2017 Masters

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Gwynplaine

Denis Taylor and Pat Phelan from Coronation Street on commentary.

GreNoLi

Gwan Ronnie, a bit under the weather but pulls through.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Django99

Some Mach between Higgins and Allen. Some bad mistakes but it's making the game so exciting. Some brilliant breaks and one off pots too. Down to a decider now

Shannon757

And Allen is through 6-5

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

Ya, really looking forward to that one. Trump has improved his consistency over the last couple of years but never feel he really really wants it bad enough to win, too happy (not pi$$ed off enough) it seems in defeat sometimes!! Fu is such a tough match player you'd expect him to win any scrappy frames and trump to put in a few big breaks although both are top break builders! Intriguing to say the least! Hopefully more competitive than that dross that Bingham served up tonight!

Go on Mark Allen! Would love to see him go all the way

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Fantastic ton!! Looks to be on form. Fu missing black of the spot though is criminal!!

HisJills

Chance of a maximum for Fu here!! Will he go for it?!

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

HisJills wrote: »

Chance of a maximum for Fu here!! Will he go for it?!

Tough on Fu to be 2-0 down!

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

GerB40

I really want Fu to win this tournament. Great player and sound lad by all accounts.

GerB40

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Yeah despite all that 'naughty snooker' shyte he is surgical around the pack.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Amazing snooker from Trump, playing no miss snooker at the moment! Could finish 6-0 or 6-1 here the way it's started

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

GerB40

Fu will win this match and this tournament, ya heard it here first..

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Shannon757

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

It's a very exciting match

Shannon757

HisJills wrote: »

Amazing snooker from Trump, playing no miss snooker at the moment! Could finish 6-0 or 6-1 here the way it's started

4-4 now, great frame from Fu.

Shannon757

5-4 after another century for Trump.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

GerB40

Who do ye think has the nerve for the deciding frame? I have to say Fu, after Selby he's the most consistent player.

Shannon757

What a fluke on the break!

Shannon757

And Fu is through 6-5

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

Shannon757 wrote: »

4-4 now, great frame from Fu.

What a match! Fu showed such belief to get the job done. Hope he goes far in the tournament.

HisJills

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Really love the masters, the top 16 slugging it out. I think Ronnie is right when he says there should be a few more events on the calendar for only the top 16. So far, this years masters is showing that to be true. It'd be great to have another 2 tournaments during the year in the same format as the masters. I understand the merits of the PTCs and the 128 draw for the UK but the excitement and quality of the matches so far this week have been unparalleled to anything I've watched in the last few years (open to correction on that) since the tour has been revamped, and we're still in the first round! I can't see how adding in another 1 or even 2 events in this format would greatly devalue the tour overall, surely everyone wants to watch the best players going toe to toe! I think it would possibly also reignite the prestige of being in the top 16 so players would be more likely to play other events to maintain/try to get into that bracket so that they are guaranteed entry to these invitational events! What do others think?

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

melon_collie

Ronnie keeps using the excuse about the poor standard of snooker the lower down the rankings. Tough sh1t Ronnie. The 128 player events are a great idea, will improve the standard and give players lower down the rankings a fair chance.

I totally agree with Permabear. There are very few really good players coming through. I think that young people are just not that interested in snooker. It's such a techical sport which requires so much practice and investment of time for a modest enough reward compared to the like's of rugby, golf, soccer, etc. It also requires a lot of patience and concentration which young people don't seem to have given the advent of phones and tablets, etc.

Also don't forget that snooker isn't a readily available sport in most town's and villages in the UK or Ireland. Money isn't and can't filter down to grassroots level to promote the sport or get young people interested. Anyone young people who play currently probably only got into the game because their parents played it during the 'golden years' i.e. during 80s or 90s.

The game is facing tough challenges ahead.

And I will also say that the BBC 's coverage and promotion of the sport is terrible. I have sky TV at home and can't even get it on the red button anymore. I cant watch eurosport. I always said that I would hate if the sport moved to sky sports. But at the moment I think it would be a great thing given what they have done with the darts.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

melon_collie wrote: »

Ronnie keeps using the excuse about the poor standard of snooker the lower down the rankings. Tough sh1t Ronnie. The 128 player events are a great idea, will improve the standard and give players lower down the rankings a fair chance.

I totally agree with Permabear. There are very few really good players coming through. I think that young people are just not that interested in snooker. It's such a techical sport which requires so much practice and investment of time for a modest enough reward compared to the like's of rugby, golf, soccer, etc. It also requires a lot of patience and concentration which young people don't seem to have given the advent of phones and tablets, etc.

Also don't forget that snooker isn't a readily available sport in most town's and villages in the UK or Ireland. Money isn't and can't filter down to grassroots level to promote the sport or get young people interested. Anyone young people who play currently probably only got into the game because their parents played it during the 'golden years' i.e. during 80s or 90s.

The game is facing tough challenges ahead.

And I will also say that the BBC 's coverage and promotion of the sport is terrible. I have sky TV at home and can't even get it on the red button anymore. I cant watch eurosport. I always said that I would hate if the sport moved to sky sports. But at the moment I think it would be a great thing given what they have done with the darts.

Appreciate the replies and insight from you and Permabear. Agree with all of the issues you have both mentioned but surely more events like this weeks will improve the sport from a spectators point of view and make it more marketable. Kids want stars to look up to and emulate in their chosen sport and in the coming years it's hard to see where these guys are coming from! Sly sports could generate the necessary hype required to get more people watching snooker, Eurosport are just terrible and it always seems like it's an inconvenience for the BBC to show any snooker!
Regarding the prestige of being in the top 16 I think this is defunct now and lads can make a decent living staying in and around the top 50 without having any real strong motivation to climb the rankings. Another couple of top 16 invitational events with big prize money could change this and really have a positive effect on the regular tour as once your in that top 16 you are guaranteed 2/3/4 good paydays every year. As the rankings are updated regularly throughout the season these days, I think it would up the intensity and competition for the other events as players strive to climb the rankings!

HisJills

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Selby should do it but think it'll be tighter than that 1-1 so far, good start....come on Mark!!! ;-p

AnneFrank

battle of the bores more like

HisJills

AnneFrank wrote: »

battle of the bores more like

Harsh! Don't get the Selby = boring statements. I think he is an amazing match player, rarely chooses the wrong shot! And he's just knocked in a 139!! Fabulous snooker player often harshly criticised in my book!

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Looking that way alright. Williams will make too many positional mistakes and Selby is ruthless in such situations. Was hoping Williams could put up a fight but I think your earlier prediction will probably be the final result

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

HisJills

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

Scrappy frames suiting Williams, Selby usually a master at grinding out the win though! I love the tactical frames! Could be a long afternoon yet :-)

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Django99

I'd hate to play against Mark Williams. Makes every frame scrappy and hard to win

Django99

Having said that, he creates so much tension it's great to watch. How can someone make so many positional mistakes and still take it to a decider with the world number one? It's a paradox

Shannon757

And it's all down to the final deciding frame.