World Snooker Championship 2023

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544543#Comment_120544543

Oh I am not denying that it was a lovely gesture of support

hayrabit

"Vienna Open?" that Luca's playing in....

.... means nothing to me 😂

Hotblack Desiato

Absolutely delighted for Brecel, what a fantastic tournament he's had, maybe he can upgrade from his second floor apartment now 😉

Rothko

Congrats, Luca. He's been the most consistent player over the course of the tournament and is a well deserving winner.

Hotblack Desiato

Selby had a great tournament too and would have had the beating of almost anyone in that final, really thought when it got back to one frame in it he was going to force it all the way. Didn't realise he's not quite 40 yet, should have some more titles in him.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544614#Comment_120544614

You can get a 250sqm house in the town he’s from for €400k. He’ll live like a king in Belgium with £500k in his pocket

DJIMI TRARORE

Good to see a new winner coming through, couldn't see Luca potting anything over 6 feet,but thankfully Selby left him a few handy openers,up to number 2 in the world

Arthur Daley

Yeah Luca ranked number 2. Shows how he's spent the last two years becoming an overnight success.

Remembering him as runner up to Zhao in the UK and then winning the Scottish Open in late 2021.

On the ranking list alone he would've been slight favourite going into this final.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544643#Comment_120544643

From what he said after, his folks might soak a fair bit of that up in repayments on their investment!!

Arthur Daley

I see the town where he is from is right on the border with Holland, and not far from the border with Germany.

Think there may be two tournaments again in Germany next year, and I'd expect this win might prompt WST to look at a revitalised Belgian Masters too.

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544600#Comment_120544600

He’s not near the dose that Ronnie is, though!

Girly Gal

Delighted for Brecel, held his nerve well in the final frame. Good to see a new winner, and even better that Selby failed to claw his way back.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544716#Comment_120544716

I’m living very close to the border with Belgium and always listen to Belgian radio. Luca winning was the first story on the news this morning. It’s huge news in Belgium.

HeidiHeidi

I can't remember getting sucked into a championships - in any sport - as much as I did to this year's snooker.

What a great, open, quality tournament it was - I don't know what I'm going to do with my days now it's over!

Absolutely delighted for Brecel - what a lovely fella he appears to be, I hope he goes on to great things and never changes his style - for me, he's the most entertaining player since the heady days of Higgins and White!

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120544677#Comment_120544677

the money based ranking system means the World Championship has an enormous effect on the list. You could only enter the WC and no other tournaments and get into the top 5 just by winning it. (of course this makes it similar to the early days of the ranking list, in the 70s, when the WC was the only ranking tournament).

Ronnie is still no. 1 (just about) despite a terrible season by his standards, due to his WC win last season.

Arthur Daley

The Seniors World Championship starts Thursday evening on the red.

So the snooker from the Crucible is not quite over until Sunday night.

waynescales1

Sitting here working from home and no snooker to put up on the TV, there's a large snooker shaped hole in my life. I miss it already.

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120546863#Comment_120546863

Mrs Nal says I have a one day depression on this day every year.

The Golden Miller

I was ridiculed before saying Davis would have O'Sullivan's number at his peak. Watched an interview with Hendry today and pretty much said the same. Players like Davis deteriorated earlier back then, as they didn't have the same coaching and conditioning.

Even after reading Hendrys book, a huge misconception is he got the better of Davis, he's the first to admit Davis deteriorated. He said he could admit that in hindsight, but at his best didn't fancy beating Davis in matchplay.

Davis was like Ebdon and Selby on acid. As I said I fall asleep to many of his matches. People don't realize, under pressure, he simply didn't miss, and if you could outpot him, would grind you down.

You look how he translated to pool and how cute he was. From a safety point of view, there was never anyone better on the baize.

Hendry reckons his biggest downfall, like himself, as he got older couldn't commit to practice in the same way, or bring himself to do it. As a new generation came through, lost what it was to dig deep and put the hours in, and accepted himself as an also ran. If wasn't till nearly two decades later he applied himself again and knocked Higgins out of the World Championship, one last hurrah for his father.

Davis' century count is circa 350, with very few official tournaments back then. By today's standards the equivalent of 1000+, with the amount of matches and tournaments they play.

I felt it was highly insulting that people ridiculed the idea that Davis would do O'Sullivan in match play, both at their peak. Even if he didn't it would be close. People see John Higgins and Mark Selby and see how hard they were to beat, Davis was a different level again.

I'd have to find the source, but I remember reading someone did research on Davis between 1980-90, on those ten years, claims he missed less than 50 pots in the world championships, taking into account every frame, game and match over ten years.

As I said I fall asleep watching a lot of the 80s stuff, Davis didn't miss. Can't remember off hand, him missing once in any game I've watched. A pure machine, particularly under pressure.

We roll our eyes now when we think of the 80s and Davis is described as a robot, thinking he wouldn't have a chance against what was to come next. Put him in any generation and he wins, not only that, but dominates.

The modern players never faced anything like him at his peak

Arthur Daley

But Steve himself has said many times that all round he wasn't up to the standard of the very top players today. And that Ronnie is the greatest player to date.

I just go by these guys own opinion, and I don't think they are saying it just to show humility.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120548921#Comment_120548921

Steve was great. But he was great for about 10 years or so.

Ronnie is world number 1, 28 years after turning pro. You can't make a comparison between peak Steve and peak Ronnie, because Ronnie has had at least 3 "peaks" as far as I can see.

Hotblack Desiato

The "my da would have beaten up your granda, 30 years ago if they'd both been the same age" posts are feckin' tedious

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549686#Comment_120549686

Its Ali vs Tyson isnt it.

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549717#Comment_120549717

I can say with absolute confidence, they both would have beaten the crap out of Steve Davis.

kirk.

The standard wasn't great back then

Alex higgins is up on the head to head v thorburn

Williams and Sullivan John higgins were next level ability

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549862#Comment_120549862

Not if he was allowed use his cue.

HeidiHeidi

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120549686#Comment_120549686

The tennis thread turns into this, every single time there's a Grand Slam on.

Tedious doesn't even begin to describe it.

I really wish they'd start a forum for these GOAT endless, circular, pointless rows, and permaban anyone who starts up in the normal thread.

walshb

Davis was great..

Selby, Higgins, Williams, Ronnie and Hendry at peak were unstoppable

a notch above all others

Girly Gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120551459#Comment_120551459

Davis and Hendry dominated their era's none of the rest did, their consistency was amazing. Hendry in particular was near unbeatable and at his peak I think he beats everyone else. I think the main reason they finished up early or weren't as competitive in their latter years before retiring is down to their previous dominance, once they were no longer the dominant player, their hunger and drive to proof themselves wasn't there, they had already done everything and had nothing left to prove, financially secure for life, no longer had the fire in the belly.

O'Sullivan is undoubtedly the most talented player ever and could blow anyone off the table on his day, remarkable talent, but, apart from a couple of seasons he could never really sustain it consistently and has always found it difficult when matches aren't going his way at world championship, has almost appeared to give up on some occasions. Selby when in form is probably the most difficult player to play against, but, his constant gamesmanship takes away from him. John Higgins had no real weakness, strong in all departments, bit surprising he hasn't won more world titles. Williams very gifted player and was extremely good early in his career, but, faded badly for a good few years, has had a renaissance since winning world title a few years back, wouldn't rate him as highly as the others, always feel he gets more positively rated as part of the class of 92, but, I'd put O'Sullivan and Higgins a step above him.

loyatemu

and on it goes.

See you all next year!