Snooker

[The Hare]

The Champions League table after Day 1 - Trump only one certain to make semi finals later today, he won 2 games 3-2 after losing the first 2 games. Looked tired at the end but an excellent battling display. They don't always manage to do it for 2 days in a row though! Hossein looked like he had a neck injury, Kyren Wilson, understandably, looked tired and got a little frustrated at times but he still has a good chance. Live on Youtube if anyone is interested except me!

 

[Delboy99]

The Champions League table after Day 1 - Trump only one certain to make semi finals later today, he won 2 games 3-2 after losing the first 2 games. Looked tired at the end but an excellent battling display. They don't always manage to do it for 2 days in a row though! Hossein looked like he had a neck injury, Kyren Wilson, understandably, looked tired and got a little frustrated at times but he still has a good chance. Live on Youtube if anyone is interested except me!

View attachment 153839

..... really Mickey Mouse stuff this. don't think many will be looking into Youtube. Will leave to its own devices.

 

[The Hare]

..... really Mickey Mouse stuff this. don't think many will be looking into Youtube. Will leave to its own devices.

You missed a cracker Delboy99 ! A maximum break for Selby and he was unbeatable on the second day, beating Kyren Wilson in the final. Retained the title and with the home advantage and sleeping at home it is a big help to him. The groups can be a bit random but it was serious tiff the Final group.

 

[Outlander]

You missed a cracker Delboy99 ! A maximum break for Selby and he was unbeatable on the second day, beating Kyren Wilson in the final. Retained the title and with the home advantage and sleeping at home it is a big help to him. The groups can be a bit random but it was serious tiff the Final group.

Caught a few frames during the day, the first Wilson/Selby match frame 3 when Selby needed 2 snookers, he must have places Wilson in about 10 solid snookers in a row and then polished them off as soon as Wilson failed to get out the second time. Was a cracking frame to watch. Think that frame propelled Selby for the rest of the day.
Watching him laying snooker after snooker was like watching an Artist at work, was superb.

 

[The Hare]

Caught a few frames during the day, the first Wilson/Selby match frame 3 when Selby needed 2 snookers, he must have places Wilson in about 10 solid snookers in a row and then polished them off as soon as Wilson failed to get out the second time. Was a cracking frame to watch. Think that frame propelled Selby for the rest of the day.
Watching him laying snooker after snooker was like watching an Artist at work, was superb.

Yes Selby was at his very bewst yesterday, that frame as you say the best example of his skills.

Today another maximum in Wales, well Barnsley. There have now been 5 this year alone, 3 in the Champions LEague. Today was Xu Si, he has just turned 27 and is 40th in Official Rankings ae the moment yet this his 3rd maximum already, one each in the last 3 years. These are the players with 3 or more.

 

[Delboy99]

Will Ricky Walden play in Welsh Open? Snooker star's expected return after German Masters health scare latest.​

Despite being told he required surgery just hours after a victory at the German Masters, Walden is aiming to return to action in a bid to secure qualification.​

Ricky Walden had snooker fans worried as he was rushed to hospital after a German Masters clash - but the 42-year-old is targeting a speedy return.


After battling through the pain barrier to defeat Dylan Emery in the second round of the event in the German capital, Walden was rushed to hospital in Berlin following an assessment by medics at the venue - where he was diagnosed with pancreatitis. After staying overnight in a German hospital the Stamina Man was forced to withdraw from his third round match with Barry Hawkins, who would go on to lose to world champ Kyren Wilson in the final.
Walden was told that he requires surgery when he returned to the UK, and his team hope to have him back on the mend in time to take on either Latvia's Artemijs Zizins or Pakistan's Farakh Ajaib at a Welsh Open qualifier in Barnsley on February 6. That would represent a remarkable turnaround for the 2014 Master's quarter-finalist, who was Ronnie O'Sullivan's opponent as the Rocket secured a stunning 6-0 whitewash in one of his best performances ever at Alexandra Palace.

