Delboy99
Sire
..... yep! Nice little piece of interesting news.
Snooker
- Thread starter The Uncouth
- Start date
Delboy99
Sire
...... interesting stat when you see how many games Ronnie has played in comparison to Judd Trump, Not far off twice as many. In fact all of those listed below have played more than him. I think he tends to forget that snooker made him as far as the prize money went and although he chooses to think that the money is peanuts these days, there are an awful lot out there who would indeed like to have the chance to win a title or two to increase their bank balances.
The Hare
Mare
They are the games on my database in the last 2 seasons plus this were they have played another player I have a rating for. You are right though, Ronnie saves himself for the big money events now. See how he goes today....... interesting stat when you see how many games Ronnie has played in comparison to Judd Trump, Not far off twice as many. In fact all of those listed below have played more than him. I think he tends to forget that snooker made him as far as the prize money went and although he chooses to think that the money is peanuts these days, there are an awful lot out there who would indeed like to have the chance to win a title or two to increase their bank balances.
The Hare
Mare
From Germany to China in sunny Sheffield for the last event of the year. The first round of the World Open takes place over the next 3 days with some big names competing and they will have to return quickly from Saudi after the final day there today.
These are best of 9 frames. Allen, Selby, Murphy, Williams and Brecel all have games to get back for on Sunday. Be interesting to see how they get on, though not the hardest opponents the travelling will surely have an affect. The other 5 players in Saudi have their games held over to the final week of the event in China. Ken Doherty is commentating in Saudi though and he has a game against Pang Junxu, after his revitalised wins earlier in the week in Germany this will be much tougher for him.
Matt Selt returns after his tantrums earlier in the week and luckily for him has one of the easier opponents. Whilst his conquerer Zizins is unfortunate to draw Selby.
Biggest shock yesterday was Shoot Out star Liam Graham defeating Sanderson Lam in a match hauled off at 4-4 for a later night return. His Shoot Out efforts have seen him make his best ever run in a proper event in what was a little more opposite to the Shoot Out in a slow game. H has Jordan Brown in this who has had a terrible season so far, so not without hope of another win and a revitalised career.
Interestingly Jamie Jones and Scott Donaldson had poor results. They have both lost their 2 games in proper event qualifying since losing to Bai Yulu and their current form is poor as well as Brown.
These are best of 9 frames. Allen, Selby, Murphy, Williams and Brecel all have games to get back for on Sunday. Be interesting to see how they get on, though not the hardest opponents the travelling will surely have an affect. The other 5 players in Saudi have their games held over to the final week of the event in China. Ken Doherty is commentating in Saudi though and he has a game against Pang Junxu, after his revitalised wins earlier in the week in Germany this will be much tougher for him.
Matt Selt returns after his tantrums earlier in the week and luckily for him has one of the easier opponents. Whilst his conquerer Zizins is unfortunate to draw Selby.
Biggest shock yesterday was Shoot Out star Liam Graham defeating Sanderson Lam in a match hauled off at 4-4 for a later night return. His Shoot Out efforts have seen him make his best ever run in a proper event in what was a little more opposite to the Shoot Out in a slow game. H has Jordan Brown in this who has had a terrible season so far, so not without hope of another win and a revitalised career.
Interestingly Jamie Jones and Scott Donaldson had poor results. They have both lost their 2 games in proper event qualifying since losing to Bai Yulu and their current form is poor as well as Brown.
The Hare
Mare
Probably of more interest to other readers are the events in Saudi. Today sees the semi finals over 7 frames and final tonight over 9 frames.
Yesterday O'Sullivan was excellent as expected with needing to boost his coffers after a slow start to the season. Ding competed up to a miscue on a brown he was close too on the cushion gifting the frame to Ronnie who then made 2 excellent centuries for a 50 minute whitewash.
Trump lost out in a decider to Williams who was pleased to gain revenge for his defeat in the decider in the ranking event final in Saudi earlier in the season. The best quality match of the event so far, Williams clearly likes the Saudi conditions.
Allen overcame Selby in a good event coming from 2-1 down to win the next 3 frames.
Brecel continued his resurrection with a decider win over Wilson. He is another who likes these big money short events but it is good t osee he has started to make the effort again to get back on track. Even at his very best would be tough for him to defeat Williams though.
