English Open 2020

Joe_ Public

English Open underway from Milton Keynes, 128 players, all the big names there and thankfully no C-19 withdrawals so far. That I've heard of anyway.

£1m bonus for winning all 4 Home Series titles gone. As if it really mattered!

Of the irish, Aaron Hill first up v Chang Biangyu at 7pm tonight. Be interesting to see how Hill fares after his eyeopening performances in his first tournament as a pro last month. Chang is even younger but has an extra year on tour under his belt so could be a decent test. Bit of pressure but you'd hope to see him come through to set up a likely last 64 against defending champ Selby.

Then tomorrow Ken faces another Chinese youngster Xu Si while Fergal is out against Stuart Bingham.

zuutroy

Interesting to see how Ken gets on. Carrying in a bit of form after winning his CL group and beating Robertson along the way.

Joe_ Public

Stuart Carrington withdrawn after positive test and Sam Craigie out too as a close contact. Tough on lads who need to be earning money and points.

Ronnie down by 2 frames to nil against this French amateur qualifier Brian Ochoiski.

He's pretty tasty too the 21 yr old; got a century in last frame.

Wide open early on frame 3 - reds well spread. Ochoiski in again. Plenty reds on but
not that straightforward all the same.

Just missed. Ronnie needs to make this chance count.

Joe_ Public

Watching Hill and it's a bit frustrating. Missed two blacks off spot after leaving himself short sighted on both and looks like could cost him two frames. Table looks very slow so may be struggling with it, last break off barely made it past the blue.

A good break from Ronnie left him almost over the winning line there with two reds left.

Won the frame shortly after a brief safety exchange. 2-1 now to the Frenchman. Ron in again in frame four.

: Ronnie really doesn't give a dollar hit.

Nails painted pink

For charity according to comms.

2 apiece.

Ronnie chugging along very nicely now.

Ahead in frame 22-0. Safety bout atm.

Got lucky there Ronnie - all to play for.

Ronnie ahead 3-2.

5 frames in just over an hour. Good open stuff.

Ron through 4-2.

Reckon we'll see more of Ochoiski. Game needs a few quality
young players, and he certainly looks good enough.

Rothko

Deleted User wrote: »

: Ronnie really doesn't give a dollar hit.

Nails painted pink

For charity according to comms.

Fair play to him.

Rothko

Rothko wrote: »

Fair play to him.

He's doing it for the whole week he said in interview

He does like a bitch too... :pac: Had a bit of a swipe at his opponent about playing 'wrong' shots

Long may he run......... And play snooker too

Joe_ Public

Hill loses 2-4. Should really have made it 3-3 but overall can't have any complaints, was an awful match to be blunt about it. Only starting so hope he doesn't beat himself up too much about it, lot to be learned from all these matches.

Rothko

Pity to see him get knocked out. It would have been great to see him take on Selby.

Mark Allen and King match very scrappy. 2 apiece.

Joe_ Public

Rothko wrote: »

Pity to see him get knocked out. It would have been great to see him take on Selby.

I think and hope tonight will be more valuable to him than the international last month tbh, he can look back at that and see the obvious flaws in his game and work on them. Probably nerves got to him there as it was a match he would have hoped and expected to win so maybe put too much pressure on himself. Would definitely have been better against selby i think as he'd really have nothing to lose.

Pighead

Deleted User wrote: »

He's doing it for the whole week he said in interview

He does like a bitch too... :pac: Had a bit of a swipe at his opponent about playing 'wrong' shots

Long may he run......... And play snooker too

He also said he probably won't play in the upcoming Masters as he doesn't really like the competition. Strange given he has done so well in it over the years.

Joe_ Public

He didn't play in masters this year either, so hardly that much of a shock. Said he was going to be busy with other stuff that week and then turned up for duty on the eurosport couch iirc. Maybe he just likes to remind people that he doesn't really need the game, can take it or leave it when he wants. Or something. Who knows really?

zuutroy

I heard him say elsewhere that the Masters is the tournament where he feels the most pressure and demands on his time when he's there as a player and that's why he skipped it this year, and he plans to continue to give it a miss. Of course he changes his mind with the weather so...

Glenman

I see Ken has lost 4-1

waynescales1

KD out, beaten 4-1 by a Chinese player so obscure he doesn't have a picture on the Flashscore app!

Joe_ Public

The 4 frames Ken lost all went down to final pink or black. Be a bit frustrated with that i imagine.

A bit of agg between Gilbert and R McLeod so they were saying on Eurosport.

Something about a freeball... Dave reckons that McLeod is always trying to intimidate players.
They were even going at it in the press conference afterwards apparently. Will try to see if I can catch
it on Youtube in the next couple of days if it's up.

Don't even know who won the match. A bit of controversy is good though

Poor Ollie Lines... Peter was tested on Monday I think, and positive, but Ollie had to withdraw even
though he had no contact with daddy Peter since Saturday.... Bit arbitrary and unfair imo..

Joe_ Public

Having watched the incident i am at a total loss to understand what McLeod is trying to argue. Any idiot can see its not a free ball.

Joe_ Public

Don't know if this link will work but that's the situation anyway. No free ball Rory, how long are you playing the game?!

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1315972405081370624/pu/vid/720x1280/h4ryMpm7Bgyt64l0.mp4?tag=10

waynescales1

waynescales1 wrote: »

KD out, beaten 4-1 by a Chinese player so obscure he doesn't have a picture on the Flashscore app!

I always find the no picture funny myself.

Joe_ Public

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Don't know if this link will work but that's the situation anyway. No free ball Rory, how long are you playing the game?!

