.
The blame for all of this lies with Ronnie and Ronnie alone. It’s easy to blame World Snooker officials and say that they should have stopped him but you can’t. He is, and always has been, his own man.
In a previous life, I was myself World Snooker press officer and we had O’Sullivan along to launch a tournament. His behaviour then was similar to how it was in Beijing this week. I aired my misgivings back at base but nothing was done then and very little has been done since.
Also, don’t blame the media for reporting it. There have been instances where Ronnie has said other outrageous things in press conferences and they have gone unreported.
However, in this case his comments were not only filmed but posted on the internet. They went around the web yesterday like a runaway train, impossible to stop.
It’s easy, of course, for newspapers to take the moral high ground. Although many people would have been offended by the footage, just as many will have found it hilarious.
However, Ronnie hasn’t done himself any favours and my advice to him now is very simple: issue an immediate apology and draw a line under the whole thing.
Nobody wants to drive Ronnie out of snooker but this has not been his finest hour and he will have to face up to whatever the consequences are.
25.3.08
CHINA OPEN LIVE ON THE NET
A reminder for those who don't know, you can watch live coverage of the China Open on the Eurosport website.
You can also ask the commentators, in particular former players Joe Johnson and Mike Hallett, questions in the forum.
Ideal if you're at work - just don't let your boss see you!
You can also ask the commentators, in particular former players Joe Johnson and Mike Hallett, questions in the forum.
Ideal if you're at work - just don't let your boss see you!
DO WE STILL NEED WILDCARDS?
I’ve always been a supporter of local wildcards in ranking events such as the China Open but I wonder if the time has come to get rid of them.
They are used for one reason and one reason only: to attract local interest to the event.
However, this did not happen yesterday in what transpired to be one of the most poorly attended days of any ranking event ever staged.
Why? I’d say the tournament has now outgrown the wildcard round. Ding Junhui is firmly established as part of the top 16 and, anyway, the Chinese crowds would rather see Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis than their own local hopes.
This is because they have become fans of the top stars over the last few years, in the China event and through watching snooker on TV.
What happened yesterday gave snooker’s enemies the ideal opportunity to claim that the Chinese snooker boom is a myth.
It isn’t. I know this having been to China several times and seen some of the mania first hand.
But the crowds have become more discerning and aren’t interested in the eight lowest ranked qualifiers against the wildcards.
I have no doubt at all that it will be close to packed for Ding against Joe Perry and O’Sullivan’s match with Marco Fu.
It would have been better all round to hit the ground running with these top players coming in on day one.
They are used for one reason and one reason only: to attract local interest to the event.
However, this did not happen yesterday in what transpired to be one of the most poorly attended days of any ranking event ever staged.
Why? I’d say the tournament has now outgrown the wildcard round. Ding Junhui is firmly established as part of the top 16 and, anyway, the Chinese crowds would rather see Ronnie O’Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis than their own local hopes.
This is because they have become fans of the top stars over the last few years, in the China event and through watching snooker on TV.
What happened yesterday gave snooker’s enemies the ideal opportunity to claim that the Chinese snooker boom is a myth.
It isn’t. I know this having been to China several times and seen some of the mania first hand.
But the crowds have become more discerning and aren’t interested in the eight lowest ranked qualifiers against the wildcards.
I have no doubt at all that it will be close to packed for Ding against Joe Perry and O’Sullivan’s match with Marco Fu.
It would have been better all round to hit the ground running with these top players coming in on day one.
24.3.08
CUETUBE
Yes, it's a rubbish pun but the fact remains that there is a wealth of great archive stuff on Youtube.
Various folk have been recording snooker off the TV for decades and are now sharing some pure spun gold with the rest of us.
I shall post a few interesting links here from time to time.
We start in 1979 with a century break by Fred Davis. OK, the pockets were slightly more generous then than they are now but Fred was 65 when he made this break and it is, as you'll see, immaculate as befitting this great gentleman of our sport.
Also, the referee is something to behold, dressed in a bright yellow blazer and wearing a big old rosette as if he'd won best in show at Crufts.
Watch right to the end and you'll see him applauding Fred's century.
To be fair, it was a great effort.
Watch it here.
Various folk have been recording snooker off the TV for decades and are now sharing some pure spun gold with the rest of us.
I shall post a few interesting links here from time to time.
We start in 1979 with a century break by Fred Davis. OK, the pockets were slightly more generous then than they are now but Fred was 65 when he made this break and it is, as you'll see, immaculate as befitting this great gentleman of our sport.