Yesterday O'Sullivan was excellent as expected with needing to boost his coffers after a slow start to the season. Ding competed up to a miscue on a brown he was close too on the cushion gifting the frame to Ronnie who then made 2 excellent centuries for a 50 minute whitewash.
Trump lost out in a decider to Williams who was pleased to gain revenge for his defeat in the decider in the ranking event final in Saudi earlier in the season. The best quality match of the event so far, Williams clearly likes the Saudi conditions.
Allen overcame Selby in a good event coming from 2-1 down to win the next 3 frames.
Brecel continued his resurrection with a decider win over Wilson. He is another who likes these big money short events but it is good t osee he has started to make the effort again to get back on track. Even at his very best would be tough for him to defeat Williams though.
Delboy99
Sire
..... money makes the world go around for Ronnie. Not surprised in the least about his result against Ding. Nice to see Trumpy get his backside slapped, good for Mark and the older regime. Nice also to see Mark Allen get past Selby never have been much of a fan of him, but that is probably just me being awkward. Luca seems to be getting among it again, probably another inspired by the thought of Arab money in abundance. Two good semis there!
The Hare
Mare
Allen wins it from Brecel. Excellent effort by him and much too good for Brecel in the final, after a great display to get past Ronnie. Clearly these quick buck events suit Ronnie, Brecel and Allen who have excellent records in them - this, |Hing Kong, Champion of Champions and the 2 end of season ITV events...... money makes the world go around for Ronnie. Not surprised in the least about his result against Ding. Nice to see Trumpy get his backside slapped, good for Mark and the older regime. Nice also to see Mark Allen get past Selby never have been much of a fan of him, but that is probably just me being awkward. Luca seems to be getting among it again, probably another inspired by the thought of Arab money in abundance. Two good semis there!
Makes you wonder how Allen lost to Lei Peifan last week from 5-2 up! Now he is back in Sheffield tomorrow with Brecel and Willliams.
Performance of the day in Sheffield yesterday was Chris Totten. Stuart Bingham was 1 frame up and on a break of 72 towards a maximum when he ran out of position. Totten got in and made a break of 73 to win it and went on to win 5-1. Bingham was obviously knocked back by the maximum miss, the 2nd time it has affected him in the last month , one in York when he got angry with a Chinese photographer and lost that game. But this time he still played well, just Totten looked like a top 16 player, 2 impressive centuries and apart from jitters at 4-1 up never looked like missing and played top safety. He was lucky in the last when he competed for fluke of the day )if you see the Brecel one against Williams in Saudi). He went for a pink in the middle, hit it so hard it bounced off 4 cushions and went in the yellow pocket! This meant he was able to level the frame without snookers and he won on the black ball decider. I have seen him play this season, he has just got back on tour after 6 years off, reached only 100 then. He is 26 now but when I have seen him play he looks very good but clearly needs to work on the nerves as victory looms. Looks one of the better lower ranked players, plenty have the ability but seem to struggle to last the distance of a full match, certainly over best of 5 games. Been a few examples this week of say Mertens, Ursenbacher, Young, Davies and the younger players running out of steam.
Liam Graham was brought back to reality as Brown had a much needed win against him.
Alfie Burden is probably the success of the week, qualified for Germany and a deciding frame victory yesterday over Maguire sees him reach Yushan in February, boosting his chances of remaining on tour.
Just 2 days of snooker this year in Sheffield to go.
Delboy99
Sire
Allen beats O'Sullivan & Brecel to win Riyadh title.
Mark Allen beat Luca Brecel to win the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and claim his first title of the season.Northern Ireland's Allen beat defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 4-2 in the semi-final before outplaying Belgium's Brecel in the final later on Friday in a 5-1 victory.
"I was very nervous in the last few balls. I am happy to get over the line," Allen said.
"You are never there until you're there. I played some good stuff all week."
Brecel, the 2022 world champion who beat Mark Williams 4-2 in his semi-final, won the opening frame of the final but Allen levelled with a 104 clearance.
A break of 109 in the fourth put Allen 3-1 up and he took the next two after the interval to win and take the £250,000 prize pot.
Allen's semi-final against O'Sullivan was more competitive - with a break of 134 sealing victory.