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1315972405081370624/pu/vid/720x1280/h4ryMpm7Bgyt64l0.mp4?tag=10

Thanks for going to the trouble Joe... Can't access it though... Requires some messing about on Windows Media Player... Don't want to mess around with settings and the like...

Joe_ Public

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Thanks for going to the trouble Joe... Can't access it though... Requires some messing about on Windows Media Player... Don't want to mess around with settings and the like...

Sorry bout that, don't blame you. Didn't see it but apparently there was a "standing in my sightline" issue during the match too so a lot going on there it seems!

^^^

Appreciate it... Happy enough to wait for someone to upload it on Youtube, as am not at all savvy with computers/technology.

Chalk McHugh

What's Rory McLeod moaning about here? Saying to Gilbert 'i expect more from you'. I dont see a free ball there at all.

AllForIt

Deleted User wrote: »

Thanks for going to the trouble Joe... Can't access it though... Requires some messing about on Windows Media Player... Don't want to mess around with settings and the like...

Are you on Windows XP still? : )

But yeah no idea what McCloud's problem is. He seems to be saying it's a free ball looking at it from another angle but that's ridiculous because that's not the angle he's playing from?!? And on top of that even if he believes he's right he needn't conduct himself with so much 'attitude'.

I think the ref should have stepped in here though and put a ball aside the green to show it wasn't a free ball to make it as plain as day it wasn't, rather than let them slug it out. I've only seen the clip thought, maybe he did.

Joe_ Public

Ollie Lines was very unlucky alright. The regulation states you have to have been 48 hours clear of a contact in the case of a positive test. In his case, i believe he hadn't seen his father for 36 hours so, harsh as it sounds, i don't think there was any choice. There has to be a cut off point somewhere.

Rory not getting any younger... Perhaps his eyesight aint the best

Bit like JJ last night on Comms in Ronnie's match... To this viewer it didn't look like a red passed the yellow; Joe was sure it did.. The Frenchman ended up hitting the red.... only to play safe :pac:

@AllForIt

@AllForIt, I don't know what I'm on

Windows XP means nowt to me.. My computer is functionary at best; good enough for surfing the web and the like; so 'twill do for t'nonce (as they say) :pac:

AllForIt

Meanwhile Dale really messed up there letting Wilson back in with a free ball to loose the match when he was about to draw level. Shuda put a colour safe instead of going for that long blue.

Joe_ Public

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Rory not getting any younger... Perhaps his eyesight aint the best

Bit like JJ last night on Comms in Ronnie's match... To this viewer it didn't look like a red passed the yellow; Joe was sure it did.. The Frenchman ended up hitting the red.... only to play safe :pac:

I don't mind Joe myself, for all the stick he gets, but his eyes were gone even before he retired. He's shocking on those calls!

Chalk McHugh

So young Hill was beaten last night. I know you get 3,000 for winning first round game..How much do you get for losing in first round. Anyone know ?

^^^^^

Nothing... I think, not fully sure..

Joe_ Public

[Deleted User] wrote: »

^^^^^

Nothing... I think, not fully sure..

Correct.

Chalk McHugh

Not even a few bob to cover the expences. Hotel, travel? Seems a bit harsh.

Joe_ Public

There is one exception. If your drawn in one of the withheld games in one of the Chinese events, world snooker gives you £300 for expenses. These usually involve top players, but not always. Otherwise it's run along strictly capitalist lines, as in "losers get nothing", to quote the WS chairman.

Joe_ Public

Nice handy 83 from Fergal to start with. Because he's basically on a wild card, he's back to zero in terms of points so will be keen to start earning as soon as he can.

Chalk McHugh

Interesting listening to Foulds say it has become a trend recently where a lot of players are conceding a frame when they miss before letting their opponent attempt to clear up. Personally i see nothing wrong with this. If they think the frame is lost well just call it and lets move on to.the next frame. I know it's seen as snooker etiquette to allow your opponent to clear up but it wouldn't bother me if a player conceded against me.

Joe_ Public

Fergal playing really well here, should be 2-0 wrapped up.

I agree with the conceding when they miss before the other player takes his shot, even if he's advancing towards the table.

I don't like this conceding, though, when the other player is still at the table.. A bit offputting that I feel; like if the other player already requires a snooker, and the one at the table for example pots the last or second to last red.

Kinda like when playing darts, and the other player is advancing when the thrower hasn't even released the third dart

Chalk McHugh

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I agree with the conceding when they miss before the other player takes his shot, even if he's advancing towards the table.

I don't like this conceding, though, when the other player is still at the table.. A bit offputting that I feel; like if the other player already requires a snooker, and the one at the table for example pots the last or second to last red.

Kinda like when playing darts, and the other player is advancing when the thrower hasn't even released the third dart

Yes i agree you shouldn't concede with your opponent at the table. I dont think many do that to be fair.

Looks like Murphy - Milkins going all the way. Pink and black left and Murpjy playing on... needs 2 snookers though

Decider coming up. Milkins levels from 3-1 down.

Joe_ Public

Was a bad time for milkman to miscue there, but great red from Murphy to set up that match clinching chance.

Fergal loses to Bingham, was a good match, ballrun really upped his game from 0-2. Fergal didn't do much wrong.

Chalk McHugh

Yea pity Fergal didn't take a big scalp. A big bald scalp. Another first round exit must be tough to take. And not a shillng for his efforts.

Chalk McHugh

Never heard of this Heathcote lad but he looks aneasy player on the eye. Nice style. Judd has a game here.