Also, the referee is something to behold, dressed in a bright yellow blazer and wearing a big old rosette as if he'd won best in show at Crufts.
Watch right to the end and you'll see him applauding Fred's century.
To be fair, it was a great effort.
Watch it here.
20.3.08
DOTT ON THE LANDSCAPE
Graeme Dott and Michael Holt used to argue about who was the worst player when the snooker circuit travelled to China.
It was an argument Dott eventually lost when he won the China Open last season.
His mindset had, of course, been altered by having won the 888.com World Championship in 2006.
It heralded a huge improvement in form and fortunes. Last season, Dott not only conducted himself professionally as world champion but he played the best snooker of his career.
However, this season it has all gone wrong. He has failed to win any of his last 14 matches.
Indeed, his last victory was way back at the Shanghai Masters last August.
Why? In this article Dott mentions some personal problems. He suffered great anxiety when his wife, Elaine, had a cancer scare that mercifully transpired to be nothing more than a scare but Dott was obviously affected when his manager and father-in-law Alex Lambie passed away.
He also expended mental energy fighting World Snooker's absurd attempt to discipline him for making comments about Ian McCulloch at the launch of the 2007 Grand Prix.
Losing, like winning, can become a habit but Dott will know that his two appearances in the Crucible final - in 2004 and 2006 - came off the back of similarly disappointing runs of form.
He will go to Sheffield fresher than most so anyone writing off his title chances should be wary.
Dott, who in 2002 endured a hellish 36-hour journey to the China Open in Shanghai, after which he overslept because of jetlag and arrived late for his match, whereupon his was docked two frames, has gone to China early this year.
He is undertaking promotional work, part of his new approach to playing in this snooker-mad country.
Good for him and good luck to him in the tournament. An upturn in fortunes will come at some point.
Beijing would be as good a place as any.
It was an argument Dott eventually lost when he won the China Open last season.
His mindset had, of course, been altered by having won the 888.com World Championship in 2006.
It heralded a huge improvement in form and fortunes. Last season, Dott not only conducted himself professionally as world champion but he played the best snooker of his career.
However, this season it has all gone wrong. He has failed to win any of his last 14 matches.
Indeed, his last victory was way back at the Shanghai Masters last August.
Why? In this article Dott mentions some personal problems. He suffered great anxiety when his wife, Elaine, had a cancer scare that mercifully transpired to be nothing more than a scare but Dott was obviously affected when his manager and father-in-law Alex Lambie passed away.
He also expended mental energy fighting World Snooker's absurd attempt to discipline him for making comments about Ian McCulloch at the launch of the 2007 Grand Prix.
Losing, like winning, can become a habit but Dott will know that his two appearances in the Crucible final - in 2004 and 2006 - came off the back of similarly disappointing runs of form.
He will go to Sheffield fresher than most so anyone writing off his title chances should be wary.
Dott, who in 2002 endured a hellish 36-hour journey to the China Open in Shanghai, after which he overslept because of jetlag and arrived late for his match, whereupon his was docked two frames, has gone to China early this year.
He is undertaking promotional work, part of his new approach to playing in this snooker-mad country.
Good for him and good luck to him in the tournament. An upturn in fortunes will come at some point.
Beijing would be as good a place as any.
19.3.08
CHINA IN THEIR HANDS
Snooker in China has long been popular but there’s no doubt that Ding Junhui’s remarkable capture of the 2005 China Open sparked a boom.
The fruits of this are being seen in the emergence of other talented Chinese players making their marks on the professional circuit.
This season we’ve seen Liu Song reach the Grand Prix quarter-finals and Liang Wenbo and Liu Chuang qualify for the Crucible.
Fast forward five or certainly ten years and the circuit could well be dominated by Chinese cueists.
Next week, the 2008 China Open, sponsored by Honghe Industrial, takes place at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium.
An opening ceremony will be held at the futuristic Water Cube, next to the city’s Olympic stadium.
Players will be given the red carpet treatment – literally – and can expect any number of requests for media interviews and autographs.
The Beijing event is, of course, one of two ranking events now staged in China, alongside the Shanghai Masters.
These are considerable feats of organisation with many, many people to keep happy. Fortunately, World Snooker have a first rate executive, Simon Leach, permanently based in China to oversee all this.
In years gone by, some players openly expressed hostility to travelling to China.
Hopefully by now they recognise how important the country is in the general scheme of things and certainly for the sport’s future.