 

[The Hare]

Welsh Open starts up again on Monday in Llandudno. Top 32 seeds enter for the last 64. No Trump, Ding or Xiao enteres, returned to China ready for the next 2 events it seems. At the moment O'Sullivan is still entered. Three amateurs have made it through the 2 qualifying rounds - Emery, Nuessle and Cooper.

 

[Delboy99]

‘I’m either in or out’ – Shaun Murphy resigns from snooker role after Masters admission.​

Shaun Murphy has resigned from his position as WPBSA Players Chairman after admitting how his victory at the Masters has made him rethink his remaining snooker career.​

Shaun Murphy has resigned from his position as WPBSA Players Chairman after winning his second Masters title.


Murphy was elected in December 2023 and ascended to chairman by May but opted to step down on Tuesday. The 42-year-old triumphed over Kyren Wilson with a 10-7 scoreline in the Masters final last month and plans to fully concentrate on his snooker career.
Following an underwhelming run of form, Murphy chose to join the WPBSA Players board in 2023. Yet, Murphy has admitted that his Masters victory has caused him to re-evaluate his priorities and move away from his role with the WPBSA.
"There's no way of me sugarcoating it," Murphy shared on his OneFourSeven podcast. "The win at the Masters a couple of weeks ago has really shone a torch for me, into my own game and self-belief, that I can actually still do it at the very cutting edge, top end of the sport.
"I had started to think that that had gone. So, I started to look at other areas in the game where I could make a difference. That win has given me a tap on the shoulder to say, 'you know what? You can still do this.'"


Faced with the demands of playing professionally and managing responsibilities behind the scenes, Murphy realised he could not fully commit to both roles. "In the end, you can't be all things to all people," he explained. "You can't be everywhere all at once, and it's not a job I'm willing to give half of myself to. It's not a responsibility – looking after the members, representing them, and fighting on their behalf – that I'm willing to give 75 per cent to it.
"I'm either in or I'm out. At the minute, I'm not able to represent them as well as I want and be as committed as I want to. So I think it's right that I stand aside and allow somebody else to take the reins."


The WPBSA announced that Murphy had resigned as Players chairman and also stepped down from his role as non-executive player director. In a statement, Murphy referred to the role as a "great honour" but pointed to a heavy workload as his reason for leaving.
After his Championship League triumph in July 2023, Murphy didn't make the main draw in seven of his following 14 ranked events, only advancing past the second round on two occasions. However, Murphy's recent form has served as a reminder that he remains one of the top players in the sport.

 

[Delboy99]

Stephen Hendry had 'horrible' health issue that caused him to retire from snooker.​

Stephen Hendry took the sport to new heights in the 1990s as he won seven World Championships, a record he now jointly shares with Ronnie O'Sullivan.​

Scottish snooker legend Stephen Hendry has opened up about the wrist condition known as the 'yips' that forced him to retire, after a stellar career in which he dominated the tables during the 1990s with seven World Championship wins.

Now sharing a record with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Hendry left fans enthralled with his terrifically aggressive gameplay.
His form dipped after clinching his last world title in 1999 and led to an initial retirement in 2012 at just 43 years old due to frustrations over his playing level.

Despite a comeback attempt in 2020, by the summer of 2024 Hendry decided to decline a two-year tour card, candidly acknowledging: "Let's be honest, I wasn't pulling up any trees, was I?
"I was a little bit surprised with how good the standard was, but I've just got so many other work commitments, I won't be able to dedicate enough time to practising.
"I know the game inside out, I still know all the shots, but unfortunately the body is not performing like my brain wants it to."

He ultimately retired because of the yips, lamenting: "If I didn't have the yips and I could play, I would still play. I can't go through the ball properly and I can't wait at the back.

"There are certain shots I know I can't pot and they can be the easiest pots in the world or easy positional shots. I hate it. I don't know where it came from. Some people don't see it but it's horrible and that's why I retired."

The yips, involuntary wrist spasms that often plague golfers during their putts, can also affect players of other precision sports such as snooker, cricket, darts and baseball.
Previously believed to be solely linked to performance anxiety, recent research from the Mayo Clinic suggests that some cases of the yips may be due to a neurological condition affecting specific muscles, known as focal dystonia.

