2019 Shanghai Masters, 9th-15th September - Eurosport

Frank O. Pinion

One of the more lucrative events on the tour starts next week, with a top prize of £200,000 and a Champion of Champions place. Runner-up gets £100,000. This is its second year as a non-ranking event, but with higher prize money than ever before, it looks to standout on the tour as a major invitational. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the two-time defending champion, having defeated Judd Trump 10-3 in 2017, and Barry Hawkins 11-9 last year, when the finale was upped to a best-of-21.

Players ranked #1-#8 on the World Rankings get a bye into round 2, players ranked #9-#16 get drawn against the next 4 highest ranked players outside the Top 16 of Chinese origin, two players from the CBSA under-21 rankings, and two from China's Amateur Masters series.

Round of 16:

#1 Ronnie O'Sullivan (defending champion) v #16 Ali Carter/Chinese Wildcard
#8 Kyren Wilson v #15 Stephen Maguire/#24 Xiao Guodong
#5 John Higgins v #10 Barry Hawkins/#18 Yan Bingtao
#4 Neil Robertson v #9 Ding Junhui/Chinese Wildcard
#3 Mark Williams v #14 Shaun Murphy/#27 Lyu Haotian
#6 Mark Selby v #11 Jack Lisowski/Chinese Wildcard
#7 Mark Allen v #13 Stuart Bingham/#34 Liang Wenbo
#2 Judd Trump v #12 David Gilbert/Chinese Wildcard

Best-of-11s until the semis which are best-of-19s, finale is a best-of-21.

Inviere

Nice, looking forward to this. I presume coverage is stupid o'clock for us here given the venue?

Frank O. Pinion

LIVE coverage is 2:30am-6pm, on the Eurosport Player streams (two different table streams, no commentary). Coverage on Eurosport2 (with commentary) is 5:30am-11am and 12pm-5pm. Highlights at 9pm and again at 11pm, on Eurosport2.

Frank O. Pinion

The four amateur Chinese wildcards are, Zhang Yi, Zhao Jianbo, Wu Yize, and Cao Jin.

Wu Yize lost this morning to Jack Lisowski, 6-1. Shaun Murphy also defeated Lyu Haotian, by the same score. I'm currently watching Hawkins/Bingtao, which just started on EuroSport2.

zuutroy

Carter lost to Zhang Yi, so no first meeting since the altercation for Ronnie and Carter. Ronnie however is facing an amateur again. That didn't go well in April. That match is on during the one part of the week I can't possibly watch it

Frank O. Pinion

Shanghai Masters Preview article: http://www.snookerbacker.com/2019/09/08/shanghai-masters-preview-3/

Ronnie making Chinese Tea with Xiao Guodong:

zuutroy wrote: »

Carter lost to Zhang Yi, so no first meeting since the altercation for Ronnie and Carter.

6-3 to Yi, so it wasn't even close for Carter. We continue to wait for the "shoulder barge rematch". Zhang Yi qualified for this tournament by winning the "Shanghai Amateur Masters" at the weekend, a Six-Red tournament, which came with a training session with O'Sullivan and Ding Junhui as part of the prize.

Hawkins/Bingtao was a great back and forth match, that Hawkins won 6-5, needing the final black in the decider.

Beside making tea with Ronnie, Guodong beat Maguire 6-2 today, who was probably still hungover from celebrating his World Six-Red win on Saturday, along with his biggest ever Snooker paycheque.

Ding Junhui defeated 16 year old amateur, Zhao Jianbo, also 6-2.

Tomorrow's matches:

2:30am
Stuart Bingham v Liang Wenbo
David Gilbert v Cao Jin (amateur)

7:30am
Mark Williams v Shaun Murphy
Mark Selby v Jack Lisowski

12:30pm
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Zhang Yi (amateur)
Kyren Wilson v Xiao Guodong

zuutroy

Selby out 6-3 to Lisowski. Murphy and Williams in a decider. Hope I can get back in front of a screen for a bit of Ronnie's match.

