Snooker
- Thread starter The Uncouth
- Start date
The Hare
Mare
Certainly playing well. Had a poor season early last year as obsessed with Marathon running, seems to have fitted in to his schedule better since. At best would say about a 16-17 rating but Williams doesn't like losing to fellow Welshmen!!
Delboy99
Sire
..... at least five of the old stalwarts still in there with a fighting chance. Mark Williams going well and Ali Carter too. Interesting!
Delboy99
Sire
..... looks to be panning out as we expected. Mark Williams looking good, in fact it is very open now that Mr.Trump has bitten the dust. Think I fancy Mark but anyone looks as if they can land this one.
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The Hare
Mare
Well Hawkins has been the best player all week and finished well against Williams. At odds of 6/5 or 13/10 at BetFred he is a good price as well. First to 9 today.
Wilson has won 4 and lost 7 Ranking Finals.
Hawkins won 3 and lost 5 so a little lower standard Final than the best players but should be close.
Wilson has won 4 and lost 7 Ranking Finals.
Hawkins won 3 and lost 5 so a little lower standard Final than the best players but should be close.
Delboy99
Sire
...... surprised to see Mark Williams go out, I thought that he would have at least got to the final. Looks close in your rankings list nothing much in it according to your ratings. So probably as you said earlier it looks like it could go to the wire unless someone really plays above themselves.
The Hare
Mare
Hawkins excellent all week until today! Been a scrappy game, Wilson playing quite well but still making some poor errors but Hawkins has really struggled. I suppose the win against Williams was so impressive and mentally the euphoria has taken him over the top. There is always a point in everyone where you reach your very best and keeping it there is very difficult and it rarely lasts for long. In snooker one tournament covers nearly everyone and most professionals just one round is all it can be maintained for....... surprised to see Mark Williams go out, I thought that he would have at least got to the final. Looks close in your rankings list nothing much in it according to your ratings. So probably as you said earlier it looks like it could go to the wire unless someone really plays above themselves.
Still he hasn't lost yet!
The Hare
Mare
Well Wilson makes it with no worries. A day off tomorrow and then the Circus heads to Wigan, Lancashire for the Northern Irish open!
These are the Qualifiers being played there, all the big boys have a week off and play their games in Belfast, all Top 16 entered including O'Sullivan. Whether all these turn up is unlikely but there is no news otherwise at the moment. Carter v Ding looks like the highlight of the wek.
These are the Qualifiers being played there, all the big boys have a week off and play their games in Belfast, all Top 16 entered including O'Sullivan. Whether all these turn up is unlikely but there is no news otherwise at the moment. Carter v Ding looks like the highlight of the wek.
Delboy99
Sire
Kyren Wilson beats Barry Hawkins to win European Masters in Germany.
England's Kyren Wilson credited his dad for inspiring him to victory against Barry Hawkins in the final of the European Masters in Germany.Wilson, 30, won 9-3 against the 43-year-old in a low-scoring match to take his fifth ranking title.
"It's been an amazing week," the world number eight said on Eurosport.
"To be honest I was struggling a bit, down in the dumps coming here, changing cues, so my dad and his best friend came out and we had some great fun."
Wilson was 3-0 up after the opening session before Hawkins reduced his deficit to a single frame.
However, Wilson won the next three frames then made a break of 55 - his highest of the final - to move 6-2 in front and Hawkins never looked like being able to fight back into the match.
"It's very disappointing," Hawkins said. "It was a struggle all day. Kyren stuck to his task and picked me off. It was a terrible day but a good week I suppose."
Delboy99
Sire
Champion Kyren so pleased to ‘get the job done’
Kyren Wilson was delighted to “get the job done” after he clinched the fifth ranking title of his career in Germany last weekend.
The Kettering snooker star enjoyed a superb week in the BetVictor European Masters in Fürth as he claimed wins over Lyu Haotian (5-1), Jimmy Robertson (5-2), Shaun Murphy (5-3) and Si Jiahui (5-2) to move into the semi-finals.He then won a thrilling encounter 6-5 against Ali Carter to book himself a final clash with Barry Hawkins.
The 30-year-old opened up a 6-2 advantage in the afternoon on Sunday and then wrapped things up later on to complete a 9-3 success.
The victory saw Wilson claim the £80,000 top prize and top spot in the BetVictor Series rankings while also moving up from eighth to sixth in the world rankings.
The final itself didn’t quite hit the heights both players are capable of but Wilson was delighted to come out on the right side of things.
“I felt like I had been outstanding all week to be honest,” the Kettering cueman said.