Having taken the first frame, O'Sullivan missed a red in the second, which sparked a turnaround for Allen, who took a 3-1 lead.
O'Sullivan cut his deficit by winning the fifth but Allen's clearance ended the seven-time world champion's run.
Delboy99
Sire
Snooker stars divided on £792k Saudi prize as Ronnie O'Sullivan shares his thoughts.
The Riyadh Season Snooker Championship has a golden ball worth $1m and snooker's biggest stars have given their opinions on what they'd do with their winnings.Snooker's biggest names have shared their wildly different plans for spending the whopping £792,000 ($1million) prize money up for grabs at this week's Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. The Saudi Arabia-based tournament is heating up with the semi-finals taking place today (December 20), leaving only four contenders in the running for the eye-watering cash bonus. The golden ball, offering an even bigger reward than when the tournament was last held in March, has made a comeback. The Championship, previously known as World Masters of Snooker, was won by Ronnie O'Sullivan earlier this year, who pocketed a cool £250,000. The addition of the gold ball, which offers competitors a lavish incentive, has only added to the financial appeal.
The coveted ball is worth 20 points and can only be potted after a 147 has been made, making a 167 available to players. The ball remains on the top cushion throughout a frame as long as a player can still complete the maximum break, and is removed once the opportunity has passed.
John Higgins came close to bagging the ball last year but fell short. However, while last time a hefty $500,000 was up for grabs for a 167, this time the prize has been doubled to a staggering $1m for the first player to achieve it.
The Hare
Mare
Here's Selt's view on the story of the week's qualifiers. Certainly affected him as he was beaten in the World Open qualifiers yesterday, It was his opponents 3rd win this season after only one last season. Selt again looked distraught in his chair, it is to be hoped his month's rest and some time away from the game will help his mental state.
In the case of Zizins he was 4-3 up on Selby but a 69 and 142 saw Selby home. Mark Allen also tintered on the edge of defeat before scambling home 5-4.
Only Mark Williams lost from those returning from Saudi plus the commentators Jimmy White and Ken Doherty. Though they all seemed well below their best certainly early on, understandable with the climate and money pressure change.
Matt Selt speaks out on qualifying outburst: 'I've apologised and regret it'
Matt Selt regrets his outburst at the climax of his game with Artemijs Zizins in German Masters qualifying, saying an apology to his opponent has been accepted.
Zizins beat Selt 5-4 on Tuesday in Sheffield in dramatic fashion, fluking match ball which elicited an angry reaction from the Englishman.
As the final red rolled into the unexpected pocket, the 39-year-old loudly shouted ‘Oh my God!’ and fumed in his chair, with the 18-year-old clearly uncomfortable.
There were awkward scenes as the players shook hands, with Selt wishing the teenager good luck but Zizins obviously feeling guilty about how things went, before Selt left the playing area and exchanged words with the referee from off-camera.
The clip of the incident went viral and Selt has come in for criticism, but he says he meant no malice towards the youngster and has apologised for putting him in an uncomfortable position.
‘It didn’t occur to me at the time but I have realised that he’s a young professional, probably looking up to a senior player, not in terms of what I’ve done in the game, but just as an older player,’ Selt told Metro.
‘I shouldn’t have made that outburst. It is raw emotion of live sport. It wasn’t malicious or derogatory. I said “well played” and “good luck” after the game. The game was played in great spirits.
‘I reached out to him after and said: “I’m sorry about yesterday, I hope the outburst didn’t upset you, it wasn’t meant like that and good luck in Berlin.” He messaged back and apology accepted.’
The situation certainly looked bad as Zizins continued at the table after the vocals from his opponent, clearly playing in uncomfortable circumstances, but Selt says the outburst was effectively a concession.
‘I can’t stress enough from my side that for me it was after the match had finished,’ he said. ‘I understand it looks bad, but I’d already decided to concede once the red went in.
‘There’s no way I would have carried on if he missed the blue. I wasn’t trying to put the kid off. If he missed the blue I was getting up and shaking his hand anyway.
‘But as a senior player there’s no way I should have acted like that. He’s a lovely lad and he’s a very, very good player, potted some silly good balls in that match. 100 per cent I regret doing it, and especially in front of someone so young and new to the game.