The Nal

Great win for Murphy. Starting to look a bit better.

Ronnie very comfortable here.

The Nal

Century 1010 from Ronnie

Edit: 2 in a row. 136, 132 total clearances. Now 1011 centuries. 6 nil all over.

Frank O. Pinion

Mark Selby continues to struggle, he'll go into the China Championship later this month as defending champion, but it marks a full year since he last won any event.

Earlier today, Wenbo beat Bingham 6-4, and Gilbert beat the last Chinese amateur, Cao Jin, 6-0.

Ronnie won another best-of-11 in about an hour. I don't see Wilson/Guodong (currently 3-3) giving him much trouble, so he should at least make the semis. He seems to love Shanghai and this event.

Tomorrow's matches:

7am
Mark Allen v Liang Wenbo
Judd Trump v David Gilbert

12:30pm
John Higgins v Barry Hawkins
Neil Robertson v Ding Junhui

I'd love for Gilbert or Wenbo from the bottom half to make the final, preferably against O'Sullivan.

Inviere

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

but it marks a full year since he last won any event.

That's just unreal. He was a machine not that long ago, but seems to have lost his mojo big time. What's going on with him?

Frank O. Pinion

Inviere wrote: »

What's going on with him?

It's definitely weird that with all the tournaments nowadays, he hasn't been able to win something. I haven't read anything changing in his personal life, like Ding Junhui or Shaun Murphy that could explain his form. If he doesn't win one of the next three events (China Championship, English Open, or World Open), it'll be the first year he doesn't qualify for the Champion of Champions, which is crazy, because for six years in a row (2013-2018), he had multiple qualification tournament wins for the event.

Frank O. Pinion

Tomorrow's Quarter-Finals:

7am
Barry Hawkins v Neil Robertson
Mark Allen v Judd Trump

12:30pm
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Kyren Wilson
Shaun Murphy v Jack Lisowski

Great line-up, with five of the Top 8 in the world.

zuutroy

So Trump's win streak ends at 13. Robbo looking the man to beat this week.

Slippin Jimmy

Wilson is looking like he could knock Ronnie out in this match.

zuutroy

Slippin Jimmy wrote: »

Wilson is looking like he could knock Ronnie out in this match.

Not having to do much. O'Sullivan's safety is brutal.

Slippin Jimmy

zuutroy wrote: »

Not having to do much. O'Sullivan's safety is brutal.

Yeah it is very poor. At least he's trying to claw back frames as opposed to years gone by.

Slippin Jimmy

Ronnie is missing some easy shots. Wilson cue control is all over the place. Last few frames have been very scrappy from both players.

zuutroy

Great comeback. Wilson really bottled it though.

Slippin Jimmy

Absolutely. How did O'Sullivan go in off on the black? Very lucky to have won that imo.

Joe_ Public

zuutroy wrote: »

Great comeback. Wilson really bottled it though.

I'm afraid your right. Wilson had 4-5 first rate chances to close that match out that i saw, including at 5-2 ahead, utterly bottled it, there's no other explanation. Should have beaten O'Sullivan in champion of champions final last season too, thats two against him that have got away.

Frank O. Pinion

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I'm afraid your right. Wilson had 4-5 first rate chances to close that match out that i saw, including at 5-2 ahead, utterly bottled it, there's no other explanation. Should have beaten O'Sullivan in champion of champions final last season too, thats two against him that have got away.

Their head-to-head is 4-1 to Ronnie. The only match Kyren has won against Ronnie, was a best-of-7, in their first meeting. Seems to be a mental thing for Kyren against Ronnie. Mainly because of getting crushed 9-2 in their 2017 English Open final.

Great to get some best-of-19 semis, this event has arguably a better format than the London Masters. This event and/or the Champions of Champions, along with the Triple Crown should be considered Snooker's "grand slam".

