2021 Masters 10/01/21 -17/01/21

gormdubhgorm · 13-01-2021 6:26pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Was a good match, but old twitchy eye definitely lost it. Should have been home and hosed 6-3. Have to fancy ronnie to win it out now.

Poor auld Ding needs a Chinese Steve Peters I think.

gormdubhgorm · 13-01-2021 6:43pm

TheHopeful wrote: »

.
Ronnie played some lovely stuff at times. The 4th frame in particular he had some fantastic brave attacking longish pots.

Lovely touch shots time and again to open up the black spot. The best one I remember was when he was 3-0 down in the fourth frame. Completely opened up the table. He would have made a great Billiards player as well.

Has a great knack of knowing how to split the pack to without relying on luck as well. In the zone as Ronnie called it in his interview playing a bit quicker.

Joe_ Public · 13-01-2021 7:04pm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Poor auld Ding needs a Chinese Steve Peters I think.

It's very strange, i never thought a lad who came to england at 15, on his own and without a word of the language, would ever struggle with his mental game but ding just seems to lack that necessary bottle at times. Pity really cos he has all the other requirements to be an all time great.

gormdubhgorm · 13-01-2021 7:17pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

It's very strange, i never thought a lad who came to england at 15, on his own and without a word of the language, would ever struggle with his mental game but ding just seems to lack that necessary bottle at times. Pity really cos he has all the other requirements to be an all time great.

Must be very frustrating for those close to him and his supporters. It has happened to many times to be a fluke at this stage. I think Hendry described the mad Brown he took on in the last frame as a 'head gone' moment. He had no way of getting nice on a red from it.

I wonder does he practice much with Yan? Because he took a small bit out of his book he would be the complete player.

It just shows in snooker a player has to have the four decent components to be the real top notch they need tactics, potting, mental strength and ruthlessness. Being weak one of those four and players don't do as well as they should.

Joe_ Public · 13-01-2021 7:34pm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Must be very frustrating for those close to him and his supporters. It has happened to many times to be a fluke at this stage. I think Hendry described the mad Brown he took on in the last frame as a 'head gone' moment. He had no way of getting nice on a red from it.

I wonder does he practice much with Yan? Because he took a small bit out of his book he would be the complete player.

It just shows in snooker a player has to have the four decent components to be the real top notch they need tactics, potting, mental strength and ruthlessness. Being weak one of those four and players don't do as well as they should.

Ding is just hard to work out, that brown the way he played it made no sense on any level. Just trying to figure out what was in his head as he played it is impossible. His post match interview was strange too, seemed to suggest he's not really loving playing under these circumstances but that's not much of an excuse i don't think. A lovely guy but the old enigma wrapped in a puzzle etc definitely applies in his situation i'd say.

gormdubhgorm · 13-01-2021 7:37pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Ding is just hard to work out, that brown the way he played it made no sense on any level. Just trying to figure out what was in his head as he played it is impossible. His post match interview was strange too, seemed to suggest he's not really loving playing under these circumstances but that's not much of an excuse i don't think. A lovely guy but the old enigma wrapped in a puzzle etc definitely applies in his situation i'd say.

It was almost as if he was fighting off the tears in the interview afterwards, he knew he blew it, again.

Joe_ Public · 13-01-2021 7:38pm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Lovely touch shots time and again to open up the black spot. The best one I remember was when he was 3-0 down in the fourth frame. Completely opened up the table. He would have made a great Billiards player as well.

Has a great knack of knowing how to split the pack to without relying on luck as well. In the zone as Ronnie called it in his interview playing a bit quicker.

Remember him doing a piece on pack splitting on one of his always interesting eurosport shows, explaining how he'd changed his approach over the years from all out busting reds everywhere to cherrypicking a couple to move each time when possible. Said it helped him keep better control of a break and less likelihood of going out of position. Fascinating insight.

waynescales1 · 13-01-2021 8:12pm

Fuming I had to miss Ding V ROS, sounded like a great match.

Will have to settle for the Pistol v The Wizard.

waynescales1 · 13-01-2021 9:40pm

“Some flukes are so embarrassing, you daren’t apologise.”

Dominic Dale is quality in the com box. The BBC were foolish to let him go.

AllForIt · 13-01-2021 10:05pm

waynescales1 wrote: »

“Some flukes are so embarrassing, you daren’t apologise.”

Dominic Dale is quality in the com box. The BBC were foolish to let him go.

I agree. One of my favourite commentators currently.

Dull match so far.

AllForIt · 13-01-2021 10:08pm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

It was almost as if he was fighting off the tears in the interview afterwards, he knew he blew it, again.

