UK Championship 2014

Pighead

Ronnie looking to make it five UK's to add to his five World's and five Masters. He hasn't won it since 2007 but as everybody has seen he's been in great form for the past couple of years and he is rightfully a warm favourite to life the trophy next week.

Ronnie is 5/2 with the bookies but a decent outside bet could be Shaun Murphy who has been in fantastic form over the past month. He's just after winning a PTC event in Germany (getting a maximum in the final) and is on record as saying he is playing his best snooker in a long time.

Always love watching this this tournament and should be a great two weeks of snooker. Starts tomorrow.

Oh, and Shaun Murphy is 16/1 by the way. Could be a decent each way bet.

Frank O. Pinion

Section 1: Neil Robertson
Section 2: Ricky Walden
Section 3: Barry Hawkins
Section 4: Ronnie O'Sullivan
Section 5: Ding Junhui
Section 6: Judd Trump
Section 7: Shaun Murphy
Section 8: Mark Selby

I'm guessing will be the Quarter-Finals. Maybe Stuart Bingham instead of Ricky Walden.

Rjd2

Sutton trying so hard to lose 6-0 here, what a legend.

SureYWouldntYa

Where are people watching this ? Don't see it on BBC1/2, red button or Eurosport

Frank O. Pinion

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Where are people watching this ? Don't see it on BBC1/2, red button or Eurosport

There's 128 players, 64 matches in round 1. I don't think they air round 1. BBC coverage starts on Saturday.

SureYWouldntYa

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

There's 128 players, 64 matches in round 1. I don't think they air round 1. BBC coverage starts on Saturday.

you'd think since it's one of the majors they'd at least have red button coverage

Frank O. Pinion

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

you'd think since it's one of the majors they'd at least have red button coverage

It'd be nice, but I think it was the same way last year, too.

Pighead

Ronnie played with a broken ankle today and won 6-2 but says he'll pull out if it doesn't improve by Sunday.

Oasis_Dublin

The week of Patrick Madden writing that article in The Irish Times, Morris dumps the world champion out of the UK Championship in the last-64. An entirely fair article, of course, but it's funny how these timely victories happen!

Frank O. Pinion

Interesting so far. My predictions were a little off, with Selby and Hawkins going out early. I suppose John Higgins would be the favourite to win section 3 now, instead of Hawkins. Selby's elimination makes it much more possible that Mark Williams will make it to the Quarter-Finals, if he can get past Stephen Maguire.

If Ronnie does pull out, I have no idea who'll win his section. Xiao Guodong?

Pighead

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

If Ronnie does pull out, I have no idea who'll win his section. Xiao Guodong?

He's out this evening for his second round anyway. 2-0 up against Peter Lines at the moment. Seems to be moving around the table relatively ok.

Link here if anybody wants to watch it.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/snooker/29611901

Glenman

Great to see Doherty winning a few rounds but he has a tough one next against Ricky Walden. They are playing this evening.

Pighead

Ronnie giving out about the state of the tables and the whole four table set up after his victory against Lines yesterday. I know people will say it's just Ronnie moaning again but in fairness to him a fair few players have been complaining about the venue this week.

http://m.yorkpress.co.uk/sport/11636168.Ronnie_blasts__shocking__UK_Championship_conditions/

Speak Now

Morris going well again, 4-0 against Gilbert.

vienne86

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

Morris going well again, 4-0 against Gilbert.

And he won 6-2. I hadn't beem following him, but will now.

Pity to see Ken Doherty go down 6-1 to Ricky Walden....just watched a bit of that, but Ken was disappointing. Nice to see him back in the action though.

case885

vienne86 wrote: »

And he won 6-2. I hadn't beem following him, but will now.

Pity to see Ken Doherty go down 6-1 to Ricky Walden....just watched a bit of that, but Ken was disappointing. Nice to see him back in the action though.

Unfortunately Ken is finished, he'll never again win anything considerable.
At least we have Morris to follow now anyway.

Glenman

case885 wrote: »

Unfortunately Ken is finished, he'll never again win anything considerable.
At least we have Morris to follow now anyway.

He's only 45. Ray Reardon won the World Championship aged 46!

case885

Glenman wrote: »

He's only 45. Ray Reardon won the World Championship aged 46!

Different times, different players. Reardon was at his peak in the 70's.
Ken hasn't won a comp since the Malta cup in 2005 which says alot.

Oasis_Dublin

Ken doesn't have belief in himself, that's his issue. When he's playing against players that he knows he can beat, he can make centuries (as he did earlier this week). But when he comes up against players he expects to lose against, he becomes far too negative. At this stage in his career, he'd be as well to try a few more things. The conservative approach has only seen him slip slowly down the rankings.

vienne86

So who does Morris play in the next round?

Speak Now

vienne86 wrote: »

So who does Morris play in the next round?

Plays the winner of tonight's match between William and Maguire on Thursday night.

seanhynes

TV coverage is hopeless here ,only have two TV tables,you can't even see binghams match and it's 5-5 ATM ,nothing on Eurosport either and BBC just showing highlights from earlier

vienne86

seanhynes wrote: »

TV coverage is hopeless here ,only have two TV tables,you can't even see binghams match and it's 5-5 ATM ,nothing on Eurosport either and BBC just showing highlights from earlier

And there's damn all else on , so it's a pity. Live coverage not back till 7.

vienne86

So Maguire won well tonight, and will be playing Morris.

seanhynes

Fantastic 52 in the 11th frame from young Cahill to KO Ding he must have been a bag of nerves especially after dings big fightback from 5-1 down,some of the shots from Cahill were Higgins-esque in that final frame ,looks a player who has a very bright future in the game

hdowney

He held his nerve and concentration well. Fair play to him.