China is a snooker-mad place. Let’s hope the game’s great and good put on a show for them next week.
The fruits of this are being seen in the emergence of other talented Chinese players making their marks on the professional circuit.
This season we’ve seen Liu Song reach the Grand Prix quarter-finals and Liang Wenbo and Liu Chuang qualify for the Crucible.
Fast forward five or certainly ten years and the circuit could well be dominated by Chinese cueists.
Next week, the 2008 China Open, sponsored by Honghe Industrial, takes place at the Beijing University Students Gymnasium.
An opening ceremony will be held at the futuristic Water Cube, next to the city’s Olympic stadium.
Players will be given the red carpet treatment – literally – and can expect any number of requests for media interviews and autographs.
The Beijing event is, of course, one of two ranking events now staged in China, alongside the Shanghai Masters.
These are considerable feats of organisation with many, many people to keep happy. Fortunately, World Snooker have a first rate executive, Simon Leach, permanently based in China to oversee all this.
In years gone by, some players openly expressed hostility to travelling to China.
Hopefully by now they recognise how important the country is in the general scheme of things and certainly for the sport’s future.
China is a snooker-mad place. Let’s hope the game’s great and good put on a show for them next week.
17.3.08
THE BARE FACTS ABOUT HICKS
Andy Hicks, the world no.41 from Tavistock, is one of the snooker circuit's most experienced professionals.
In my opinion, he's one of the best players never to have been ranked in the top 16.
Within a year in 1995-96, he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship, UK Championship and Wembley Masters.
He proved last week in an exhibition in Cornwall that he can still play a bit when he compiled two maximums and nine centuiry breaks in total during 16 frames at St. Blazey Football Club.
However, his green baize prowess was not recognised by a woman celebrating her 50th birthday, whom Andy met coming out of the toilets.
Perhaps a little tired and emotional she believed, seeing him in his smart waistcoat and bowtie, that Andy was a stripper.
When he insisted he was not, she refused to believe him and suggested he 'get them off' before fondling his posterior.
At least this was friendly, unlike the conclusion to his first round match with Quinten Hann at the Crucible in 2004, where the two players had to be seperated by referee Lawrie Annandale after some rumbling ill feeling spilled over.
Hann told Hicks: "You're short and bald and always will be and I'll fight you outside for £50,000 any time you like."
Andy declined.
Boxing and stripping, it seems, still rank a long way behind snooker for this Devonian left-hander.
In my opinion, he's one of the best players never to have been ranked in the top 16.
Within a year in 1995-96, he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship, UK Championship and Wembley Masters.
He proved last week in an exhibition in Cornwall that he can still play a bit when he compiled two maximums and nine centuiry breaks in total during 16 frames at St. Blazey Football Club.
However, his green baize prowess was not recognised by a woman celebrating her 50th birthday, whom Andy met coming out of the toilets.
Perhaps a little tired and emotional she believed, seeing him in his smart waistcoat and bowtie, that Andy was a stripper.
When he insisted he was not, she refused to believe him and suggested he 'get them off' before fondling his posterior.
At least this was friendly, unlike the conclusion to his first round match with Quinten Hann at the Crucible in 2004, where the two players had to be seperated by referee Lawrie Annandale after some rumbling ill feeling spilled over.
Hann told Hicks: "You're short and bald and always will be and I'll fight you outside for £50,000 any time you like."
Andy declined.
Boxing and stripping, it seems, still rank a long way behind snooker for this Devonian left-hander.
14.3.08
ALI'S POCKET MONEY
Ali Carter wore a rueful smile after losing a third successive final in a deciding frame last night in the Championship League at Crondon Park Golf Club in Essex.
Ali was trying his best against Shaun Murphy - indeed he completed a 143 break - but the blow of losing was cushioned by the knowledge that he is coming back for Group 5 next month.
He has already earned £17,800 from the event and it could well turn into the most successful tournament financially he has ever played in.
This new League has proved hugely popular with the players, who have only seven ranking events to play in during a fragmented season.
Neil Robertson, who originally turned down an invite, has seen the light and will be in Group 5 alongside Stephen Lee, this season's Saga Insurance Masters runner-up.
Jimmy White will play in Group 6, as will Mark Selby, who pulled out of Group 4 due to prior commitments.
White's participation serves as confirmation that, for the first time since it began 21 years ago, he will not be invited to play in the Premier League.
Ali was trying his best against Shaun Murphy - indeed he completed a 143 break - but the blow of losing was cushioned by the knowledge that he is coming back for Group 5 next month.
