World Snooker Championship 2017

[Real ale Madrid]

He's finally gone and done it!

After 5 consecutive years between 2011 and 2015 losing in the final round of Qualifying, with 3 of those years losing by the odd frame in 19, Fergal O'Brien is Back at the Crucible after a 7 year absence after a 10-9 win late last night over David Gilbert, which produced the longest final frame in professional snooker in the decider - a whopping 2 hrs, 3mins and 40 seconds!

Delighted for him, and himself and Mark Allen will be in today's main draw for the Tournament which kicks off on Saturday. no-one deserves it more.

[Real ale Madrid]

Fergal's "reward" is a crack at defending Champion Mark Selby on Saturday!

ROUND 1 DRAW
Mark Selby v Fergal O'Brien
Anthony McGill v Stephen Maguire
Kyren Wilson v David Grace
John Higgins v Martin Gould
Barry Hawkins v Tom Ford
Marco Fu v Luca Brecel
Shaun Murphy v Yan Bingtao
Judd Trump v Rory McLeod
Stuart Bingham v Peter Ebdon
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Gary Wilson
Ryan Day v Xiao Guodong
Ding Junhui v Zhou Yuelong
Neil Robertson v Noppon Saengkham
Mark Allen v Jimmy Robertson
Liang Wenbo v Stuart Carrington
Ali Carter v Graeme Dott

ROUND ONE SCHEDULE

First Round (best of 19 frames)

Saturday 15 April

10:00
Mark Selby (Eng) v Fergal O'Brien (Ire)
Anthony McGill (Sco) v Stephen Maguire (Sco)

14:30
Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Gary Wilson (Eng)
Kyren Wilson (Eng) v David Grace (Eng)

19:00
Mark Selby (Eng) v Fergal O'Brien (Ire)
Anthony McGill (Sco) v Stephen Maguire (Sco)

Sunday 16 April

10:00
Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Yan Bingtao (Chn)
Kyren Wilson (Eng) v David Grace (Eng)

14:30
Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Gary Wilson (Eng)
Stuart Bingham (Eng) v Peter Ebdon (Eng)

19:00
Marco Fu (HK) v Luca Brecel (Bel)
Mark Allen (NI) v Jimmy Robertson (Eng)

Monday 17 April

10:00
Ding Junhui (Chn) v Zhou Yuelong
Stuart Bingham (Eng) v Peter Ebdon (Eng)

14:30
Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Yan Bingtao (Chn)
John Higgins (Sco) v Martin Gould (Eng)

19:00
Marco Fu (HK) v Luca Brecel (Bel)
Mark Allen (NI) v Jimmy Robertson (Eng)

Tuesday 18 April

10:00
Liang Wenbo (Chn) v Stuart Carrington (Eng)
John Higgins (Sco) v Martin Gould (Eng)

14:30
Ding Junhui (Chn) v Zhou Yuelong
Judd Trump (Eng) v Rory McLeod (Eng)

19:00
Liang Wenbo (Chn) v Stuart Carrington (Eng)
Allister Carter (Eng) v Graeme Dott (Sco)

Wednesday 19 April

10:00
Ryan Day (Wal) v Xiao Guodong (Chn)
Judd Trump (Eng) v Rory McLeod (Eng)

14:30
Neil Robertson (Aus) v Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
Allister Carter (Eng) v Graeme Dott (Sco)

19:00
Ryan Day (Wal) v Xiao Guodong (Chn)
Barry Hawkins (Eng) v Tom Ford (Eng)

Thursday 20 April

13:00
Neil Robertson (Aus) v Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
Second Round (best of 25 frames)
Bingham/Ebdon v K Wilson/Grace

19:00
Barry Hawkins (Eng) v Tom Ford (Eng)
Second Round (best of 25 frames)
Murphy/Yan v O'Sullivan/G Wilson

Second Round (best of 25 frames)

Friday 21 April

10:00
Liang/Carrington v Ding/Zhou
Bingham/Ebdon v K Wilson/Grace

14:30
Murphy/Yan v O'Sullivan/G Wilson
Allen/J Robertson v Higgins/Gould

19:00
Liang/Carrington v Ding/Zhou
Bingham/Ebdon v K Wilson/Grace

Saturday 22 April

10:00
Murphy/Yan v O'Sullivan/G Wilson
Allen/J Robertson v Higgins/Gould

14:30
Liang/Carrington v Ding/Zhou
McGill/Maguire v Trump/McLeod

19:00
Allen/J Robertson v Higgins/Gould
Selby/O'Brien v Day/Xiao

Sunday 23 April

10:00
Robertson/Saengkham v Fu/Brecel
Hawkins/Ford v Carter/Dott

14:30
Selby/O'Brien v Day/Xiao
McGill/Maguire v Trump/McLeod

19:00
Robertson/Saengkham v Fu/Brecel
McGill/Maguire v Trump/McLeod

Monday 24 April

13:00
Selby/O'Brien v Day/Xiao
McGill/Maguire v Trump/McLeod

19:00
Selby/O'Brien v Day/Xiao
McGill/Maguire v Trump/McLeod

[CraftyToePoke]

Can't wait for this, hoping to spend a few days midweek in Sheffield this week and next, its a great day out saw Mark Williams & Ding a couple of years back, one morning one afternoon, can't remember their opponents, maybe Ryan Day was one, but anyway £15 per match it was at the time and good seats. Great value for elite level players in their blue ribbon tournament I thought.

