Redcafe Snooker

[ChrisNelson]

UK Championship starts tomorrow in York (got my tickets booked for next week )

Only 16 matches in the first round proper but it presents some awesome potential matches as early as the second round.

Draw in bracket form:

Zhao Xintong (1) vs. Sam Craigie
Ryan Day (16) vs. Jimmy White
Mark Allen (9) vs. Jordan Brown
Kyren Wilson (8) vs. Matthew Selt
Mark Selby (5) vs. Hossein Vafaei
Jack Lisowski (12) vs. Xu Si
Shaun Murphy (13) vs. David Gilbert
Judd Trump (4) vs. Xiao Guodong
Neil Robertson (3) vs. Joe Perry
Stuart Bingham (14) vs. Liam Highfield
Luca Brecel (11) vs. Lyu Haotian
John Higgins (6) vs. Tom Ford
Mark Williams (7) vs. Jamie Clarke
Barry Hawkins (10) vs. Ding Junhui
Yan Bingtao (15) vs. Zhou Yuelong
Ronnie O'Sullivan (2) vs. Matthew Stevens

 

[Dumbstar]

Just to be sure this is one of the competitions that Ronnie treats seriously, right?

 

[cyberman]

Was watching some fantastic qualifiers during the week. Ding was on for a 147 but missed a spotted Yellow with a rest

 

[P-Ro]

Something fishy is going on at the Snooker:

 

[MC89]

Deciding frame just started 5-5 Judd Tramp v Xiao

 

[MC89]

Trump wins.

 

[Sweet Square]

Ronnie is the greatest of all time imo but it’s kind of bad that he is sleep walking through these games.

No one is putting up a fight.

 

[cyberman]

Ronnie is the greatest of all time imo but it’s kind of bad that he is sleep walking through these games.

No one is putting up a fight.

Nobody gave him a game in the Worlds and he’s cruising through this. That’s the problem when the likes of Robertson, Selby, Higgins etc drop, nobody is there to replace them.

 

[giorno]

Nobody gave him a game in the Worlds and he’s cruising through this. That’s the problem when the likes of Robertson, Selby, Higgins etc drop, nobody is there to replace them.

I tend to agree but also, nobody gave him a game at the worlds because he played at a level where he just demolished them mentally. There isn't a player around who thinks he can beat Ronnie if Ronnie is in form, that's the issue. But also, he's Ronnie O'Sullivan. Bar peak Hendry, there has never been a player that could compete with the best version of Ronnie...

The one exception maybe is Mark Williams actually. He's about the only one who isn't worried about playing O'Sullivan

Kid today was just overwhelmed

 

[Bertie Wooster]

I tend to agree but also, nobody gave him a game at the worlds because he played at a level where he just demolished them mentally. There isn't a player around who thinks he can beat Ronnie if Ronnie is in form, that's the issue. But also, he's Ronnie O'Sullivan. Bar peak Hendry, there has never been a player that could compete with the best version of Ronnie...

The one exception maybe is Mark Williams actually. He's about the only one who isn't worried about playing O'Sullivan

Kid today was just overwhelmed

Zhou Yuelong isn't really a 'kid', though, that's the thing. He's 24, ranked 21st in the world, and has reached 3 ranking finals including one just last month. So he's one of the better players around.

Just highlights what a great level O'Sullivan is still producing. For, as you say, he's been great here, at the Champion of Champions, the World Championships, etc...

 

[altodevil]

It's shocking how the top 10 or so are all ancient. So different than in other sports. Who is the best young talent? Xintong?

 

[Bertie Wooster]

It's shocking how the top 10 or so are all ancient. So different than in other sports. Who is the best young talent? Xintong?

Xintong's a top talent yeah. Most of the younger ones are Chinese tbh - the trio of Xintong, Yuelong and Bingtao being the best of them.
Of non-Chinese, the best of the 'younger' players are the likes of Trump, Wilson, Lisowski, Brecel - all comparatively 'young' by the Class of 92 standards, in their 20's or early 30's.

There's not really many non-Chinese players in their teens or early 20's who are making waves on the circuit. There's some decent Belgian teenagers just qualified on the tour - Ben Mertens and Julian Leclercq - and teens like Liam Davies and Stan Moody sound decent prospects coming through the amateurs. But there doesn't seem much out there.

 

[Ainu]

I tend to agree but also, nobody gave him a game at the worlds because he played at a level where he just demolished them mentally. There isn't a player around who thinks he can beat Ronnie if Ronnie is in form, that's the issue. But also, he's Ronnie O'Sullivan. Bar peak Hendry, there has never been a player that could compete with the best version of Ronnie...