He has already earned £17,800 from the event and it could well turn into the most successful tournament financially he has ever played in.
This new League has proved hugely popular with the players, who have only seven ranking events to play in during a fragmented season.
Neil Robertson, who originally turned down an invite, has seen the light and will be in Group 5 alongside Stephen Lee, this season's Saga Insurance Masters runner-up.
Jimmy White will play in Group 6, as will Mark Selby, who pulled out of Group 4 due to prior commitments.
White's participation serves as confirmation that, for the first time since it began 21 years ago, he will not be invited to play in the Premier League.
13.3.08
GET YOUR HANDS ON THE WORLD TROPHY
The 888.com World Championship trophy will be presented to the winner on May 5 by a member of the public.
The sponsors have been given the green light by World Snooker to run a competition, the winner of which will hand over the 82 year-old silverware, first presented in 1927.
You can enter the competition here: www.888snooker.com.
Is this a good way of getting the fans more involved with the game or demeaning to the dignity of the event?
Discuss...
The sponsors have been given the green light by World Snooker to run a competition, the winner of which will hand over the 82 year-old silverware, first presented in 1927.
You can enter the competition here: www.888snooker.com.
Is this a good way of getting the fans more involved with the game or demeaning to the dignity of the event?
Discuss...
12.3.08
WILL LIU MAKE THE GRADE?
Down here in rural Essex at the Championship League we've been debating how many frames Liu Chuang will win against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the first round of the 888.com World Championship - those long evenings just fly by.
Some think the 17 year-old will be blown away. I think he'll win at least five frames.
The reason? Against Ronnie, it'll be an open game, therefore Liu will get chances.
The romance of the Crucible means nothing to him. He's only been in the UK for a few months and, let's not forget, wasn't even born when Stephen Hendry won his first world title in 1990.
If he takes his chances, he can run Ronnie closer than many believe.
We'll find out in just over a month's time.
Some think the 17 year-old will be blown away. I think he'll win at least five frames.
The reason? Against Ronnie, it'll be an open game, therefore Liu will get chances.
The romance of the Crucible means nothing to him. He's only been in the UK for a few months and, let's not forget, wasn't even born when Stephen Hendry won his first world title in 1990.
If he takes his chances, he can run Ronnie closer than many believe.
We'll find out in just over a month's time.
11.3.08
INTERESTING...VERY INTERESTING
What an interesting first round draw for the 888.com World Championship.
Firstly, well done to the sponsors and World Snooker for doing such a professional job in webcasting the draw live on the net earlier today.
Mark Johnston-Allen was especially impressive in hosting it and this seems like the ideal way to conduct such an important occasion in future years.
So, to the draw.
John Higgins will hardly be looking forward to walking out on the first day to face Matthew Stevens.
Their April 19 meeting is too close to call bearing in mind Higgins's poor form this season and Stevens's general habit of playing well at the Crucible.
Stephen Hendry certainly won't be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of taking on the dangerous, aggressive Mark Allen, who beat him 9-4 in this season's UK Championship.
Similarly, Peter Ebdon has his work cut out to hold off the talented debutant Jamie Cope in what promises to be an intriguing clash of styles.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has already played Liu Chuang, who will become the first player born in the 1990s ever to compete at the Crucible.
They met in the first round of last season's China Open. I commentated on it for Eurosport and was very impressed by Liu, who won the first frame before losing 5-1.
I said at the time that we would hopefully see him in the future but could not have envisaged that he would come all the way from the first qualifying round to the Crucible in his very first season.
If - and it is, of course, a big if - he beats O'Sullivan it will be the biggest shock in Crucible history, if not snooker history.
My early tip, Ding Junhui, may well struggle to get past Grand Prix champion Marco Fu, who beat him at the Masters this season.
They are the highlights for the draw of what should, as ever, be a fascinating World Championship.
Who is going to win?
I've no idea, but it'll be fun finding out.
John Higgins v Matthew Stevens
Ryan Day v Michael Judge
Ding Junhui v Marco Fu
Stephen Hendry v Mark Allen
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Liu Chuang
Mark Williams v Mark Davis
Stephen Lee v Joe Swail
Ken Doherty v Liang Wenbo
Shaun Murphy v Dave Harold
Ali Carter v Barry Hawkins
Mark Selby v Mark King
Peter Ebdon v Jamie Cope
Neil Robertson v Nigel Bond
Stephen Maguire v Anthony Hamilton
Steve Davis v Stuart Bingham
Graeme Dott v Joe Perry
Firstly, well done to the sponsors and World Snooker for doing such a professional job in webcasting the draw live on the net earlier today.