What chance a new name on the trophy ?

[SkStu]

Shared this on FB last night. 20 years on. Genius.

bpeBugHSCnU

For all his flaws, my all time favourite.

[pineapple stu]

Bit of a nightmare for O'Brien on his return...

[Real ale Madrid]

Disappointing for Fergal to work so hard to get thrashed, but in hindsight Selby was a tough draw given he was never going to be phased by Fergals playing speed.

Of the opening weekend so far - Luca Brecel was outstanding against Marco Fu last night - he is going to be a tough out for anyone playing like that. Only 22, has a huge future.

And Ronnie is still being Ronnie - would love to see him go deep into the competition, he seemed to be playing pretty well.

Looking forward to the night session again this evening. Mark Allen has a fight on his hands against Robertson.

For a laugh @STAND_AMS is well worth a follow on twitter during big snooker tournaments.

[Real ale Madrid]

Hong Kong Cueman Fu has fought back to level his 1st round match with Brecel at 9-9. One of the best first round games I've seen ever. Winner has a chance of winning the tournament imo.

Edit - Fu wins a cracking encounter 10-9, Allen through 10-8 v Robertson.

[BonnieShels]

Shared this on FB last night. 20 years on. Genius.

[yt]bpeBugHSCnU[yt]

For all his flaws, my all time favourite.
20 years... oh my. And I was just coming to terms about KD's win that year. Completely forget that Ronnie's 147 was at the same tournament.

Some great memories looking at the names in that tournament bracket.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1997_World_Snooker_Championship

[Real ale Madrid]

Round 2 nearly complete - Shaun Murphy v Ronnie the pick of the ties but other games looking tasty also - Robertson v Fu stands out - assuming Robertson finishes off Noppon Saengkham later.

Thursday 20 April

13:00
Neil Robertson (Aus) v Noppon Saengkham (Tha)
Second Round (best of 25 frames)
Bingham v K Wilson

19:00
Barry Hawkins (Eng) v Tom Ford (Eng)
Second Round (best of 25 frames)
Murphy v O'Sullivan

Second Round (best of 25 frames)

Friday 21 April

10:00
Liang v Ding
Bingham v K Wilson

14:30
Murphy v O'Sullivan
Allen v Higgins

19:00
Liang v Ding
Bingham v K Wilson

Saturday 22 April

10:00
Murphy v O'Sullivan
Allen v Higgins

14:30
Liang v Ding
Maguire v McLeod

19:00
Allen v Higgins
Selby v Xiao

Sunday 23 April

10:00
Robertson/Saengkham v Fu
Hawkins/Ford v Dott

14:30
Selby v Xiao
Maguire v McLeod

19:00
Robertson/Saengkham v Fu
Maguire v McLeod

Monday 24 April

13:00
Selby v Xiao
Maguire v McLeod

19:00
Selby v Xiao
Maguire v McLeod

[CraftyToePoke]

I doubt if Ronnie reads his own emails. I am old-fashioned, I don’t agree all publicity is good publicity, and I doubt sponsors and broadcast partners like *seeing these two attacking each other. I don’t get it.

Etc - http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/snooker/shaun-murphy-slams-ronnie-osullivan-10252285

So after upping the ante in the pre match, Murphy promptly missed a string of shots any of us might reasonably expect to knock in to trail 6-2 overnight Vs O'Sullivan. Don't poke the bear, or at least don't poke the bear and then deliver such impotence. They resume tomorrow.

[CraftyToePoke]

John Higgins is not of this world, Mark Allen delivered a 98% pot success rate as far as six frames into their first session today including consecutive centuries and almost a third, yet Higgins somehow navigates it to come out only 3-5 behind overnight.

[bennocelt]

Did a sneaky bet at 66/1 on Dott to win, thats a big price for him me thinks

[CraftyToePoke]

Fu just completed the 50th century of this years tournament, in what is the last second round match, the 2015 86 record could be on again.

[Real ale Madrid]

Fu 12-11 up now on Robertson. Intriguing stuff.

I've had a few bob each way on Stephen Maguire at 20/1 with Ladbrokes 1/3 of the odds. He looks in very good form and is in the weaker half of the draw, think he has a chance of making the final.

[Real ale Madrid]

Fu wins 13-11 - plays Mark Selby next!

[CraftyToePoke]

I've had a few bob each way on Stephen Maguire at 20/1 with Ladbrokes 1/3 of the odds. He looks in very good form

Talented definitely but the commentators keep referring to his unfulfilled potential and skirting round the reasons for it. I wonder what they know that isn't for broadcast, what's being left unsaid here. Hawkins is a winnable quarter final though, lets see ..

Anyway, the quarter final line up :


Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Ding Junhui (Chn)

Kyren Wilson (Eng) v John Higgins (Sco)

Mark Selby (Eng) v Marco Fu (HK)

Barry Hawkins (Eng) v Stephen Maguire (Sco)

[SkStu]

Selby thrashes Fu 13-3 and Ding beats Ronnie :(

Good semi-final all the same.

[Real ale Madrid]

Question is : Will Ronnie win another one? Is his general Form on the downturn? I always thought he would but after watching him this week maybe not. Does he have the patience anymore?