Steve Davis, six-time world snooker champion and current BBC pundit alongside Hendry, admitted he too had battled with the 'yips' throughout his career, describing it as a challenging condition to manage.

 

[Delboy99]

Ronnie O'Sullivan set for Welsh Open snooker return as Rocket ramps up world championship preparations.​

One of the games biggest stars is ready to get back to work after a difficult start to the year.​

Snooker icon Ronnie O'Sullivan is set to return to action at the Welsh Open.


The Rocket shocked fans by pulling out of the Masters just over a day before he was due to face Scots ace John Higgins, before continuing his absence by skipping the Welsh Open - prompting speculation he might not return to the table before the World Championships in April. However the 49-year-old was included in the draw for the Llandudno showcase, where he is set to face home hero Jamie Clarke - currently ranked No.65 in the world - on February 11.
O'Sullivan withdrew from the Masters after a nightmare showing in the Championship League, where he lashed out at a table and threw his cue in the bin after storming off. Speaking about the decision afterwards, the eight time world champ said: "It was a nightmare to make. If you'd have asked me Sunday was I ready to play, I probably would have been OK to play, but it's such a massive tournament. I've obviously been on this three-week trip away playing and I just think I exhausted myself. [There was] a lot of pressure and I just think the build-up of all that kind of just got a bit too much really."
Meanwhile Ricky Walden will compete in the tournament, despite being forced to withdraw from the German Masters just a fortnight ago. After battling through the pain barrier to defeat Dylan Emery in the second round of the event in the German capital, Walden was rushed to hospital in Berlin following an assessment by medics at the venue - where he was diagnosed with pancreatitis.
After staying overnight in a German hospital the Stamina Man was forced to withdraw from his third round match with Barry Hawkins, who would go on to lose to world champ Kyren Wilson in the final. But Walden is now fighting fit and defeated Latvia's Artemijs Zizins in a qualifer to book a first round meeting with Matthew Selt.

 

[The Hare]

Reanne Evans won the Belgian Women's Championship today, Beating Nutcharut Wongharuthai. These the top 9 women, Bai Yulu wasn't in the event

 

[The Hare]

Anyone interested the Welsh Open is on BBC iplayer this week, or BBC Wales if anyone can get that at selected times as well as Eurosport.

Currently Mark Selby, the star of last week is on with Shaun Murphy doing commentary, see he has given up his Players Representative role but still continuing with the commentary. He needs some points this week or in big danger of having to qualify for the Crucible.

 

[Delboy99]

Memories of snooker, billiards and more as Rex Williams appears at Halesowen venue.​

Halesowen born Snooker legend Rex Williams made what was billed as his final public appearance in his hometown.
Interviewed by former Central Television frontman Bob Warman as part of an evening organised by Sportsnight Events and Memorabilia, he also took questions from the audience at The Laurels Social Club on Thursday evening

The 91-year-old held many roles in the game including being a former chairman of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. as well as a top player and TV commentator.
He reached the final of the Snooker World Championship twice and helped develop and took part in legendary TV series Pot Black which had much to do with increasing the game's popularity.
Mr Williams told many stories about the greats of the game including Alex Higgins, Doug Mountjoy and his hero Joe Davis who was world snooker champion from 1927-1946.
He was also a businessman, manufacturing cues and tables for the sport, and told the audience about how the game had changed technically over the years.

Speaking after the event, Mr Williams joked he was playing snooker when his friend Bob Warman was born and spoke of the influence of television on the game.
He said: "Pot Black, which started in 1969, put the game in the shop window and took it worldwide it was so popular.

"It led the way for the television coverage we see today and I will always have fond memories of that tournament, which I think they could have done more with in recent years.
"The game has changed significantly in terms of the balls they use now - when I started they were a lot heavier - and the tables which aren't all manufactured to the same specifications but I enjoy watching the talented professionals we have now including Judd Trump and Mark Selby."

