World Grand Prix

bajer101

ArmaniJeans posted about this tournament in the Masters' thread, but I think it deserves a thread of its own. Good game there between Ronnie and Yan, with Ronnie coming through 4-2.

"Decent looking event on ITV4 this week which kinda fits with this.
The clunkily titled World Grand Prix.
It's a ranking event, limited to Top 32, 2 table set-up, 100K to winner, everyone has turned up.
At the Preston Guild Hall which was always a great venue."

ziggyman17

John Higgins knocked out yesterday........... Trump won his game... Should be a good week, hopefully the matches are good viewing, with this short format of best of 7 frames.....

Spudman_20000

Thought Ronnie was poor last night, but I suppose 2 centuries in 4 frames ain't bad. I only saw some of the scrappy frames in the middle of his match.

And I see Ronnie is trying to get some headlines going for the tournament too:
http://www.rte.ie/sport/snooker/2017/0208/851050-ronnie-osullivan-explains-bizarre-interview/

I wonder does Barry Hearn ring him and say something like "Listen, can you say or do something controversial Ron? Bloody ratings are well poor. G'wan son!".

bajer101

Ryan Day missed the pink for a 147. In fairness, he was trying to force it into the middle to try and get down for the black.

bajer101

Liang cheating again, this time on a push shot that the ref didn't catch. Hendry and McManus went over it during the interval and both agreed that he would have known that he pushed. He was also called on a foul yesterday that he should have called himself on. I've no time for that at all. It's an unwritten rule that you call yourself on a foul.

ArmaniJeanss

A lot of the 'Chinese' seem to have a different attitude to it, basically if the ref hasn't spotted it then it hasn't happened. Cultural thing?

bajer101

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

A lot of the 'Chinese' seem to have a different attitude to it, basically if the ref hasn't spotted it then it hasn't happened. Cultural thing?

Possibly, but even so he would want to cop on to himself. When his fellow professionals are purposely using a whole mid session interval to show how he was cheating, then he needs to take stock.

ArmaniJeanss

bajer101 wrote: »

Possibly, but even so he would want to cop on to himself. When his fellow professionals are purposely using a whole mid session interval to show how he was cheating, then he needs to take stock.

Maybe he's as bothered (i.e. not at all) by that as say Raheem Sterling is by having his dives analysed. Ding Junhui is much the same and hasn't changed his attitude, ditto Fu. Cao Yupeng been accused as well. A few of them are also experts at the illegal jump shot, often done so subtle that the ref doesn't see it (jumping over extreme edge).

Small sample size and all that, though from the 9ball stuff I've seen they (and I'm stereotyping all of Asia here!) it seems to be just the way it is for players from that continent.

bajer101

I don't doubt that there is a cultural element to it. But Marco doesn't seem to do it, and it is obvious that the fellow pros hold Marco in high regard, but don't really like Liang.

tanko

Is it just me or are some of the referees bloody useless.

Arthur Daley

Big comeback was on there for Day. But Hawkins has it now.

bajer101

It wasn't great. The bit of a comeback from Day was the only thing that was making it mildly interesting. Once the big names went out, it lost nearly all the entertainment value.