The one exception maybe is Mark Williams actually. He's about the only one who isn't worried about playing O'Sullivan

Kid today was just overwhelmed

I'd add Selby to the list of exceptions. When at his best, he almost always knows how to grind down O'Sullivan. Maybe not a peak O'Sullivan, that's just too much to handle for anyone, but still an in-form one. He certainly has the mental strength for it.

 

[cyberman]

I tend to agree but also, nobody gave him a game at the worlds because he played at a level where he just demolished them mentally. There isn't a player around who thinks he can beat Ronnie if Ronnie is in form, that's the issue. But also, he's Ronnie O'Sullivan. Bar peak Hendry, there has never been a player that could compete with the best version of Ronnie...

The one exception maybe is Mark Williams actually. He's about the only one who isn't worried about playing O'Sullivan

Kid today was just overwhelmed

The problem is Ronnie doesn’t have to be on form to cruise through games. Ronnie has dropped a level but looks even better results wise which is absurd

 

[Sweet Square]

The problem is Ronnie doesn’t have to be on form to cruise through games. Ronnie has dropped a level but looks even better results wise which is absurd

Yeah it’s weird. I’m not even sure he played that great at the worlds. I mean he did say yesterday that he doesn’t see any younger players that are to the level of hendry or higgins.

 

[giorno]

I'd add Selby to the list of exceptions. When at his best, he almost always knows how to grind down O'Sullivan. Maybe not a peak O'Sullivan, that's just too much to handle for anyone, but still an in-form one. He certainly has the mental strength for it.

Think that was true of Selby until about 2 years ago. Since that semifinal, not so much anymore

The problem is Ronnie doesn’t have to be on form to cruise through games. Ronnie has dropped a level but looks even better results wise which is absurd

Eeeh. He's not as consistent, i'll give you that. But it ties with what i've said. He doesn't need to be consistent over the whole game, he just needs to start well and that aura he has does the rest. You're right though that he only even needs that against the very best, Selby, Trump, Robertson, Higgins, Williams, etc...the others he beats just showing up pretty much...

 

[ChrisNelson]

I was at the Ronnie match and up close Zhou was even worse.

He just couldn't string any pots together, other than the frame where he was all reds/blacks then broke down and lost the frame, think it was the 5th - after the interval.

To be honest when I realised we were seeing Ronnie I was disappointed a) because I've seen him so many times and wanted a bit of variety and b) his attitude towards the sport that's given him so much absolutely stinks.

His interviews are absolute train wrecks and you could play Ronnie quote bingo with all of them - one minute he's fed up and couldn't care less if he wasn't playing, the next he's enjoying being out there.

Today sees some intriguing matches, Murphy v Trump this afternoon and Vafaei v Lisowski (repeat of a match I saw there last year) this evening along with Perry v Bingham.

 

[T00lsh3d]

I was at the Ronnie match and up close Zhou was even worse.

He just couldn't string any pots together, other than the frame where he was all reds/blacks then broke down and lost the frame, think it was the 5th - after the interval.

To be honest when I realised we were seeing Ronnie I was disappointed a) because I've seen him so many times and wanted a bit of variety and b) his attitude towards the sport that's given him so much absolutely stinks.

His interviews are absolute train wrecks and you could play Ronnie quote bingo with all of them - one minute he's fed up and couldn't care less if he wasn't playing, the next he's enjoying being out there.

Today sees some intriguing matches, Murphy v Trump this afternoon and Vafaei v Lisowski (repeat of a match I saw there last year) this evening along with Perry v Bingham.

Ronnie’s a fecking tool. Shits on the sport so much, it used to drive me mental when I cared about the game more.

Trump vs Murphy is tasty….I’ll be tuning in for that one

 

[cyberman]

Ronnie’s a fecking tool. Shits on the sport so much, it used to drive me mental when I cared about the game more.

Trump vs Murphy is tasty….I’ll be tuning in for that one

Not looking good

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[T00lsh3d]

Not looking good

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

fecks sake….can we have nothing in life. Back to the current worries thread

 

[Stookie]

Shaun Murphy cueing like a dream those last three frames. Best I’ve seen him play in a while. One of my favourite players to watch.

 

[Pexbo]

Shaun Murphy is the James Corden of the snooker world.

 

[Parma Dewol]

I like to think I know my snooker, but somehow or other Jack Lisowski has slipped past my radar.

