Welsh Open

Joe_ Public · 13-02-2020 5:00pm

Hamilton had chance to go 2-0, missed it and lost. Figueredo had chance to go 2-0, missed it and looks set to lose as well.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 8:19pm

Good weeks snooker so far. Kyren Wilson hit a 147. Most of the big guns playing well. Ronnie looks tuned in. The draw is loaded with heavy hitters. It's shaping up to be a high quality weekend.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 8:48pm

The Iranian Vahedi had done most of the hard work in frame 2 by splitting the pack and the balls were in a great position for a frame winning clearance. On 55 he missed an easy black off the spot and left Ronnie back in who eventually made it 2-0. It is quite evidant the gap in standard with the top seeds and those hovering towards the back end of the 128.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 8:53pm

Ronnie sailing to victory here. Looking to set up a quarter final clash with his old nemesis Mark Selby, tomorrow.

zuutroy · 13-02-2020 9:04pm

Most focused I've seen ROS in almost a year.

hetuzozaho · 13-02-2020 9:19pm

Ronnie nailing the post match interviews this week too! Who is this guy?

Hasn't joked about ranking points once has he?

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 10:07pm

Stephen Maguire said before his first match today that he went out for a few drinks last night. This the night before he would have to play two matches if he was to progress. In my opinion that is unprofessional and not good practise and partly the reason why he's done so little for a man of such talent. When he burst on the scene he was being talked about as a challenger to the likes of Ronnie, Higgins and Williams. I have heard rumours of his late night drinking escapades and would have thought when he matured into his 40s he would ease up a bit the night before a long, hard days snooker. Maybe i'm being harsh here but would any other player been on the lash last night? He could go on and win here but either way going drinking alcohol the night before a match is a big no no.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 10:13pm

Trump misses an easy black. Maguire back to 1-2.

Joe_ Public · 13-02-2020 10:31pm

If it was "a few drinks" i wouldnt be that bothered. Probably just as bad to be stewing in his hotel room, getting restless and bored. If it was "on the lash" thats obviously a different story, could never recommend that. Maguires temperament always been a fatal weakness though, no getting around that.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 10:40pm

He said a few drinks so who knows. Just dont think.any alcohol is good the night before any type of work. Especially with the two matches. Plenty time to drink tonight when/if he loses. Just my opinion on it. It doesn't look good or sit well with me.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 10:46pm

What a terrible missed roll up snooker by Maguire. Leaves the green on. Frame over. Very tired looking shot.

Joe_ Public · 13-02-2020 10:50pm

Thats fine. Its all opinions. Maguire goes for a few bevvies, ronnie for a 10 mile run. Ding is probably tucked up in bed at 10 while Mark Williams goes for a kebab at 2am on the morning of a world final. Different strokes for different folks i guess.

I dont rate maguires temperament at the table. That shot on the green sums him up, so casual and no reaction from him after it, like he'd already accepted he'd hit a sh!t shot.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 10:56pm

I have had a terrible relationship with alcohol myself so maybe its clouding my judgement. You're right though. Different strokes. I could never have a few and be responsible. All or nothing really. I prefer nothing these days because for me the poison was a killer. I'd be like Begby out of Trainspotting trying to hold a cue the night after.

Joe_ Public · 13-02-2020 11:03pm

I wouldnt be flippant about it either. A couple of beers is fine but not more and not a regular thing. I'd say if you listed all the young promising snooker careers that never got going, drink likely at the root of majority of them. Saw a couple of those back in the day myself.

Chalk McHugh · 13-02-2020 11:03pm

Trump at about 60% beats Maguire at about 20%. Not a good match. But Trump still the man to beat.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 1:12pm

Big match on now. O Sullivan v Selby. Come on Ronnie!

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 1:23pm

Very nervy opening frame. Both players have missed quite a few balls already. No love lost and both desperate to get one over the other.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 1:41pm

1-0 Ronnie. Looking good for 2-0. Maximum was on. Took a pink.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 1:44pm

142 clearance magic from O Sullivan. 2-0.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 1:49pm

Early start caught me out! Assumed 1pm. Great pressure pot on yellow that. Cant see much hope for selby on the little I've seen so far.

zuutroy · 14-02-2020 1:59pm

Selby is never beat 'til his beat though.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 1:59pm

Selby looking more uptight than usual as Ronnie blitzes him to lead 3-0 in jig time.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 2:04pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Selby is never beat 'til his beat though.

Normally wouldnt write him off but he's a shadow of the great player he was 2-3 years ago. Not sure we'll ever see him back.

Ronnie cueing like a dream though. Clearly hugely motivated today.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 2:10pm

Valentines Day Massacre for Selby.

zuutroy · 14-02-2020 2:16pm

Impressive by Ronnie to have to make a semi-final to have a good shot at getting into the Players Championship and then going out and doing it*. If he wins he's almost certainly in the Tour Championship too. Selby, Robbo, and Judd is a tough route to victory though.