“It was just that, unfortunately, in the final the humidity got into the room.
“But that’s part and parcel of being in a final. You have to deal with the elements and just get the job done. Ultimately I managed to do that.”
Now back home, Wilson has a big event of a different kind to look forward to this weekend.
He will be hosting an exhibition at his training base Barratts Sports Bar in Northampton on Saturday night to raise money for Florence Bark.
An appeal to help fund life-saving treatment for Florence, who is from Corby, reached the huge target of £500,000 in just 33 days.
The communities of Corby and surrounding towns pulled together to raise the money after Florence’s family discovered their girl, who has leukemia, might need treatment that is not available on the NHS.
The exhibition is sold out and will see Wilson taking on 10 people who have paid £100 each to play him in a frame.
And those attending the sold out event will now have the added bonus of seeing his latest trophy.
“I am really looking forward to it,” he added.
Delboy99
Sire
Mark Allen reveals Ronnie O’Sullivan chat has led to four stone weight loss.
Mark Allen has lost almost four stone after a lot of hard work over the summer and plans to lose more weight as his dieting continues, which all stemmed from a chat with Ronnie O’Sullivan in Sheffield.The Pistol has been on a strict diet since May and has seen excellent results, shedding a huge amount of weight and feeling much better for it.
The world number 14 wants to keep going in the same direction and is aiming to lose another two stone by the British Open next month.
While it was something he was aware he needed to do beforehand, it was a conversation with O’Sullivan after their World Championship match in April that helped kick Allen into action.
The Rocket beat the Pistol 13-4 in the second round in Sheffield, but far from just shaking hands and going their separate ways, they had a lengthy chat back at the hotel and it has helped Allen with his impressive weight loss over a long summer, which saw him take 11 weeks off playing snooker.
‘I had a good chat with O’Sullivan after we played in Sheffield,’ Allen told Metro.co.uk. ‘I sat in his hotel room for about an hour, talking about snooker and all sorts of things, he really helped me, it was good.
‘He gave me a few pointers. For my health more than anything just to lose some weight, if it helps your snooker so be it, but if it doesn’t it will help your mindset off the table, you’ll be better round your family, round your daughter and he was absolutely right.
‘I feel like that has changed my priorities over the summer and maybe why I took such a long break.
‘Everything he said has stood me in good stead and I’ve been working hard on it, and hopefully it’ll reap rewards on the table as well.’
It may be something of a surprise that O’Sullivan and Allen were chatting away for 60 minutes in a hotel room after their memorable clash at the Champion of Champions in 2020.
The Northern Irishman says that is all forgotten though, heat of the battle stuff, and he was really appreciative of the advice the Rocket gave him in Sheffield.
‘I’m not going to say anything about that, because whenever I’m out there I’m fiery, I want to kill people on the table,’ Allen said of the heated exchange from a couple of years ago.
‘But whenever it’s said and done, you walk away and you’re professional sportspeople. You go through similar things that people don’t realise.
‘So I had a good chat with Ronnie, sat in his hotel room for about an hour after the match. It was really good, he really opened up and I told him things that were personal to me. It was good, I really appreciated it.
‘Obviously someone like Ronnie doesn’t have to give anyone the time of day, he’s a busy man, I really appreciated that.
‘I wished him the best for the rest of the event, and I really took on board what he gave me.’
Allen explained that it has mainly been cutting down on food that has helped the pounds disappear and staying disciplined is no easy task.
‘Just really, really watching what I’m eating,’ he said. ‘Cut down portions, just really retraining my brain, get in a different mindset and hardly eating anything.
‘It’s coming up on four stone I’ve lost, so we’re going in the right direction, but I’d love to get another couple of stone off before the British Open, that would be great.
‘I’ve been trying hard, it’s been tough, a lot harder than I thought it would be but it’s something I’ve been needing to do.’
The loss to O’Sullivan which produced the life-changing conversation for Allen was another disappointing result for the Pistol in South Yorkshire.
A run to the semi-finals in 2009 remains his best result at the Crucible and he has only been to one quarter-final in the last 11 years.
He expects much more of himself on the sport’s biggest stage and is hoping that getting into shape will help him fulfil his potential at the World Championship.
‘I expect to do well myself, you get one chance a year and unfortunately I haven’t done it yet,’ he said.
‘I have aspirations of doing it, I know I’ve got the game, I’ve beat every player in the game over a decent length of format, so Sheffield shouldn’t be any different.
‘I think losing weight and being mentally fitter should help me in the long run, I think that’s something that’s been against me in the past.
‘You look at the ones that have done well in Sheffield consistently, none of them are overweight or have the issues I have. That’s something I have to work on and I have been working on lately.’