Mark Johnston-Allen was especially impressive in hosting it and this seems like the ideal way to conduct such an important occasion in future years.
So, to the draw.
John Higgins will hardly be looking forward to walking out on the first day to face Matthew Stevens.
Their April 19 meeting is too close to call bearing in mind Higgins's poor form this season and Stevens's general habit of playing well at the Crucible.
Stephen Hendry certainly won't be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of taking on the dangerous, aggressive Mark Allen, who beat him 9-4 in this season's UK Championship.
Similarly, Peter Ebdon has his work cut out to hold off the talented debutant Jamie Cope in what promises to be an intriguing clash of styles.
Ronnie O'Sullivan has already played Liu Chuang, who will become the first player born in the 1990s ever to compete at the Crucible.
They met in the first round of last season's China Open. I commentated on it for Eurosport and was very impressed by Liu, who won the first frame before losing 5-1.
I said at the time that we would hopefully see him in the future but could not have envisaged that he would come all the way from the first qualifying round to the Crucible in his very first season.
If - and it is, of course, a big if - he beats O'Sullivan it will be the biggest shock in Crucible history, if not snooker history.
My early tip, Ding Junhui, may well struggle to get past Grand Prix champion Marco Fu, who beat him at the Masters this season.
They are the highlights for the draw of what should, as ever, be a fascinating World Championship.
Who is going to win?
I've no idea, but it'll be fun finding out.
John Higgins v Matthew Stevens
Ryan Day v Michael Judge
Ding Junhui v Marco Fu
Stephen Hendry v Mark Allen
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Liu Chuang
Mark Williams v Mark Davis
Stephen Lee v Joe Swail
Ken Doherty v Liang Wenbo
Shaun Murphy v Dave Harold
Ali Carter v Barry Hawkins
Mark Selby v Mark King
Peter Ebdon v Jamie Cope
Neil Robertson v Nigel Bond
Stephen Maguire v Anthony Hamilton
Steve Davis v Stuart Bingham
Graeme Dott v Joe Perry
9.3.08
HAMILTON HAS HIS SAY
Anthony Hamilton was unusually outspoken this evening after beating Scott MacKenzie 10-2 in the final qualifying round of the 888.com World Championship here at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield to reach the Crucible for a 12th time.
Hamilton is ultra laidback and uncontroversial but said he had been motivated because he considers the World Championship to be one of only two ‘proper’ tournaments on a circuit that features only seven ranking events.
“Apart from the Masters, the World Championship is the only proper tournament we’ve got,” he said.
“They are the only two sporting events we have. The others are just a pile of sh*t, playing for £30,000 first prizes. They’re tinpot. You only get 12 people in the audience.
“At the Crucible, you know it’ll be full of people who want to watch you play. Plus, they’re chucking cash at you.
“It’s a shame we don’t have the calendars they have in golf or tennis. This is what it’s all about for us.”
Actually, only the Northern Ireland Trophy carried a first prize of £30,000 this season, but it is certainly true that prize funds are lower than they were a decade ago.
That said, surely Hamilton considers the UK Championship to be a ‘proper’ tournament?
And the two ranking events in China are well attended and popular, even if the prize money is not as high as many of the players would like.
Still, whether you agree with him or not, Hamilton is perfectly entitled to his view.
Hamilton is ultra laidback and uncontroversial but said he had been motivated because he considers the World Championship to be one of only two ‘proper’ tournaments on a circuit that features only seven ranking events.
“Apart from the Masters, the World Championship is the only proper tournament we’ve got,” he said.
“They are the only two sporting events we have. The others are just a pile of sh*t, playing for £30,000 first prizes. They’re tinpot. You only get 12 people in the audience.
“At the Crucible, you know it’ll be full of people who want to watch you play. Plus, they’re chucking cash at you.
“It’s a shame we don’t have the calendars they have in golf or tennis. This is what it’s all about for us.”
Actually, only the Northern Ireland Trophy carried a first prize of £30,000 this season, but it is certainly true that prize funds are lower than they were a decade ago.
That said, surely Hamilton considers the UK Championship to be a ‘proper’ tournament?
And the two ranking events in China are well attended and popular, even if the prize money is not as high as many of the players would like.
Still, whether you agree with him or not, Hamilton is perfectly entitled to his view.