*assuming he gets one more.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 2:26pm

Thing with ronnie its still just a question of how badly he wants it. In this mood i think only trump and maybe robbo can stop him. As things stand, though, he'll be no.16 on the players championship standings if he wins here and on track to face judd in the first round.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 2:38pm

Joe Johnson is a terribly annoying commentator. Endless waffle. Never shuts up. Sometimes the art of silence is the best option for a pundit. Hes not explaining the game to a bunch of 10 year olds. The mute button comes in handy sometimes.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 2:41pm

Have a very basic commentators rule that works for me: ABPY. Anyone but phil yates. Nobody else particularly bothers me that much though dennis pushes it a bit for sure.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 2:56pm

Dont mind Yates myself. He does seem to rub people up the wrong way but he's a mind of snooker knowledge.

Most the snooker pundits are excellent. Hendry, Foulds, Hendon, McManus all great to listen to.

The only one i dont like is Joe Johnson and im not a fan of Ken Doherty either: always sniggering and laughing at childish gags. His Sportshow on Sunshine on Saturday morning is the same. Im always relieved when hes not hosting that.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 3:04pm

Ronnie looking to close out the match with a 5-1 drubbing of the Jester. Fantastic start to the weekend. Brilliant tournament.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 3:06pm

Phil was commentating on a john higgins match a while back and excitedly informed us that this was higgins 125th appearance in a ranking quarter final. Or maybe it was 126th, i immediately forgot. Just not gone on sporting anoraks and especially ones with horrible plummy fake accents like his.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 3:09pm

Life in the match just yet.

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 3:10pm

Ronnie deserves this bit of torture for not dropping that easy red in. Dont mess with the snooker gods.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 3:16pm

Unfortunate finish. 2-4 might have been a little bit interesting.

waynescales1 · 14-02-2020 4:28pm

Has Dominic Dale has just used the phrase “couldn’t be arsed” on daytime TV?

Chalk McHugh · 14-02-2020 5:22pm

waynescales1 wrote: »

Has Dominic Dale has just used the phrase “couldn’t be arsed” on daytime TV?

Didn't hear it but surprised with the Spaceman if he did as he's usually very elogant in his commentary.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 5:28pm

Its foulds and dave hendon on commentary, dunno which of them might be the potty mouth.

zuutroy · 14-02-2020 5:30pm

Looks like Wilson vs Ronnie. I wonder will he roll over against him like he usually does? Like to see another Ronnie vs Trump final but I don't think I fancy Ronnie to win it.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 5:35pm

This is best I've seen wilson play for some time, but feel robbo has been treading water for past week so wouldnt go overboard about this. O'sullivan very strong favourite for me.

Inviere · 14-02-2020 5:50pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

This is best I've seen wilson play for some time, but feel robbo has been treading water for past week so wouldnt go overboard about this. O'sullivan very strong favourite for me.

Wilson is a world class, high level player....there's just something about him though that strikes me...he lacks that 'killer instinct' to go to the next level and be one of the elite few. His form is very structured, very robotic, like he's studied every single page of the 'book of snooker', twice over. I have a hard time seeing him lift the trophy at the Crucible though, unless he got a weird easy run to it. I've a lot of time for him, seems a very nice lad etc, but he doesn't appear to have that enigmatic flair that the greats have all displayed.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 6:22pm

Yeah i think thats a pretty fair assessment of wilson. Foulds on tv earlier says he's one of the most determined players he's ever seen and wouldnt argue with that. But he does come across a bit mechanical in terms of style and fact he always seems to be tinkering with his cue action only adds to that. Cue ball control can be dicey at times too which is probably what separates him from the very top elite.

waynescales1 · 14-02-2020 7:00pm

Robertson has just played too much snooker lately, bound to run out of energy at some stage. Think the shootout is the next tournament, I would imagine he’ll sit that one out.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 9:28pm

Judd loses fourth frame from a 70 point lead, 1-3 down. Interesting match.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 10:02pm

Judd nearly blows another lead but holds on to make it 2-3. Tense and absorbing match.

AllForIt · 14-02-2020 10:17pm

I fancied Murphy for that frame but an ambitious attempt at dislodging the black to stay on the brown after potting the final green when wrong. I think he hit it with too much pace. Shows he's feeling quite confidant which is always a good thing but that kind of shot can always go wrong even if he made contact with the black.

Hasn't thrown him though, responds with a century. Trump will have to thrown in a century or 2 himself to recover this match I feel.

waynescales1 · 14-02-2020 10:24pm

Another century in this match, high quality stuff.

AllForIt · 14-02-2020 10:28pm

Trumps jumps out of his seat to fire in an almost century in no time. I'd say he's gaggin to beat Murphy after his last defeat to him where he made 3 centuries but lost 3 - 6.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 10:36pm

Might still get it done but that was appalling shot to hit the yellow. So casual and careless.

Joe_ Public · 14-02-2020 10:44pm

Got there. Finally. Well played murphy.

Joe_ Public · 15-02-2020 2:36pm

Respotted black to kick things off. Wilson should have won it, be kicking himself for that miss.

Welsh Open

Comments