‘I certainly didn’t mean to upset him or make him feel uncomfortable in any way, it’s terrible on my behalf if I’ve done that, but it wasn’t intended to be rude or derogatory. But as I say, I’ve reached out to him and apologised and he’s accepted it. I regret it and don’t want it to affect him going forward.
‘Emotions run high. The game’s played with passion and we all try our best. It was so big for me that match because it’s probably cost me a Grand prix slot.’
After shaking hands, Zizins admirably offered the words ‘have a good Christmas’ which Selt was thoroughly impressed by.
‘It shows the class and character of him really, because he fluked match ball and looked distraught about it,’ he said. ‘To then say something nice to me on the way out shows the class of the kid.’
Selt did note that, while he admits a mistake, the abuse he has received on social media since has been relentless and punishing.
‘It’s been a bit of an eye-opener, the last couple of days, with tonnes of abuse,’ he said. ‘The abuse doesn’t normally bother me, but it certainly grinds down on your mental wellbeing when you’re consistently getting it. It’s non-stop, it’s relentless.’
Zizins booked his spot at the German Masters in Berlin with the win and is back in action on Sunday in World Open qualifying against Mark Selby.
Selt plays on the same day in the same tournament against Manasawin Phetmalaikul.
In the case of Zizins he was 4-3 up on Selby but a 69 and 142 saw Selby home. Mark Allen also tintered on the edge of defeat before scambling home 5-4.
Only Mark Williams lost from those returning from Saudi plus the commentators Jimmy White and Ken Doherty. Though they all seemed well below their best certainly early on, understandable with the climate and money pressure change.
Matt Selt speaks out on qualifying outburst: 'I've apologised and regret it'
Matt Selt regrets his outburst at the climax of his game with Artemijs Zizins in German Masters qualifying, saying an apology to his opponent has been accepted.
Zizins beat Selt 5-4 on Tuesday in Sheffield in dramatic fashion, fluking match ball which elicited an angry reaction from the Englishman.
As the final red rolled into the unexpected pocket, the 39-year-old loudly shouted ‘Oh my God!’ and fumed in his chair, with the 18-year-old clearly uncomfortable.
There were awkward scenes as the players shook hands, with Selt wishing the teenager good luck but Zizins obviously feeling guilty about how things went, before Selt left the playing area and exchanged words with the referee from off-camera.
The clip of the incident went viral and Selt has come in for criticism, but he says he meant no malice towards the youngster and has apologised for putting him in an uncomfortable position.
‘It didn’t occur to me at the time but I have realised that he’s a young professional, probably looking up to a senior player, not in terms of what I’ve done in the game, but just as an older player,’ Selt told Metro.
‘I shouldn’t have made that outburst. It is raw emotion of live sport. It wasn’t malicious or derogatory. I said “well played” and “good luck” after the game. The game was played in great spirits.
‘I reached out to him after and said: “I’m sorry about yesterday, I hope the outburst didn’t upset you, it wasn’t meant like that and good luck in Berlin.” He messaged back and apology accepted.’
The situation certainly looked bad as Zizins continued at the table after the vocals from his opponent, clearly playing in uncomfortable circumstances, but Selt says the outburst was effectively a concession.
‘I can’t stress enough from my side that for me it was after the match had finished,’ he said. ‘I understand it looks bad, but I’d already decided to concede once the red went in.
‘There’s no way I would have carried on if he missed the blue. I wasn’t trying to put the kid off. If he missed the blue I was getting up and shaking his hand anyway.
‘But as a senior player there’s no way I should have acted like that. He’s a lovely lad and he’s a very, very good player, potted some silly good balls in that match. 100 per cent I regret doing it, and especially in front of someone so young and new to the game.
‘I certainly didn’t mean to upset him or make him feel uncomfortable in any way, it’s terrible on my behalf if I’ve done that, but it wasn’t intended to be rude or derogatory. But as I say, I’ve reached out to him and apologised and he’s accepted it. I regret it and don’t want it to affect him going forward.
‘Emotions run high. The game’s played with passion and we all try our best. It was so big for me that match because it’s probably cost me a Grand prix slot.’
After shaking hands, Zizins admirably offered the words ‘have a good Christmas’ which Selt was thoroughly impressed by.
‘It shows the class and character of him really, because he fluked match ball and looked distraught about it,’ he said. ‘To then say something nice to me on the way out shows the class of the kid.’