I think Ronnie is his achilles heal. They had this bromance going for a while and I wonder if that has anything to do with it.

eric hoone · 13-01-2021 10:22pm

Higgins blew that frame, anyone's match now 3-3

Joe_ Public · 13-01-2021 10:23pm

That pink was just about as bad as dings red earlier. Should have put frame to bed a lot earlier anyway, not like higgins at all.

waynescales1 · 13-01-2021 10:24pm

AllForIt wrote: »

Dull match so far.

A combined 63 points scored after 15 reds there in Frame 6. Think I could manage that.

Joe_ Public · 13-01-2021 10:30pm

Don't mind tight low scoring frames personally, players under pressure, having to think about shots. All a matter of taste i suppose.

Arthur Daley · 13-01-2021 10:31pm

The item with Hendry and K Wilson around practice and the different line ups was interesting. That one Wilson was using could push you over the top on a new high break vs the traditional line up from blue to black cushion.

AllForIt · 13-01-2021 10:32pm

waynescales1 wrote: »

A combined 63 points scored after 15 reds there in Frame 6. Think I could manage that.

I was going to say this match is like watching a good club match.

Higgins on a break here, might help him to get his mojo back.

waynescales1 · 13-01-2021 10:36pm

Dale has just declared that Mark Selby is tactically superior to John Higgins. It hurt me to hear that.

AllForIt · 13-01-2021 10:45pm

waynescales1 wrote: »

Dale has just declared that Mark Selby is tactically superior to John Higgins. It hurt me to hear that.

I would agree.

When Higgins isn't playing in top break-building form, he looses it with himself somewhat. You often see him outwardly looking exasperated with his lack of top form. Whereas Selby reverts to his b+ game subconsciously and just gets on with it.

waynescales1 · 13-01-2021 10:56pm

AllForIt wrote: »

I would agree.

When Higgins isn't playing in top break-building form, he looses it with himself somewhat. You often see him outwardly looking exasperated with his lack of top form. Whereas Selby reverts to his b+ game subconsciously and just gets on with it.

I dunno I always agreed with those that said Higgins was the best all round player of all time. In my opinion Higgins is the slightly craftier, cleverer player of the 2. Selby’s tactical game appears to me to be more a result of a combination of stubbornness and huge amounts of practice. I am well open to correction on this.

I am thinking of both players at their absolute peak, rather than based on any recent form.

weemcd · 13-01-2021 11:18pm

Higgins has looked a step ahead to me throughout this. I know it's been tight and they're almo..

And just as I type that he fluffs a pink. Shows what I know.

Arthur Daley · 13-01-2021 11:33pm

Deserves final frame decider

waynescales1 · 13-01-2021 11:36pm

Yeah I’ve enjoyed the match overall, happy with the decider.

Why did Higgins refuse that red along the top cushion though.

Joe_ Public · 13-01-2021 11:38pm

Some really awful careless misses this match, but it's been exciting and tense in its own way.

Arthur Daley · 13-01-2021 11:39pm

Bad misses from both. Mark lucky that red dropped. Generous pocket.

eric hoone · 14-01-2021 12:02am

Ronnie will beat Higgins handily on today's evidence

Joe_ Public · 14-01-2021 12:07am

waynescales1 wrote: »

Yeah I’ve enjoyed the match overall, happy with the decider.

Why did Higgins refuse that red along the top cushion though.

Was interesting shot choice. I don't think it was a bad one but ask yourself would the higgins of 10 or even 5 years ago have made that choice? Don't think so. But if it had won him match we'd be saying what a wise old head he is, so there's that too. Don't know why he didn't play to leave red in middle of table though, that was a bit odd.

14-01-2021 12:08am

Unlucky Mark Allen - showed some bottle when it looked all over. That miss forgivable - never easy to pot the brown when the pressure's on (and not just in a snooker match either :pac:)

AllForIt · 14-01-2021 12:09am

waynescales1 wrote: »

I dunno I always agreed with those that said Higgins was the best all round player of all time. In my opinion Higgins is the slightly craftier, cleverer player of the 2. Selby’s tactical game appears to me to be more a result of a combination of stubbornness and huge amounts of practice. I am well open to correction on this.

I am thinking of both players at their absolute peak, rather than based on any recent form.

Wouldn't correct you on anything, your view is as valid as mine.

Match was worth watching in the end after a scrappy first few frames.

14-01-2021 3:05pm

Some fluke from Wilson - the 'Angry Farmer' were proper annoyed

2021 Masters 10/01/21 -17/01/21

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