Seen very little of him ‘til now, but watching him tonight he looks exceptional. Such a silky cue action, making it look effortless. How is he 31 having never won anything? Can only assume mentality comes into it in the latter stages. He looks like one of many, many talented snooker players who you think should have won more trophies.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

I like to think I know my snooker, but somehow or other Jack Lisowski has slipped past my radar.

Seen very little of him ‘til now, but watching him tonight he looks exceptional. Such a silky cue action, making it look effortless. How is he 31 having never won anything? Can only assume mentality comes into it in the latter stages. He looks like one of many, many talented snooker players who you think should have won more trophies.

Yep, all of that is correct.

I've been a big Jack Lisowski fan for years and would absolutely love to see him start winning tournaments.

As you say, he's a great talent with a wonderful cue action and is well recognised now as 'the best player yet to win a tournament'.

He's always been a great potter. And he's slowly - very slowly - improved his all round match play so is reasonably decent tactically nowadays. Mentality - dealing with the pressure on the big occasions - seems to be the final ingredient. He's got better at that - he's pulled off some big wins in QF's and SF's in the last couple of years. And has now reached 6 ranking finals. But he's always come up against the likes of Trump, Selby and Robertson in finals and has generally been beaten quite easily so is still searching for that first win.

 

[ChrisNelson]

Lisowski is a funny one.

He's been in this position so many times before, last 8/ last 4 of ranking events.

Then the commentators start bigging him up for people that aren't familiar with him, as happened last night and the following match he capitulates.

He has a very difficult match tonight against Murphy who will be full of confidence after beating Trump, if his back/neck hold up.

He's definitely due a ranking event and most snooker fans want to see him win a few - I genuinely think he will, and that it could open the floodgates.

From a mentality perspective, bringing Peter Ebdon on board was a good move. Not many players of the last 30 years have the mental steel that he showed in his career.

He does have to be careful though because he won't get infinite opportunities - think about Jimmy White with the World Championship, everyone was convinced it would happen for him one day and now he has the not so enviable title of (potentially) the greatest player in the modern era not to win it.

If he wins tonight and Allen beats Craigie then Lisowski vs. Allen would be a hell of a semi-final!

 

[ChrisNelson]

I see Ronnie's interest levels have declined today, 0-5 down to Ding in a first to 6 quarter-final

 

[Stookie]

Ronnie having his arse handed to him. 5-0 to Ding. Has O’Sullivan ever been nilled before?

 

[Parma Dewol]

Might have to make Liwoski my second favourite player. What a break that was again. Looking sensational this week.

 

[giorno]

Holy shit Lisowski is having an out of body experience here

3 straight century breaks, one more bonkers than the other

 

[Bertie Wooster]

He's playing fantastically

Being a Jack fan though, you get used to seeing him play brilliantly and then, all of a sudden, falling apart and missing out again.

But these last two nights have, so far, been outstanding. And he's definitely getting more consistent in the last couple of years - especially since working with Peter Ebdon.

 

[giorno]

So the first frame Murphy pulled off a miracle to push it to the decisive black but then lost, and then Lisowski turned into peak Hendry and Ronnie mixed into one unholy snooker machine-god

 

[cyberman]

This is such a poor standard of snooker. It’s club snooker where you hit two good shots in a row and then feck an easy positional shot or miss a straight shot

 

[Bondi77]

This is such a poor standard of snooker. It’s club snooker where you hit two good shots in a row and then feck an easy positional shot or miss a straight shot

Must be a shit club...not even double figures.

 

[cyberman]

Must be a shit club...not even double figures.

I’ll say nothing!

 

[Bondi77]

I’ll say nothing!

That's up to you.
I have played in a few clubs and my classification of a club player is a regular player that goes in for the in house competitions and maybe anything from a scratch to a 30 handicap but even 30 handicappers can string a 30 break together!
If your experience is different then fair enough.

 

[Parma Dewol]

Oh man, that was brutal but enthralling viewing. Both players feeling the pressure. Gutted for Lisowski, was hoping he’d get a chance at his first title. He’ll be having nightmares of that shot on the yellow.

 

[Bertie Wooster]

Life as a Jack Lisowski fan summed up perfectly by this tournament.
A dozen years and counting of some brilliant performances and many raised hopes - always overshadowed by the inevitable crushing disappointment and missed opportunities.

 

[Parma Dewol]

Expecting this to be a close contest. Always liked Ding so thought I’d be rooting for him, but turns out Allen has never won it, so would be nice to see him lift the trophy.

Either way, means I can just enjoy the snooker. May the best man win.

 

[Resonance]

Great frame by Allen to bring it back to 5-6.

 

[The Cat]

Darts just finished so this is going on.