8.3.08
OFF AND RUNNING
What an interesting first day of final qualifying it was for the 888.com World Championship here at the English Institute of Sport yesterday.
The first man through to the Crucible was Marco Fu, who made a century and seven half century breaks in beating Alan McManus 10-3.
It seems somewhat harsh Marco even has to qualify but, of course, only the top 16 in the official rankings are guaranteed their places.
Next through was Liang Wenbo, who became only the fifth Asian player and second Chinese to qualify for the Crucible.
Liang doesn’t speak much English but we didn't need a translator for the broad smile he wore after his 10-5 defeat of 2005 semi-finalist Ian McCulloch.
He said he wanted to draw Ding at the Crucible. Whether he does or not, his presence there takes some of the pressure off his more well known compatriot who is no longer flying the Chinese flag on his own.
Matthew Stevens was mightily relieved to have got through after being forced to pre-qualify for the first time since 1999.
“It was a horrible feeling having to play here but the rankings don’t lie and if you drop out of the top 16 you have to play this match. Even so, it was a weird feeling driving here knowing that if I lost I wouldn’t be at the Crucible and would have to suffer all summer,” Stevens said after beating Rory McLeod 10-5.
Joe Swail won Friday’s final match, beating Judd Trump 10-9 from 9-7 down.
This was the latest in a long line of matches Swail has won in deciders and from behind in the World Championship and served, once again, as testament to his battling qualities.
What he lacks in natural ability, the Belfast man more than makes up for in heart, fight and sheer courage.
He said afterwards that he drew inspiration from his past victories. It’s a little disappointing that 18 year-old Trump hasn’t qualified but nobody could begrudge Swail his place.
The set up here – four tables in a large sized hall – is excellent and there was a great atmosphere for yesterday’s opening four games.
This round means so much to the players that there’s a fair amount of drama, joy and disappointment.
All of which is likely to be multiplied considerably when Jimmy White enters the fray on Monday.
The first man through to the Crucible was Marco Fu, who made a century and seven half century breaks in beating Alan McManus 10-3.
It seems somewhat harsh Marco even has to qualify but, of course, only the top 16 in the official rankings are guaranteed their places.
Next through was Liang Wenbo, who became only the fifth Asian player and second Chinese to qualify for the Crucible.
Liang doesn’t speak much English but we didn't need a translator for the broad smile he wore after his 10-5 defeat of 2005 semi-finalist Ian McCulloch.
He said he wanted to draw Ding at the Crucible. Whether he does or not, his presence there takes some of the pressure off his more well known compatriot who is no longer flying the Chinese flag on his own.
Matthew Stevens was mightily relieved to have got through after being forced to pre-qualify for the first time since 1999.
“It was a horrible feeling having to play here but the rankings don’t lie and if you drop out of the top 16 you have to play this match. Even so, it was a weird feeling driving here knowing that if I lost I wouldn’t be at the Crucible and would have to suffer all summer,” Stevens said after beating Rory McLeod 10-5.
Joe Swail won Friday’s final match, beating Judd Trump 10-9 from 9-7 down.
This was the latest in a long line of matches Swail has won in deciders and from behind in the World Championship and served, once again, as testament to his battling qualities.
What he lacks in natural ability, the Belfast man more than makes up for in heart, fight and sheer courage.
He said afterwards that he drew inspiration from his past victories. It’s a little disappointing that 18 year-old Trump hasn’t qualified but nobody could begrudge Swail his place.
The set up here – four tables in a large sized hall – is excellent and there was a great atmosphere for yesterday’s opening four games.
This round means so much to the players that there’s a fair amount of drama, joy and disappointment.
All of which is likely to be multiplied considerably when Jimmy White enters the fray on Monday.
6.3.08
ALEX, JIMMY AND RONNIE
In the history of snooker, three players stand out as the great crowd pleasers.
Controversial but blessed with genius, they have helped to build the huge audience who follow the game worldwide.
Step forward Alex Higgins, Jimmy White and Ronnie O'Sullivan...
Alex, who turns 59 next week, is, among many other things, a great survivor and can now be booked for personal speaking and corporate engagements:
http://www.alexhurricanehiggins.co.uk/
The mind boggles.
Jimmy is on action on Monday as he tries to get to the Crucible for a 26th time. This excellent article in the Daily Mail reveals how he is cutting back on the wild times to give snooker one last shot:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/othersports.html?in_article_id=521388&in_page_id=1781
Ronnie has been left off the official poster for this month's China Open:
http://www.worldsnooker.com/news_latest-19225.htm
There can only be one reason for this: they don't think he's going to go.