Selt did note that, while he admits a mistake, the abuse he has received on social media since has been relentless and punishing.
‘It’s been a bit of an eye-opener, the last couple of days, with tonnes of abuse,’ he said. ‘The abuse doesn’t normally bother me, but it certainly grinds down on your mental wellbeing when you’re consistently getting it. It’s non-stop, it’s relentless.’
Zizins booked his spot at the German Masters in Berlin with the win and is back in action on Sunday in World Open qualifying against Mark Selby.
Selt plays on the same day in the same tournament against Manasawin Phetmalaikul.
The Hare
Mare
So as mentioned that's it for the year for snookerm the Champions League returns on the 3rd January, this year in super quick format - 4 qualifiers before the Masters on 12th January and 3 after from 20th to 25th then the Final 2 days on 3rd and 4th February.
Rankings wise the next action is the German Masters in Berlin from 27th January. So 3 old events have been removed from the ranking points for this event and including those points already gained in the qualifiers for the events the current World Rankings are as follows.
Jak Jones regains his top 16 space as Wakelin's Shoot Out victory is removed. The top 16 is next important in determining the seeds for the World Championship so plenty of points to come and go before then - Shaun Murphy particularly has a lot of points to lose before then.
Hamilton and Grace return to the top 64 again maybe only on a temporary basis, especially in Hamilton's case as he failed to qualify for the 2 events last week and now only has the Welsh and World Championship to save his season. Joe Perry has fallen out of the 64 and another living on borrowed time, as is Tian Pengfei who needs a good run to keep his spot on Tour. The players below Tian have no more points to lose so should move up as the remainder of the season progresses. Stan Moody had his World Open qualifier held over to Yushan so still has a chance of making the top 64.
Rankings wise the next action is the German Masters in Berlin from 27th January. So 3 old events have been removed from the ranking points for this event and including those points already gained in the qualifiers for the events the current World Rankings are as follows.
Jak Jones regains his top 16 space as Wakelin's Shoot Out victory is removed. The top 16 is next important in determining the seeds for the World Championship so plenty of points to come and go before then - Shaun Murphy particularly has a lot of points to lose before then.
Hamilton and Grace return to the top 64 again maybe only on a temporary basis, especially in Hamilton's case as he failed to qualify for the 2 events last week and now only has the Welsh and World Championship to save his season. Joe Perry has fallen out of the 64 and another living on borrowed time, as is Tian Pengfei who needs a good run to keep his spot on Tour. The players below Tian have no more points to lose so should move up as the remainder of the season progresses. Stan Moody had his World Open qualifier held over to Yushan so still has a chance of making the top 64.
The Hare
Mare
These are the top 32 on the one year rankings, this would gain entry to the World Grand Prix later on - after the German and Welsh events are added on. As Selt says above his chances of making the top 32 are now dependent on a good run in the Welsh Open later in the season.
The next chasers being down to 50,000 points.
The next chasers being down to 50,000 points.
The Hare
Mare
Something different. These are the match winners in the last season and this one that have started at an sp of 10 or greater (9/1 in old money). A lot in the early season Champions League last season. Also 12 of the 18 in qualifiers and usually no supporters at Leicester or Sheffiels.
Selt joined the lsit yesterday as mentioned above. Interestingly Sarkosh followed his defeat to Reanne Evans with a victory over Dave Gilbert in his next match.
Selt joined the lsit yesterday as mentioned above. Interestingly Sarkosh followed his defeat to Reanne Evans with a victory over Dave Gilbert in his next match.
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Delboy99
Sire
...... yes it has been an eventful year and we seemed to have covered quite a few topics and events. In closing may I too wish you all a very Happy Christmas and particularly to participants of this section of the forum. It's been a pleasure to keep things going and we invite any others wh wish to participate to come and join us here. Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year to one and all.Happy Christmas and New Year to you all, thanks toDelboy99 for his many contributions and those others who have joined in. Please all add more to this thread. Good holidays to you all.
The Hare
Mare
Some sad news, not covered very well but found Silvino had died on 14th December, no World Snooker or BBC mention as yet.
