World Snooker Championship 2023

Rothko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120485136#Comment_120485136

Ah, ok. Just thought it seemed quieter than usual.

waynescales1

This Carter v Jones match shaping up nicely. 5-6 now, neither player giving the other many chances, good standard. Could go all the way.

Edit: Carter misses a sitter blue to middle.

Edit 2: Carter bounces back well, 6-7.

hayrabit

nice hotshot there from Luca 😊

pots the green to leave Ricky needing two snookers - inadvertently lands behind blue down in bottom half of table; and escapes off two cushions with a one-handed shot 😂

Cetyl Palmitate

Couple of each way bets on Bingham and brecel, both at 50-1. Karen Wilson for the win even though I don't enjoy watching him play.

Arthur Daley

A few late night Crucible battles reach their final stages. Love it.

Brecel v Walden could go all the way

And Brecel has not had a win at the Crucible to date.

Snake Plisken

Great win by Jak Jones over Ali Carter. 10-6.

waynescales1

Frame 14 really knocked the stuffing out of Carter, looked like he was gonna make it 7-7, disappointing finish to the match.

Walden takes it to 9-9. A cheeky Round 1, Sunday night, final frame decider at the Crucible.

Arthur Daley

Well that's good for Luca, to break that winless record.

The Golden Miller

Hope O'Sullivan doesn't win it, couldn't stand the nauseating rubbish of everyone saying how he is the greatest ever. As chance would have it, watched a lot of Davis in the 80s falling asleep.

They say O'Sullivan at his best, would beat anyone, simply put, Davis at his peak would of beat him everytime. He was a robot, and as time passes, we forget. But rewatch Davis at his peak, he would of done O'Sullivan at his peak, 9/10 times. He was a robot. Any tiny mistake, was pounced on in ruthless fashion.

O'Sullivan does have a fluid natural ability, which has kept him at the top a long time. But he's fortunate, in that time, the standard dropped. Hammering guys like Dott in the final does nothing for me, Hendry too would of killed them at his peak. He's stayed consistent during eras where the competition hit the floor tbh.

It's depressing if O'Sullivan wins this year, we'll be indenuauated, with stuff like he was always the best. Reality was, he couldn't really cut it when snooker was in it's golden phase. He competed and was successful but didn't dominate, early 00's.

Alex Higgins was the greatest natural player ever, make no mistake. Hendry even said at his funeral, people don't actually realize just how good he was. His positional play was abysmal, which meant he was chasing the cueball most of the time, but the shots be pulled off every frame to keep a break going was unbelievable.

His positional play was atrocious because of how he was raised to play the game, did everything wrong and was under the influence, but for a natural eye for a pot, he had no peers.

When everyone raves about Ronnie being the best and most natural ever, it's simply not true. Higgins genuinely was, he pulled off pots repeatedly no other player was ever capable off.

O'Sullivan, Hendry , Davis, White etc, all know deep down, had Alex been raised and trained to play the game properly, he would of had no peers. O'Sullivan's consistency is scary, but watching Higgins, his potting ability had no peers

Arthur Daley

I love a bit of snooker nostalgia more than the next man, but the standard of snooker has never been higher, and it is certainly a good deal higher than it was when Steve was winning his 6 titles.

I just trust the top players in the history of the sport and Davis and Hendry and the current players admit that the strength in depth today is higher than ever before, and Ronnie is the greatest player we have seen, that has brought the game to higher levels post Hendry.

Arthur Daley

Rob Walker is a live wire. He announces the players into the arena and before the break off he has legged it into the commentary box to start his commentary on the match. Not even relying on Davis to fill in for him.

Strong start from Vafaei this morning. Ding has a battle on his hands.

gormdubhgorm

Fan seems to have some great snooker talent, if he channels it and becomes more experienced - who knows what he could achieve? Allen will be a worried man Fan can play with freedom and enjoy it - it seems. Edit: Allen leads first session 6-3.

I think these matches where he has to be switched on suit Allen - and will stand to him further in the tournament gets him battle ready - for the big guns.

By the way, fair play to Varfaei - seems like a character. Would love him to beat Ronnie.

Sultan of Bling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120486218#Comment_120486218

What do you mean exactly by hammering people like dott in a world final does nothing for you.

It seems to be an annual thing on this thread dismissing Ronnie's win in the final v Dott as if Dott was somebody dragged off the street to play Ronnie in the final.

Dott is a former world champion and twice world championship runner up.

Off the six players Steve beat, I would not put any of them ahead of Dott except maybe Jimmy, but then again, Jimmy never won a world title.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120486218#Comment_120486218

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120486218#Comment_120486218

I think the Higgins nostalgia is a bit Rose tinted. He drew in the crowds but for what he won he was a wasted talent IMO. Not a very likeable fella as well to be honest. Bit of a gouger, Was he really as good as the hype justified? I am not so sure.

