World Snooker Championship

[culloty82]

Tough draws for Ken and Fergal O'Brien but Mark Allen should make the quarters. Ronnie to regain his crown.

First Round:

John Higgins v Barry Hawkins
Mark King v Steve Davis
Neil Robertson v Fergal O'Brien
Marco Fu v Martin Gould
Ali Carter v Jamie Cope
Joe Perry v Michael Holt
Ding Junhui v Stuart Pettman
Shaun Murphy v Gerard Greene
Stephen Maguire v Stephen Lee
Peter Ebdon v Graeme Dott
Mark Allen v Tom Ford
Ryan Day v Mark Davis
Mark Selby v Ken Doherty
Stephen Hendry v Zhang Anda
Mark Williams v Marcus Campbell
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Liang Wenbo

[Infadel]

Mark Allen odds on for the next round his opponent has just been cannonfodder so far. Unfortuantely I think Allen will be the only Irish player to get through. Mark Selby is a possible dark horse in this tournament

[TheBoss]

Not bad Picture Quality on Eurosport HD :D

[culloty82]

Higgins was fairly dodge in his first session yesterday, but blistering last night. Yeh, Ken was totally outclassed by Selby, so the Brits will need an interpreter for his commentaries :). Hendry not having it all his own way at the mo.

[danthesaint]

did anyone see that lad gould who was playing marco fu, he looked ropey at the start, so ropey i was thinking where the fook did they get him, i could do better.
ends up beaten fu 10-9 in a cracking game.

he is up against neil robertson or fergal o'brien, so neil robertson, keep an eye on him

http://www.worldsnooker.com/world_championship10_draw.htm?tid=154

[culloty82]

Yes, it was the first major shock, Selby-Hendry and Williams-O'Sullivan should be cracking match-ups in the last 16.

[bennocelt]

Backed Higgins at 5/1 and Cope who I thought would do better. Find it hard to get a winner on the snooker as it really is all about form and temperment. As long as Selby or Ebdon dont get to a final all is well.
just about 3 million watched last years final - says it all really...............................

[culloty82]

Last 16

Davis 13-11 Higgins
Robertson 13-11 Gould
Carter v Perry
Ding Junhui v Murphy
Maguire v Dott
Allen beat Davis
Selby v Hendry
Williams v O'Sullivan

Davis played brilliantly against Higgins, you'd still expect Robertson to have to much class for him though. Great ties between Selby-Hendry and Williams-O'Sullivan, Allen could be an outside beat for the title yet.

[pineapple stu]

Random stat in the Irish Times during the week - Mark Allen scored the first 146 break in Crucible history against Mark Davis.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Really? Wow. I know 146 breaks are particularly uncommon but I figured the full rake of break totals from 1-147 had been done by now.

[pineapple stu]

There you go.

I thought someone had gotten over 147 as well, but apparently not. Although a 155 has been reported in practice. Jamie Burnett holds the record for the highest break in professional competition, with a 148 in the UK Championship qualifying.

[bennocelt]

Didnt Alex Higgins get a 148 once in another tournament? Maybe I'm wrong.
Didnt get to see much of the tournament so far, doesn't have the same appeal as years ago, but how the hell did Davis beat Higgins, my god I knew Higgins was out of form but still...........
They can have all the cool music and fancy haircuts but if the game still has Hendry and Davis doping the rounds and Selby, Robertson and carter as the future the game is doomed -
Hopefully Ronnie can focus enough and not fall asleep in his game against Selby to do the business. Also would be good if Ding Jun Hui won
An interesting bet for today is Davis with a start of 5.5 frames at 4/5, Im on it anyway

[danthesaint]

some super matches on yesterday

ronnie and williams and murphy and ding 2 cracking games

[Real ale Madrid]

Quarter Finals already under way. Best of 25 again.

Steve Davis 1 Neil Robertson 4
Mark Allen 4 Greame Dott 2
14.30
Ali Carter v Shaun Murphy
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Mark Selby

Just can't wait to get home from work to watch this.

Hope Ronnie gets knocked out - must be the grumpiest git in professional sports.

[bennocelt]

Hope Ronnie gets knocked out - must be the grumpiest git in professional sports.

Maybe so but just look at who he has to play.................Ebdon lite

[bennocelt]

Didnt get to see much of the tournament so far, doesn't have the same appeal as years ago, but how the hell did Davis beat Higgins, my god I knew Higgins was out of form but still...........
They can have all the cool music and fancy haircuts but if the game still has Hendry and Davis doping the rounds and Selby, Robertson and carter as the future the game is doomed -



Wow you see I knew something was fishy, lol

[the 12 th man]

John Higgins caught in newspaper sting.
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/news/801641/How-world-snooker-champion-John-Higgins-plots-to-betray-his-fans-for-cash.html

[outspoken]

Snooker is officialy dead John Higgins has just blown it

[the 12 th man]

Snooker is officialy dead John Higgins has just blown it

If the allegations are true well you're dead right.

[culloty82]

I remember a few years ago Stephen Maguire and Jamie Burnett were suspended for fixing games, so it definitely could have happened. Don't see why Higgins needed the money either, he runs a European Snooker Series, so he must turn over a profit from that.

[the 12 th man]

Don't see why Higgins needed the money either, he runs a European Snooker Series, so he must turn over a profit from that.

In a nutshell-greed.

[Infadel]

This certainly puts the sport to the lowest point in its history and couldn't have come at a worse time when Barry Hearn is trying to revamp the sport and bring in new sponsors. As a previous poster mentioned the likes of Hendry and Davis still around shows the lack of new talent coming into the sport.

[culloty82]

That was a dire final- Robertson got over the line 18-13, but too many occasions where both players miscued several times during frames, and by the end, they were both so exhausted, they could hardly shoot. It's either time to start the Monday afternoon sessions earlier, or else reduce the number of frames, the quality of snooker was hopeless.

[redobit]

Final was muck. 1 century in the whole of the final says it all. It became a test of endurance not skill. The format would need to be changed. Finishing at 12 / 1 o'clock isint really gona get kids too interesed in the sport, when there asleep since 8 o clock. A lot of empty seats for a final too.

Some good matches in the tournament tho.

[outspoken]

ye as my dad said to me sure he would win 300,00 in 1 or 2 tournaments he didnt need to go match fixing.

[Jamjar]

It's either time to start the Monday afternoon sessions earlier, or else reduce the number of frames, the quality of snooker was hopeless.

Funnily enough John Higgins suggested they play the final in one day a few months ago in this interview (http://sport.stv.tv/sports-centre/big-feature/164686-full-interview-higgins-opens-up-about-his-career-heroes-and-celtic/). He also said Neil Robertson was one to watch (I wonder if he had a few quid on him !)