Speak Now

seanhynes wrote: »

Fantastic 52 in the 11th frame from young Cahill to KO Ding he must have been a bag of nerves especially after dings big fightback from 5-1 down,some of the shots from Cahill were Higgins-esque in that final frame ,looks a player who has a very bright future in the game

Yeah I only saw the last 2 frames. Cracking match, years since I stayed up so late to watch live snooker. Really enjoyed it.

vienne86

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

Yeah I only saw the last 2 frames. Cracking match, years since I stayed up so late to watch live snooker. Really enjoyed it.

I started channel flicking when it was 5-1 and thought I'd just watch the end....Wow! What a claw back from Ding - he needed three snookers in frame 10 and managed to get a free ball to win that one. I was sure Cahill's brain would be scrambled at that stage and he'd be blown away. But nothing of the sort. Some play for an 18 year old. Did the commentators say he is Stephen Hendry's nephew?

celticfc

Fantastic match that, credit to both players.

Speak Now

vienne86 wrote: »

I started channel flicking when it was 5-1 and thought I'd just watch the end....Wow! What a claw back from Ding - he needed three snookers in frame 10 and managed to get a free ball to win that one. I was sure Cahill's brain would be scrambled at that stage and he'd be blown away. But nothing of the sort. Some play for an 18 year old. Did the commentators say he is Stephen Hendry's nephew?

Yeah Hendry is his uncle in law I think, married to his mother's sister.

vienne86

Jerry Seinfeld wrote: »

Yeah Hendry is his uncle in law I think, married to his mother's sister.

Apparently his mother is a good player too.

Lovely player - very impressive nerves for such a young guy.

seanhynes

I see that he is 15/8 against Mark Davis Later,history has so many examples of underdog players who win their 'finals' and then go on to underperform massively in the next round. I can only assume there's quite a lot of that built into them odds.Mark Davis hasn't beaten a top class opponent in months he will give him a tough time if he recreates last night but I can't see it hope in wrong

case885

Hes is very good off his left too which is a massive asset. His safety play impressed me the most, he had Ding on the ropes a good few times in the last few frames.
His break building will need to improve though if he wants to really challenge.

vienne86

case885 wrote: »

Hes is very good off his left too which is a massive asset. His safety play impressed me the most, he had Ding on the ropes a good few times in the last few frames.
His break building will need to improve though if he wants to really challenge.

Yes, he gets out of position, and needs a good shot to maintain the break....and then another good shot is needed.....but he potted some fabulous shots last night.

seanhynes

Now Europort are even cutting off games,turn to BBC and there 3-4 frames behind live play,disrespecting the game with this sort of coverage for a major..anyways I think Higgins is going to take this now McGill looks hurt

EDIT:Thank god for red button

case885

seanhynes wrote: »

Now Europort are even cutting off games,turn to BBC and there 3-4 frames behind live play,disrespecting the game with this sort of coverage for a major..anyways I think Higgins is going to take this now McGill looks hurt

EDIT:Thank god for red button

Didnt last long, red button gone to bingham v. walden now.

seanhynes

case885 wrote: »

Didnt last long, red button gone to bingham v. walden now.

It went back onto main bbc2 TV the coverage is so crazy and all over the shop,Higgins beaten 6-5 thought he would comeback

elgriff

Morris is surely value tonight at 3.3/1?

I know he isnt a world beater, but Maguire can and does lose matches he should win all the time

Speak Now

Another exciting match last night with Dott beating Robertson 6-5 after giving up a 5-0 lead. Really enjoying this years championship.

A win for Morris tonight would get him into the top 50 in the world rankings.

Pighead

147 just now for O'Sullivan to wrap up a 6-0 victory against Selt. Has he ever been in better form?

sammy37

Is there any more words left to describe how good ronnie o sullivan is.

Kalyke

The Maelstrom Morris ??? He is fast though!!

tanko

Another 147 for Ronnie, what a genius. How did yer man he was playing get this far tho.

Lord PuppyMcSnuggle of Cuddleshire

Ah if I didn't have "the red button" for that I would have been pissed. Nothing as ass-tightening as watching a 147 unfold live.

vienne86

What a performance from Ronnie O'Sullivan!

Only just noticed Cahill lost to Mark Davis. Great tournament for him though, and we'll be seeing more of him.

vincenzolorenzo

Is it just me or has some of the play been shocking bad at this tournament. I've watched frames from a few different matches and on several occasions saw misses by a long way on straightforward shots!

tanko

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

Is it just me or has some of the play been shocking bad at this tournament. I've watched frames from a few different matches and on several occasions saw misses by a long way on straightforward shots!

You're dead right, some of the matches have been a comedy of errors. Earlier today I saw Marco Fu miss two shots which were so easy it defied belief. How Shaun Murphy managed to lose that match I'll never know.

Frank O. Pinion

So the Quarter-Finales are:

Graeme Dott v Stuart Bingham
Anthony McGill v Ronnie O'Sullivan
Mark Davis v Judd Trump
Marco Fu v Stephen Maguire

Very enjoyable tournament so far, with a good few major surprises. It looked iffy at the start with his bad foot, but with that line-up things are looking good for O'Sullivan. A finale rematch from the Champion of Champions finale last month between O'Sullivan and Trump looks likely, too.

seanhynes

Very enjoyable tournament thus far funny thing about Ronnie he nearly made a 147 in the frame previous to the maximum he made,what an absolute hero to then go and make one in the next :pac:

Pighead

Only seven behind Hendry now in the list for most centuries ever. You'd think he'll probably pass it during this tournament. Probably in the final (assuming he gets there of course). Said in his press conference yesterday that he hopes to reach a thousand centuries.

seanhynes

I was so so convinced he would take title number 6 this year and then retire in 2016 having won 8!great to see him still banging in the 147s at 39!!