Snooker Season 2021/22

Joe_ Public

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118067761#Comment_118067761

Yeah, if he doesn't qualify via top 64 or the one year list, or by reaching the crucible, he's off the main tour. In that eventuality, he'd be heading for Q School for one of the 12 available cards there and, failing that, he'd look to the secondary Q Tour which is being inaugurated this season. Basically trying to get back on tour asap with more experience to count on than this time.

Joe_ Public

Not a match that will live long in the memory, but Ken gets the job done 5-3 against Stevens who, to be fair, was pretty awful today. Will face Sam Craigie in last 32 when final stages commence in the new year. Good chance to go deep here.

Genghis

Thought Ken looked good today, but yes Stevens was dreadful. Great to see Ken qualify, hopefully earns a few ranking points.

Joe_ Public

Ronnie getting blitzed by Hossein Vafaei 4-0. Thought he looked a little bit off from the start, kind of bored, but take nothing away from Hossein. 141 total clearance to finish, ast under 18 seconds, been fabulous to watch. Never know with ron, of course, could still take off, but long way back from here.

Joe_ Public

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118071793#Comment_118071793

Could hear Stevens at the end moaning about the cue ball, saying he couldn't control it through the match. Think he did actually have it replaced after the first frame. Ken did actually agree with him and did struggle himself a bit, overrunning on quite a few occasions. Still, same for both players at the end of the day, Ken handled it better and was the better player.

Genghis

O'Sullivan whitewashed 5 0. Not at the races at all, Vafaei impressive.

Joe_ Public

And Hossein finishes it, no fuss. Ronnie gave up in the end. Whitewashed in a bit over an hour. Check the records for the last time that happened!

zuutroy

Watched a bit of it. He's a hard man to like at times. Why drive all that way to not even try?

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118071912#Comment_118071912

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118071990#Comment_118071990

That's mad I can't think of the last time Ronnie was whitewashed, if ever.

Fair play to Hossein not many players have ever done what he did. And Ronnie even resorting to the 'Quinten Hann Break' at one stage!

https://twitter.com/i/status/1452771959847194624

B2021M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118072091#Comment_118072091

Can't be many sports where such a top 'star' behaves like this (not infrequently)

Joe_ Public

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118073552#Comment_118073552

Higgins did him 5-0 in 2017 Scottish Open, was the last time it happened. Ronnie definitely in weird mode last night, way he kept looking at his cue and animatedly chatting to person sitting directly behind him (minder/driver presumably) but for all that Vafaei was still excellent. Have seen Ronnie doing that countless times at this stage and still winning. Hossein still had to go and pot them and just didnt miss much. Shouldn't be down at No.60 where he is, top 16 player if he works out how to cope on the tv tables.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118073607#Comment_118073607

i don’t think I’ve ever watched a snooker match involving Ronnie from early in his career where I’ve wanted him to actually win... he’s really not a very likable player... some people see him as some sort of ‘rock not roll’ knight in white satin and laud the attitude but that’s really just petulance...

B2021M

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118073822#Comment_118073822

Yeah. He clearly didn't fancy the trip to Berlin in January. Having said that he will probably show up in the Eurosport studio!

El_Duderino 09

Isn't breaking off like that seen as disrespectful in snooker? I thought you could even be sanctioned for doing it.

I feel like Strumms said about Ronnie. I always support the other guy but if Ronnie wins then i can still watch him in the next round and support the other guy again. Great player (most of the time) not a good guy though. And they should be treated as separate things because they are separate things. I thin that if he weren't an excellent snooker player, he would be brushed aside by the sport as a bad egg and a disruptive influence. But instead they laud his bad behaviour as individuality and personality.

zuutroy

I still want him to win, mostly because I've been a fan since I was a teenager when he was just breaking through, and I suppose you want to see your 'support' over such a long time rewarded with him breaking the records. I think he's still all over the place mentally and most of the time the result is not a very nice person. Still though, when he's playing well there's no one close in terms of the enjoyment of watching him do what he does. Frame 31 and 32 against Selby in 2019 is the type of stuff that I keep watching for.