Like @The Golden Miller says Higgins positional play was awful.

But still some people rave about this 60 plus clearance Higgins made -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAO48WSZnRU

I find it more funny to watch than anything else. If Higgins was as good as it was said in his prime why did he not make more centuries?

According to cuetracker Alex Higgins made just 86 centuries from 1971 - 1995

https://cuetracker.net/players/alex-higgins/career-total-statistics

And guess which of his contemporaries of his era equalled him?

Terry Griffiths who also got 86 centuries between 1978 - 1995 - giving Alex a 7 year start!

https://cuetracker.net/players/terry-griffiths/career-total-statistics

Alex was basically set up as the pantomime villain to Steve Davis/Thorburn in the 80's.

Won in 1972 when the standard of game was low and extremely different to now. 1982 was a good win for Higgins in fairness having to beat Ray Reardon. But Higgins was very fortunate that Steve Davis lost early on v Knowles in that tournament. 1982 was really a one off.

I just don't buy into the Alex Higgins myth at all. His main legacy was been an oddity, and eccentric style caught people's attention.

I remember watching him in Goff's when he was at the tail end of his career with his Fedora hat and likes, playing the showman pantomime man again. It was great to watch as a youngster.

But now I think Alex Higgins was a bit of a nasty clown, with a talent for potting single ball pots, despite himself. A pathetic joke figure, in my opinion.

Rothko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120487401#Comment_120487401

I'd love it if he won against Ronnie

The Nal

Ronnie would absolutely murder peak Davis. They just didnt make as many frame winning breaks back then. Gave up too many chances. Same thing happened with Hendry, yips aside.

Davis made 338 centuries over a 40 year career. Ronnie, well, 1198 and counting.

Love Davis but lets not forget he was only in his early 30s when Hendry came in and dethroned him and the decline set in.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120487638#Comment_120487638

It will be interesting to see who the crucible crowd support in the O'Sullivan v Varfaei match.

Varfaei seems like a really happy go lucky fella

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQTfvGCArQ0

Compared that to the G.O.A.T Ronnie O'Sullivan with or without the bug. Ronnie can come across as mean spirted.

Ronnie brought up Varfaei's comments from the previous year saying Ronnie is 'bad for snooker' - meaning Ronnie's attitude etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1PlpmQvgU4

--

Here is other snooker players reaction to Varfaei's comments this time last year. Note back then Ronnie pretended he was not bothered by the comments. But he seemed to be bothered a year on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K1RYxTtM6E

Arthur Daley

Dallas with balls

loyatemu

I hadn't seen much of Vafaei previously but he's entertaining to watch, takes on tricky pots, showboats a bit when clearing up at the end of the frame. Probably not a good idea though to wind Ronnie up and give him any extra incentive.

Could we save "who's the GOAT" discussions for another thread btw - it's a real hypothetical rabbit-hole and pointless IMO on a thread about this years tournament.

Rothko

The match between Higgins and Grace seems to be all but over as Higgins goes into a 7-2 lead after the first session.

Arthur Daley

Grace wasn't fancied to give Higgins much trouble here over the long match. One of the handier draws, think he was 2nd lowest ranked player in the last 32, ahead of Murphy's opponent.

waynescales1

I don't think Steve Davis is even top 5, don't think he could live with the heavy scoring of the modern player.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120488776#Comment_120488776

But could prime Steve Davis have worn the current crop down? Frustrate the bejayus out them? One of Davis great achievements besides winning those two 6 WC. Was beating Ronnie in the 1997 masters final. Ronnie would have been about 22 and Davis about 40.

I think it was Alan McManus who said in an interview that he did not realise how good Steve Davis was until he played him - and everything was so precise down to the fractions with him.

John Higgins/Selby are probably the nearest to Davis in contemporary times. But obviously way heavier scorers as well.

waynescales1

For f**k sake, what a couple of f**king goblins!

Arthur Daley

Bring back the birch

Rothko

F*cking attention starved morons

The Nal

FFS. Of all the places to make a protest.

Strumms

Thankfully only one was successful.

it ‘looks’ from the live footage of the cleanup that the dust / material is coming off the table quite easily with the vacuum. Hopefully it doesn’t get ingrained. Table looks well to be fair, I’d be hopeful.

Alan McManus quite right… pair of attention seekers, the cause and point won’t be highlighted just that they are a pair of prize wañkers and probably only get a slap on the wrist from police too. McManus consistently eloquent and accurate in his criticism and dismissal of them

i seriously hate attention seekers, a human cancer.

what’s probably going to happen is next year more security is hired, which obviously the punters will pay for.

Arthur Daley

Not sure play on table 1 will be possible. Without a re covering. Probably raise the wall and let table 2 play on.

Arthur Daley

I think Thursday morning is free so if a session has to be made up in round 1, it is no big deal.