The Hare
Mare
Got to be good news for him if he can keep it up. Surely fitness would help him win more events.Mark Allen reveals Ronnie O’Sullivan chat has led to four stone weight loss.
Mark Allen has lost almost four stone after a lot of hard work over the summer and plans to lose more weight as his dieting continues, which all stemmed from a chat with Ronnie O’Sullivan in Sheffield.
The Pistol has been on a strict diet since May and has seen excellent results, shedding a huge amount of weight and feeling much better for it.
The world number 14 wants to keep going in the same direction and is aiming to lose another two stone by the British Open next month.
While it was something he was aware he needed to do beforehand, it was a conversation with O’Sullivan after their World Championship match in April that helped kick Allen into action.
The Rocket beat the Pistol 13-4 in the second round in Sheffield, but far from just shaking hands and going their separate ways, they had a lengthy chat back at the hotel and it has helped Allen with his impressive weight loss over a long summer, which saw him take 11 weeks off playing snooker.
‘I had a good chat with O’Sullivan after we played in Sheffield,’ Allen told Metro.co.uk. ‘I sat in his hotel room for about an hour, talking about snooker and all sorts of things, he really helped me, it was good.
‘He gave me a few pointers. For my health more than anything just to lose some weight, if it helps your snooker so be it, but if it doesn’t it will help your mindset off the table, you’ll be better round your family, round your daughter and he was absolutely right.
‘I feel like that has changed my priorities over the summer and maybe why I took such a long break.
‘Everything he said has stood me in good stead and I’ve been working hard on it, and hopefully it’ll reap rewards on the table as well.’
It may be something of a surprise that O’Sullivan and Allen were chatting away for 60 minutes in a hotel room after their memorable clash at the Champion of Champions in 2020.
The Northern Irishman says that is all forgotten though, heat of the battle stuff, and he was really appreciative of the advice the Rocket gave him in Sheffield.
‘I’m not going to say anything about that, because whenever I’m out there I’m fiery, I want to kill people on the table,’ Allen said of the heated exchange from a couple of years ago.
‘But whenever it’s said and done, you walk away and you’re professional sportspeople. You go through similar things that people don’t realise.
‘So I had a good chat with Ronnie, sat in his hotel room for about an hour after the match. It was really good, he really opened up and I told him things that were personal to me. It was good, I really appreciated it.
‘Obviously someone like Ronnie doesn’t have to give anyone the time of day, he’s a busy man, I really appreciated that.
‘I wished him the best for the rest of the event, and I really took on board what he gave me.’
Allen explained that it has mainly been cutting down on food that has helped the pounds disappear and staying disciplined is no easy task.
‘Just really, really watching what I’m eating,’ he said. ‘Cut down portions, just really retraining my brain, get in a different mindset and hardly eating anything.
‘It’s coming up on four stone I’ve lost, so we’re going in the right direction, but I’d love to get another couple of stone off before the British Open, that would be great.
‘I’ve been trying hard, it’s been tough, a lot harder than I thought it would be but it’s something I’ve been needing to do.’
The loss to O’Sullivan which produced the life-changing conversation for Allen was another disappointing result for the Pistol in South Yorkshire.
A run to the semi-finals in 2009 remains his best result at the Crucible and he has only been to one quarter-final in the last 11 years.
He expects much more of himself on the sport’s biggest stage and is hoping that getting into shape will help him fulfil his potential at the World Championship.
‘I expect to do well myself, you get one chance a year and unfortunately I haven’t done it yet,’ he said.
‘I have aspirations of doing it, I know I’ve got the game, I’ve beat every player in the game over a decent length of format, so Sheffield shouldn’t be any different.
‘I think losing weight and being mentally fitter should help me in the long run, I think that’s something that’s been against me in the past.
‘You look at the ones that have done well in Sheffield consistently, none of them are overweight or have the issues I have. That’s something I have to work on and I have been working on lately.’
On a different foot another win for a Lady professional this week. Nutcharut, who has somehow become called Mink, hopefully not due to her clothing choice, or she will be offending RSPCA then. She beat Mitchell Mann who seemed to be progressing up the rankings, hopefully inspire him like Wu Yize. So 2 for Ng On Yee and 1 for Nutcharut, just the British women need to win now.
After watching Kenna and Evans I think the only hope of a victory for either is if they are drawn against Hendry or each other.
Delboy99
Sire
..... sounds like a thrilling encounter if this happened. They are bound to stand a chance if drawn against Hendry. I think my old GrandMother could have given hime a close game. Why on earth he does not pack in while punters remember him for what he was, I don't know. It is really embarrassing to see him come a cropper time after time after time.