However, I have it on very good authority that not only is Ronnie going to go but he's going to go early to attend a 'cultural dinner' with his new Chinese sponsors in Guangzhou.
Controversial but blessed with genius, they have helped to build the huge audience who follow the game worldwide.
Step forward Alex Higgins, Jimmy White and Ronnie O'Sullivan...
Alex, who turns 59 next week, is, among many other things, a great survivor and can now be booked for personal speaking and corporate engagements:
http://www.alexhurricanehiggins.co.uk/
The mind boggles.
Jimmy is on action on Monday as he tries to get to the Crucible for a 26th time. This excellent article in the Daily Mail reveals how he is cutting back on the wild times to give snooker one last shot:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/othersports.html?in_article_id=521388&in_page_id=1781
Ronnie has been left off the official poster for this month's China Open:
http://www.worldsnooker.com/news_latest-19225.htm
There can only be one reason for this: they don't think he's going to go.
However, I have it on very good authority that not only is Ronnie going to go but he's going to go early to attend a 'cultural dinner' with his new Chinese sponsors in Guangzhou.
5.3.08
WORLD SERIES UPDATE
The fourth event of John Higgins's new World Series will be staged in Amsterdam.
The other three are confirmed for Moscow, Warsaw and Jersey with a grand final to follow at a venue to be confirmed.
All of these events, which begin in June, will be screened on Eurosport.
The other three are confirmed for Moscow, Warsaw and Jersey with a grand final to follow at a venue to be confirmed.
All of these events, which begin in June, will be screened on Eurosport.
HOPE FOR FURTH
Further to yesterday's post about the Northern Ireland Trophy in Belfast cutting across the Paul Hunter Classic in Furth, comes hopeful news for the German event.
The organisers have struck a deal with Ryanair which means that a number of tickets will be booked between Belfast and Nuremberg.
Therefore, every player playing in Belfast who gets knocked out can fly immediately to Germany.
Because of a re-arrangement of the schedule, anyone still in Belfast up to the end of the quarter-finals can still play in Germany, so the field should still be top class.
This is good news for snooker in Germany. The Furth tournament is always well attended by spectators, many of whom may be wondering how it is that there isn't a ranking event in their country given the extraordinary interest.
The organisers have struck a deal with Ryanair which means that a number of tickets will be booked between Belfast and Nuremberg.
Therefore, every player playing in Belfast who gets knocked out can fly immediately to Germany.
Because of a re-arrangement of the schedule, anyone still in Belfast up to the end of the quarter-finals can still play in Germany, so the field should still be top class.
This is good news for snooker in Germany. The Furth tournament is always well attended by spectators, many of whom may be wondering how it is that there isn't a ranking event in their country given the extraordinary interest.
4.3.08
AUGUST AND EVERYTHING AFTER
According to World Snooker, next season’s Northern Ireland Trophy is moving back from what appeared to be a successful November slot to its original home in August.
It will be held from August 24-31 and will thus start on the last day of the Beijing Olympics.
Snooker in Belfast in August did not attract much in the way of crowds in 2005 and 2006 because it is, technically at least, still summer.
Also, any pre-tournament publicity will be seriously affected by the Olympics.
But to be fair, booking busy venues such as the excellent Waterfront Hall is not a straightforward business and it appears this was the only slot available. It’s much better that the tournament is on this particular week than not on at all.
It could also be that this is the only slot available because there are more ranking events to be added later in the season.
However, the knock-on effect is that the Northern Irish event now cuts right across the Paul Hunter Classic in Furth, Germany from August 28-31.
As tickets for this have already gone on sale, it cannot be rescheduled, which will surely mean a much depleted field of top players for what has become a very popular few days for all involved.
It will be held from August 24-31 and will thus start on the last day of the Beijing Olympics.
Snooker in Belfast in August did not attract much in the way of crowds in 2005 and 2006 because it is, technically at least, still summer.
Also, any pre-tournament publicity will be seriously affected by the Olympics.
But to be fair, booking busy venues such as the excellent Waterfront Hall is not a straightforward business and it appears this was the only slot available. It’s much better that the tournament is on this particular week than not on at all.
It could also be that this is the only slot available because there are more ranking events to be added later in the season.
However, the knock-on effect is that the Northern Irish event now cuts right across the Paul Hunter Classic in Furth, Germany from August 28-31.