Dim_147

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https://snooker-predictions.com/

https://snooker-predictions.com/rankings.html

Joe_ Public

More qualifiers beginning this morning, back to Cannock for European masters. Ronnie can take a break as his tie v Nigel Bond is held over to the main arena in the new year. Ken plays Jak Jones tonight and Aaron up against Zhao Xintong tomorrow morning, interesting one that.

From next week the season will begin to take real shape I think: English Open, Champion of champions, UK Champs, Scots Open and World Grand Prix all within 6 weeks. Going to be hectic.

[Deleted User]

Best of luck with that site D 😊 That it may yield you much profit validation!

Joe_ Public

I see MJW out of both European Masters and English Open after returning positive covid test. Sam Craigie also withdrew this morning and his intended replacement James Cahill had to also withdraw when his test was positive. Might be seeing a bit more of this over next few weeks i fear. Though Craigie is listed as "injury" of some nature rather than covid.

Joe_ Public

Good fight back from Aaron here to make it 2-3 from 0-3 and in danger of being blitzed in double quick time. Hadn't had cue ball on a string as he'd wish, but potting and playing well otherwise.

Joe_ Public

Zhao blows big chance for the match and we have a decider. No more than Aaron deserves really.

Joe_ Public

Get in there! Been a long time coming but Aaron finally gets another victory on tour, first of season outside of league. Being honest,Zhao rather typically threw it away but not quibbling. Great character shown from Aaron today, deserves that bit of luck. Yan Bingtao next up in English Open next week. Hopefully bring a bit of new found confidence to that, big ask but should be no pressure anyway.

Good win for Fergal this morning too, good day all round.

waynescales1

Aaron would want to get his act together pretty soon. As far as I can see, he's won 2 ranking points matches since beating O'Sullivan last year.

Joe_ Public

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118087092#Comment_118087092

Since Ronnie has beat Matt Stevens, Billy Joe Castle, Fergal, Brandon Sergeant, Scott Donaldson and now Zhao. All in ranked events so 6 to be exact, going to need at least as many more in coming months. That goes without saying!

waynescales1

Do you get ranking points for winning a qualifier? I was excluding Championship League and qualifiers. The last year or so has been fairly disappointing for him.

El_Duderino 09

I turned on Aaron's decider when Joe_Public said it was going to the last frame. They were both terrible in that final frame. Granted it was a decider so both players were under pressure and I was delighted he won, but the standard was really low from both zhao laid some lovely safety and snookers but missed some poor pots to win the game. Everyone needs a bit of luck from time to time but he needs to be better than today's performance to get into the top 64 by the end of the season.

Joe_ Public

You get ranking points for winning qualifiers. Every match Aaron plays is to earn money and points to try and stay on tour. I was encouraged how he was cueing v Anthony Hamilton last week and he showed a bit today too, albeit yes, with some help from opponent. A lot of facets of his game are there, but it's putting them all together when needed is the challenge and, being critical, his cue ball control needs to be a lot more precise. From there, most of the problems accrue.

But let's be real here. Aaron's still just 19, i know he has the talent but it will take a while to develop. I compare him to Jackson Page who was a couple of years ahead as a junior and is starting to put a few good eyecatching results together now after a couple of tough initial years on tour. So I'm not too surprised or disheartened by the way things are going so far and I hope Aaron isn't either. Even if he doesn't make the cut this season, a year or even two on the lower circuit mightnt be the worst thing for him, he'll come back an older and better player. I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that, but if it happens, it's just a setback, not a disaster. Still 7/8 tournaments left so will just root for him all the way.

waynescales1

Are the English Open qualifiers from Monday on anywhere to watch I wonder?

The Nal

So Hendry on today at 2.30. Cant be any worse than last time right?

Joe_ Public

Oh to be on WWTBAM, sitting on quarter of a mill, and the £250,000 question is which of these won the world championship first:

A: The Rocket

B: The Wizard of Wishaw

C: The Ace in the Pack

D: The Jester from Leicester