Wayne Etheridge from Sportsnight Events and Memorabilia presented him with a cheque for £1,000 for the Pedmore Sporting Club and said: "It was a great evening and the stories of how snooker and billiards developed and the personalities involved were enjoyed by everyone.

"We also had Steve James present, a Black Country born and raised footballer who played for Manchester United with the likes of Denis Law, George Best and Bobby Charlton and he and Rex signed autographs and posed for pictures before and after the event."

 

[The Hare]

No surprise

Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the BetVictor Welsh Open.

O'Sullivan was due to face Jamie Clarke at 1pm on Tuesday afternoon. Clarke will now receive a bye to the last 32.

The tournament in Llandudno runs until Sunday February 16th.

 

[Delboy99]

No surprise

Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the BetVictor Welsh Open.

O'Sullivan was due to face Jamie Clarke at 1pm on Tuesday afternoon. Clarke will now receive a bye to the last 32.

The tournament in Llandudno runs until Sunday February 16th.

..... well, well, well what a surprise! Just seems to be mucking up every tournament he is supposedly entered in. He really needs to pack in now as things are certainly getting no better as far as withdrawals are concerned. Needs to get his head screwed on the right way and do the decent thing as it is definitely interfering with the running of snooker in general. Go now Ronnie!

 

[Outlander]

..... well, well, well what a surprise! Just seems to be mucking up every tournament he is supposedly entered in. He really needs to pack in now as things are certainly getting no better as far as withdrawals are concerned. Needs to get his head screwed on the right way and do the decent thing as it is definitely interfering with the running of snooker in general. Go now Ronnie!

He has found the golden excuse , mental health issues cannot be questioned.
Has he turned up at the venue to do his punditry.
He wanted to gallivant around for easy money in China (don’t blame him at all), he was getting kickback from Hearn about missing proper tournaments and they were putting pressure on him, now he has found the get out of jail free card.
Ive seen him on tv as a pundit and in Saudi Arabia watching boxing when he was missing from tournaments for mental health, it’s probably costing the lad money to show up to these snooker events , he can make more elsewhere.
I’ve said this before about him years ago when he went downhill that he was gone at the game, the big difference this time is nobody is scared of him anymore, most players were beaten before the break off in the first frame when they face Ronnie such is his aura of invincibility , now everyone on the tour is champing at the bit to get him beat because they know he is there for the taking.
Can only see him going one way in the rankings.

On another note what the hell is going on with Bingham, played some terrible stuff before the World Championships, then played out of his skin in Sheffield and now looks like he’s forgotten completely how to play again.

 

[Delboy99]

He has found the golden excuse , mental health issues cannot be questioned.
Has he turned up at the venue to do his punditry.
He wanted to gallivant around for easy money in China (don’t blame him at all), he was getting kickback from Hearn about missing proper tournaments and they were putting pressure on him, now he has found the get out of jail free card.
Ive seen him on tv as a pundit and in Saudi Arabia watching boxing when he was missing from tournaments for mental health, it’s probably costing the lad money to show up to these snooker events , he can make more elsewhere.
I’ve said this before about him years ago when he went downhill that he was gone at the game, the big difference this time is nobody is scared of him anymore, most players were beaten before the break off in the first frame when they face Ronnie such is his aura of invincibility , now everyone on the tour is champing at the bit to get him beat because they know he is there for the taking.
Can only see him going one way in the rankings.

On another note what the hell is going on with Bingham, played some terrible stuff before the World Championships, then played out of his skin in Sheffield and now looks like he’s forgotten completely how to play again.

….. good post that one O Outlander as you say, good excuse Mental Health issues.

 

[The Hare]

Just about to start Round 2, top crowds this week so far. Full at 10am

 

[Outlander]

top crowds this week so far.

The only snooker I caught this week was I think Ross Muir playing( if he’s the one with the gloved hand), was late maybe gone 11 pm and I counted 7 people in the audience. Maybe they had all gone home as was only table playing.

 

[The Hare]

Bingham form this season O Outlander up and down as ever. Shocking the other dat. He was having troubles with his eyesight last season and early this season so that isn't the best thing for a snooker player.