Delboy99
Sire
Snooker legend Jimmy White names Belfast Waterfront as one of the best venues in the world.
Snooker Legend Jimmy White has named the Waterfront Hall in Belfast as one of the top venues in the world.The 60-year-old player known as the Whirlwind made the comments after winning his qualifying match for the upcoming BetVictor Northern Ireland Open.
Still a competitive force on the sport’s professional tour, this week he earned a place at the final stages of the tournament taking place at the Waterfront Hall from October 16-23.
With more than 70 players competing, he’ll be up against the defending champion and home favourite Mark Allen as well as Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and John Higgins.
Having already won ten ranking titles and reached the final of the World Championship six times, White said: “I have been going to the Waterfront since I was 17 or 18, playing the great, late Alex Higgins. I played many exhibitions against Alex there, plus tournaments, and I would say it is one of the top five venues that we play at. There is always a great atmosphere.
“Tommy is working with me, getting the balls out for me,” he said.
“So instead of just an hour and a half on the practice table, he is making me do my four hours. He has had a year off work and has decided to come with me on the tour until the World Championship next April.
“We go walking on the Epsom Downs at home, it helps me get up and do that with him. But it’s mainly to do proper practice. It is all about confidence this game, and if you start to win it helps take the pressure off.”
Delboy99
Sire
Selby Hopes Neck Injury Is Easing.
Four-time World Champion Mark Selby revealed on Twitter that he is suffering from a bulging disc at the top of his spine, but hopes the injury is improving.Selby tweeted: “The MRI scan came back Thursday evening, showing protruding disc C5 C6. Exactly same area as before. Seems to be easing a little compared to a week or so ago, so hope it’s going the right way. Good thing is I can still get down on the shot with less discomfort than I did in Germany so hopefully on the mend. More physio on Tuesday.”
In 2012, Selby struggled with the same injury. He withdrew from the China Open that year then played through pain at the World Championship, losing 10-3 to Barry Hawkins.
Delboy99
Sire
Ronnie O’Sullivan to face Ng On Yee as Hong Kong Masters draw revealed.
The draw has been made for the upcoming Hong Kong Masters, and with the top six players in the world, plus two local wildcards, it was never going to disappoint.Ronnie O’Sullivan will take on three-time women’s world champion Ng On Yee in the opening round, while there is a repeat of two previous World Championship finals in Judd Trump vs John Higgins.
Mark Selby plays the other local wildcard, Marco Fu, and there is a brilliant clash in prospect between Masters champion Neil Robertson and reigning UK champ Zhao Xintong.
The winner of O’Sullivan vs On Yee will play Robertson or Zhao, while Trump or Higgins will meet Selby or Fu in the semi-finals, so we look guaranteed some fantastic contests at the Hong Kong Coliseum from 6-9 October.
The draw was confirmed at a press conference on Friday, with the South China Morning Post reporting that organisers are expecting a capacity crowd of 8,000 for the event.
Hong Kong Masters Draw
Quarter-finals (best of 9)Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ng On Yee
Neil Robertson vs Zhao Xintong
—–
Mark Selby vs Marco Fu
Judd Trump vs John Higgins
Semi-finals and Final (best of 11)
Chairman of the Hong Kong Billiard Sports Control Council, Vincent Law Wing-chung, explained that the players will be in a closed loop bubble, similar to that used at the Winter Olympics earlier this year.
They will be allowed to move around within that bubble, but Covid restrictions remain far stricter in Hong Kong than they are now in the UK.
‘Players will not be allowed to go out freely – they will be protected inside the bubble,’ he said. ‘One of the conditions that the World Snooker Tour imposed on us to host this event was that if there was quarantine, they would not allow their players to come here.
‘When the rest of the world is back to normal, it is hard for the overseas players to see why Hong Kong’s pandemic restrictions are so behind. A bubble is the only way for them to come.
‘Of course, it is better if there are no bubbles, and the world’s top players can have some contact with the city’s snooker fans, but we still hope that spectators can get close to the star players.
‘We’ve been spending time on persuading top players to come. They know that even with pandemic restrictions, they still expect a good show in Hong Kong.’
It is a major tournament for those involved, playing in front of a huge audience with the winner walking away with a top prize of £100,000.
It is also a return to Asia for the first time since the start of the pandemic, with World Snooker Tour and the WPBSA hoping this is a stepping stone to a return to the major tournaments held in mainland China.
The Hong Kong Masters will be shown on Eurosport in the UK.