Ronnie and Robertson should be another great match.

zuutroy

Frank O. Pinion wrote: »

This event and/or the Champions of Champions, along with the Triple Crown should be considered Snooker's "grand slam".

You can safely remove the UK these days I think. Best of 11 all the way to the final nowadays.

Joe_ Public

Have to agree, UK Champs is a pale shadow of the mighty tournament it once was. Frankly, i struggle with the notion that it still be considered a major, just kind of melds into the crowded calendar, alongside all the other tournaments imo. Its the worlds and the masters (i mean, THE masters) and the rest a long way behind in terms of prestige and tradition for me.

zuutroy

Dragged myself out of bed just after 8 and they were at the mid session. One frame later and they're gone off again as Robertson wrecked his tip on a miscue. Could struggle now having to play the rest of the match with a broken tip.

Slippin Jimmy

I don't know why he didn't get the tip repaired. He missed the yellow because of it and that would have sealed the frame.

Slippin Jimmy

O'Sullivan vs Murphy final!

The Nal

Great final ahead. Bizarre from NR to not get the tip fixed. Surely a new full tip even not broken in is better than that?!

Joe_ Public

Be interested to hear what he says post-match, but not all that surprised he didnt change the tip, once it was playable at least. Thought that missed frame ball black at 5-5 was just as significant, never seemed to recover after that. Tables this week seem to me to be playing tougher than the ones you normally see, that black hit cushion a long way from pocket, but have seen similar ones go much closer to dropping than that and even occasionally dropping.

Frank O. Pinion

The Nal wrote: »

Great final ahead. Bizarre from NR to not get the tip fixed. Surely a new full tip even not broken in is better than that?!

Some players are just not confident going out there with a brand new tip, that's not broken in at all. Get it fixed or not, once the incident happened, the writing was on the wall for an O'Sullivan win.

Interesting final, only the second major event of the season (in terms of prize money), and Murphy makes the final of both, Ronnie's first event of the season and he has a weird run to the final (no Carter match, plays an amateur again, 5-1 down against Wilson, Robertson's tip)…something has to give.

If Ronnie wins, Reanne Evans is in the Champion of Champions, if Murphy wins, she has to continue to wait for her place confirmation.

Joe_ Public

Good to see Murphy back in the kind of form we know he's still well capable of. Dont know if its just pure co-incidence, but was glad to hear he'd relinquished his position on the wpbsa board, never thought that was compatible with maintaining his focus as a top pro and he took that role very seriously which was a credit to him.

Frank O. Pinion

Murphy won the first 3 frames, Ronnie won the next 4, first session ended 5-5. Close match.

Joe_ Public

Only started watching from 3-0 but have to say O'Sullivan got to be the happier with 5-5 at the interval. Murphy should have been 4-0 and opponent in all sorts of bother, instead got to fancy O'Sullivan from here, but then again, you never know!

zuutroy

Yea but O'Sullivan lost 2 frames from 50+ ahead towards the end so not sure he'll be that happy.

Joe_ Public

Swings and roundabouts i suppose. Was a decent clearance by Murphy to go 5-4 up that time, these things happen in a match. Dont think it will bother O'Sullivan all that much. Just hoping it stays neck and neck to the finish now!

Inviere

Does anyone else get the feeling watching O'Sullivan that he's just not a titan of the game anymore? He's obviously still a top class player, but the days of him displaying jaw dropping skills and properly intimidating opponents just seem to be behind him now. His consistency, while always a question mark for me, just seems not there anymore...he's a strong player, capable of nicking/stealing frames from behind, capable of big breaks etc...but he just doesn't seem superhuman anymore, like he used to. Granted he's 40 odd I suppose really...

