Snooker Season 2022/23

So going to a decider, Ford after playing so well seems to have bottled somewhat.

Jack that was a big chance. Oh dear, oh dear.

Ford has been slowly climbing the rankings and getting more exposure recently. Many will root for him tomorrow against Carter.

Think Ford might regret trying to pot that difficult black, safety back to balk, wouldn’t have been hard.

cant see Carter loosing a 4 frame lead only needing 3.

Interesting to see China putting on a Heyball (aka Pool 8-ball Chinese variant) tournament with a bigger first prize than the Snooker World Championship.

USD 740,000 for the winner JOY Heyball Masters Events | Facebook

It's effectively our 8-ball/blackball pool but played on a 10x5 snooker table, so with the bigger pool balls it's actually a bit more difficult to pot than even snooker. By casual player numbers and viewer figures it seems to have overtaken snooker as the most popular billiard game in China.

I'd been keeping an eye on it pre-covid as prize funds in 2019 were around $150K to the winner so it wasn't far off snooker but still comfortably below. But if big events like this become the norm, then it does raise a few interesting questions. Does this new hybrid game affect the chances of snooker getting back into the Chinese market? And does it reduce the incentive for Chinese players to join the snooker circuit, which would have big knock-on effects on snookers finances.

Watching a bit of the O’Sullivan vs Muir match. O’Sullivan again in drama llama mode… constantly fidgeting with his tip, glasspaper out, tip flew off the cue previously…. The fella can afford decent equipment.

Then the referee Louise Kratz goes to replace a colour he’s potted and before the ball is placed on its spot and she can get her arm up off the table he absolutely smashes the next red… not good, that would hurt her if a ball smashes into her elbow. She correctly calls a foul as the ball hadn’t been replaced…

Despite his talent one of the most thoroughly unpleasant and ridiculously petulant, arrogant sportsmen….

then Ronnie looses a frame on the three miss rule. Final effort he smashed the white off the table. If that white goes into the crowd someone’s getting hurt.

deciding frame, all happing here.. 👀

Ronnie get the job done. Nothing annoys him more than a dodgy tip.

Heathcoate absolutely threw away two frames Vs Trump. Including a dreadful mis cue on a straight forward red, dreadful shot…. How he lost that. 🤯

Trump a relieved man. Heathcote looked like he wished the floor was going to open up and swallow him.

Milkins takes out Selby.

Aaron Hill loses to the in form Pang.

Anyway if he keeps making last 32 appearances he is making progress.

Murphy makes a consecutive 145 then 147 in his match to beat Danial Wells. Looks very chuffed himself too. Hope his weigh loss will up his game a bit like it did with Allen.

In other news BBC RED Button is being broadcast in HD now, finally.

150 grand at stake in the next few days for the Bet Victor bonus.

If Mark Allen beats Robert Milkins today he is guaranteed the 150 big ones. On top of the 500 grand he already has this season.

Otherwise Milkins could win it if he wins the tournament (unlikely as as to go through Ronnie in a semi), and Joe O'Connor could also win but he'd have to win the Welsh and hope Milkins beats Allen.

So with the last few slots in next week's Tour Championship up for grabs plenty to play for in the coming days.

Ronnie in a spot of bother 0-4 down to Tian

He's done nothing much in the rankers this season

And he'll have another week off unless he pulls out a big turnaround from here.

I see Quest HD are now broadcasting the Eurosport coverage.