As tickets for this have already gone on sale, it cannot be rescheduled, which will surely mean a much depleted field of top players for what has become a very popular few days for all involved.
3.3.08
THE FOUR DAY TWITCH
Visitors to the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield later this week will have a chance to witness more twitching than they might find at a birdwatching convention as the final qualifying round of the 888.com World Championship takes place over four days.
For the players, this is one of the biggest matches of the year. The difference between qualifying and not qualifying is huge for a number of reasons.
Failure at the qualifiers means players miss out on the big financial rewards on offer at the Crucible as well as ranking points (almost double most other tournaments) that will help determine their positions for next season.
But disappointment at not qualifying can be boiled down very simply to this: you’re not part of the World Championship.
When it comes round, you have to either watch it on TV, pretend it’s not on or go away on holiday to escape it (not easy now it’s on so many channels around the world).
So who is going to get through?
Jimmy White will be the main focus of interest (unless you’re a reader of worldsnooker.com, who have instead focused on Mike Dunn, one of their own board members!).
Jimmy missed out last year and, at 45 years of age and well down the rankings, will probably be at the Crucible for the final time if he does beat Mark King a week today.
We all know that he’s never won it and lost six finals but this ignores the fact that, in his heyday, he had one of the best Crucible records and did as much as anyone, and more than most, to draw millions of TV viewers to the event.
No disrespect to King, but I’d love to see Jimmy qualify and draw Stephen Hendry in the first round. It’d give us nostalgics one last chance to wallow in one of snooker’s most fascinating rivalries.
John Parrott impressed last year but needs to beat Joe Perry – something he’s never previously done – to avoid going to Sheffield purely as a BBC broadcaster.
And what of the young guns? Jamie Cope, Mark Allen and Judd Trump would certainly enliven the championship.
Liang Wenbo and Liu Chuang would also take some of the pressure off Ding Junhui by helping him to fly the flag for China.
Cope, Liang and Liu are among seven players who could make their debuts at the Crucible next month.
The others are Adrian Gunnell (four times a loser in the final qualifying round), Scott MacKenzie, Ricky Walden and Rory McLeod.
Rory faces Matthew Stevens, runner-up in 2000 and 2005, and would become the first player of Afro-Caribbean descent ever to play at the Crucible if he beats him.
The draw is being held on March 11 when the 16 qualifiers are paired against the top 16.
Before that happens, there will be plenty of twitching, sweating and anxiety on display.
I for one can't wait.
For the players, this is one of the biggest matches of the year. The difference between qualifying and not qualifying is huge for a number of reasons.
Failure at the qualifiers means players miss out on the big financial rewards on offer at the Crucible as well as ranking points (almost double most other tournaments) that will help determine their positions for next season.
But disappointment at not qualifying can be boiled down very simply to this: you’re not part of the World Championship.
When it comes round, you have to either watch it on TV, pretend it’s not on or go away on holiday to escape it (not easy now it’s on so many channels around the world).
So who is going to get through?
Jimmy White will be the main focus of interest (unless you’re a reader of worldsnooker.com, who have instead focused on Mike Dunn, one of their own board members!).
Jimmy missed out last year and, at 45 years of age and well down the rankings, will probably be at the Crucible for the final time if he does beat Mark King a week today.
We all know that he’s never won it and lost six finals but this ignores the fact that, in his heyday, he had one of the best Crucible records and did as much as anyone, and more than most, to draw millions of TV viewers to the event.
No disrespect to King, but I’d love to see Jimmy qualify and draw Stephen Hendry in the first round. It’d give us nostalgics one last chance to wallow in one of snooker’s most fascinating rivalries.
John Parrott impressed last year but needs to beat Joe Perry – something he’s never previously done – to avoid going to Sheffield purely as a BBC broadcaster.
And what of the young guns? Jamie Cope, Mark Allen and Judd Trump would certainly enliven the championship.
Liang Wenbo and Liu Chuang would also take some of the pressure off Ding Junhui by helping him to fly the flag for China.
Cope, Liang and Liu are among seven players who could make their debuts at the Crucible next month.
The others are Adrian Gunnell (four times a loser in the final qualifying round), Scott MacKenzie, Ricky Walden and Rory McLeod.
Rory faces Matthew Stevens, runner-up in 2000 and 2005, and would become the first player of Afro-Caribbean descent ever to play at the Crucible if he beats him.
The draw is being held on March 11 when the 16 qualifiers are paired against the top 16.
Before that happens, there will be plenty of twitching, sweating and anxiety on display.
I for one can't wait.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)