Joe_ Public

Would agree to an extent, though not by means all. He's still no.2 in the world, won 5 out of 10 events entered last year, beaten in finals in two others, so he remains by any standard a "titan" of the game imo. Think he still does intimidate players, Wilson the other day for one, just not at the crucible where everyone knows he's beatable nowadays because the grind is a little beyond him these times. But i'd definitely agree that he's not the player he was 10, 15 or 20 years ago and nor should be be. There are purple patches of genius every now and again, and he does tend to check out mentally a little less these days, but the standard he was producing when playing the likes of hendry, higgins and williams at their peak will never be repeated i dont think, unless trump takes it up another level. Bit of an indictment of todays generation of players that he's still that far ahead of them imho.

Slippin Jimmy

Looking at him over the last few matches he really has just been nicking frames of his opponent. Before, once he got a decent break off shot he would wrap up the frame.

He still plays at an amazing pace. Much better than anyone else in the game. As you said, he is in the 40 category now. There are not many players in that category that are anywhere near O'Sullivans standard.

Inviere

Joe_ Public wrote: »

but the standard he was producing when playing the likes of hendry, higgins and williams at their peak will never be repeated i dont think, unless trump takes it up another level.

I think in pure potting ability, Trump has taken that crown. Trump has his own flaws, but man that lad pots balls in ways I've never seen in 30 years of watching Snooker.

zuutroy

As well as winning 5 of 10 last year he has 135 centuries the last two years, his 2 highest tallies ever, despite not playing many events. A bit rusty this week in his first tournament in 5 months and that match against Cahill was an aberration. I think news of his demise is a bit premature yet.

Slippin Jimmy

He certainly has the potential to continue as he is for many a years to come.

zuutroy

That counter clearance was a beauty.

The Nal

Overall Ronnie has played some of the best snooker he's ever played in the last 2 or 3 years.

Inviere

zuutroy wrote: »

I think news of his demise is a bit premature yet.

Who said that? I'm saying that he's not the seemingly unbeatable superpower he once was. He's still playing at a high standard, more impressive considering his age...but he'd have turned the screw on opponents a lot harder a few years back than he seems to today.

zuutroy

I'd say that's only true of this week tbh. Everyone except Allen, Robertson, and Trump tend to crumble against him still.

Inviere

zuutroy wrote: »

I'd say that's only true of this week tbh. Everyone except Allen, Robertson, and Trump tend to crumble against him still.

He's still playing at an incredibly high level, I just think his best days are behind him. He's there for the taking more often than ever these days, and if people don't seize those chances, that's their own deficiency, it's not because Ronnie is unbeatable. Trump absolutely pummeled him, twice, last season. He is still tactically brilliant, great 'snooker brain' as they say, but when was the last time he could be called 'sensational' on the table? It used to be pretty regularly, sure he still had off days like everyone, but I get the sense he's a bit 'weaker' these days.

Joe_ Public

Nobody saying anything about demise. Or that he isn't still playing some great snooker on a reasonably regular basis. Its just my opinion, but any judgement of his standard has to be set against the easier playing conditions and more generous pockets he is playing with now. Even Ronnie himself has argued that (most recently during the Masters this year). The standard of snooker players, not just o'sullivan, were producing from late 90s to early noughties was best i've personally witnessed. Others are free to differ, of course.

zuutroy

Yea maybe demise was the wrong choice of words! I think the addition of a bit of mental resolve and him 'beating himself' not happening as often makes him overall a better player now than in his more flamboyant days. I do find it very hard to be objective though as I'm a total fanboy.

Joe_ Public

Nothing wrong with being a fanboy imo, i've loved watching him play as much as anybody over the years and game would be a lot poorer for his absence. That much for sure. I'm a little underwhelmed by all this century scoring as a measure for greatness to be honest, because i've absolutely no doubt the game has been altered to make it easier to rack them up. But thats by the by. Other thing i'd say about ronnie is, on the one hand he is clearly mentally stronger in many ways and thats a credit to work done with Steve Peters. But on the other, he hasnt gone beyond the world quarters in five years (i think) which is pretty poor for his standards and i have to count that against him.

Joe_ Public

Big chance for Murphy here.

zuutroy

Yea he seems to wilt at Sheffield and almost accept that that will be the case these days.