Former British Open Snooker Champion Silvino Francisco passes away
Silvino Francisco - a familiar character from professional snooker's boom period in the 1980s when he won a world ranking event and climbed to number 10 in the global standings - has passed away at the age of 78.Francisco was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1946, and into a fanatical cuesports-playing family.
His father owned two snooker tables, his brother Manuel and his nephew Peter (Manuel’s son) would both be fellow professional players.
Nicknamed 'The Silver Fish', Silvino won multiple South African Amateur Snooker Championships before turning professional for the 1981/82 season.
Playing in his first World Professional Snooker Championship, rookie Francisco won two qualifying matches - 9-0 and 9-1 - to reach the Crucible Theatre and the televised rounds.
In Sheffield, Francisco defeated Dennis Taylor 10-7 and then Dean Reynolds 13-8 before his brilliant run was ended by six-time world champion Ray Reardon 13-8 in the quarter-finals. Reardon went on to make the final where he was memorably pipped by Alex Higgins 18-15.
In total, Francisco played at the Crucible for eight successive years between 1982 to 1989; the latter date would be his final appearance on snooker's grandest stage. His last eight finish on debut was his best result in the sport's blue riband event.
Francisco's greatest snooker moment arrived when he won the 1985 British Open ranking event title and a record-breaking first prize of £50,000 at the Assembly Rooms in Derby in front of the television cameras.
Delboy99
Sire
Stephen Hendry sees Ronnie O'Sullivan GOAT judgement endorsed as the Rocket reprieved for missing tournaments.
Seven time world champion Hendry believes nobody can top The Rocket despite a mixed year on the table for the veteran.
Ronnie O'Sullivan is still the best snooker player in the world, according to Stephen Hendry.The Rocket has enjoyed a rollercoaster year, winning The Masters and defeating number one seed Judd Trump in the World Grand Prix, but also admitting that he had fallen out of love with the sport prior to linking up with new coach Lee Walker. That has sparked an upturn in performances, with 49-year-old O'Sullivan saying: "The last time I enjoyed playing snooker like I have done the last couple of months was when I was 14," and revealing that he wanted to keep competing for another decade.
The Rocket has enjoyed a rollercoaster year, winning The Masters and defeating number one seed Judd Trump in the World Grand Prix, but also admitting that he had fallen out of love with the sport prior to linking up with new coach Lee Walker. That has sparked an upturn in performances, with 49-year-old O'Sullivan saying: "The last time I enjoyed playing snooker like I have done the last couple of months was when I was 14," and revealing that he wanted to keep competing for another decade.
And speaking on his Cue Tips podcast, seven time world champion Stephen Hendry believes that O'Sullivan is still the best player in the sport - despite now picking and choosing which events he turns up in. Talking to ex-pro turned commentator Dominic Dale, Hendry said: "Do you think that his competitive sort of spirit is on the wane then if he just picks the best tournaments that he’s going to be up for?"
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Dale replied: "I think that Ronnie just picks and chooses the tournaments he wants to work harder for. There are certain tournaments he doesn’t fancy. There are too many and you can’t be up for everything. There are so many tournaments on the calendar, you’ve got to prioritise a little bit otherwise you’d just be flat burn out. You’d be shattered emotionally. You’ve got to prioritise tournaments that mean more to you than other ones might."
When asked if O'Sullivan still has the bottle for the highest level, Hendry replied: "Ronnie wants to have the set of 8, 8, 8 (Masters, UK Championships and World Championships). I think he’s playing brilliantly. At his best I do think that he’s still the best."
Delboy99
Sire
Love helps world No 1 Trump find new home.
Hong Kong snagged another snooker champion - current world No 1 Judd Trump from England - who decided to become a Hong Kong resident to be with his local girlfriend.He announced his residency on Christmas Eve, which he secured through the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, months after another Englishman, Ronnie O'Sullivan - recognized as one of the most talented and accomplished players in snooker - got his in October.
Trump, 35, said his decision was not influenced by O'Sullivan's move, but by his Hong Kong girlfriend and the city's lifestyle. He added: "My girlfriend is the main reason, but Hong Kong is also very inspiring to me," Trump said, publicly confirming his relationship with a local for the first time in an interview on Wednesday. But he stopped short of confirming his girlfriend is 25-year-old figure skater and TV presenter Maisy Ma Hiu-ching, as suggested earlier by British newspaper The Sun.