Minor Tournaments Discussion 2018/19.

Great to see Robertson playing so well of late. It's not just that he's playing as we know he can but he seems different somehow. He's playing with a calmness and ease around the table that to me is quite noticeable. He made a great comeback clearance in the semi to beat Brecel and reach the CO final.

Whether he wins the CO or not I would put him in the top 3 most likely to win the WC this year. I'd love to see Ronnie equal Davis's record of WC wins but I really do think Robertson is a very strong threat to him doing it this year. I still fancy Ronnie for it but it won't be a walkover for him with Robertson and Trump on his tails. Looking forward to the WC more this year than for some time.

When you say your not a robbo fan I'm not sure if your talking about his snooker or him personally. Personally I didn't like him at all when he came to prominence. I thought he was really arrogant and I hate his hairstyle which he never changed over the years. As time passes I think he's lost that arrogant attitude and I'm hoping he'll loose that trendy hairstyle as well : )

I have always been a fan of his snooker. At the top of his game he's comparable to a style of say J.White (edit: not exactly but similar) but he hasn't been consistent. Hendry recently commented on robbo's so called 'power game' meaning he can make long shots with lots of power and accuracy. Hendry admitted he couldn't play those kinds of shots.

It's funny how one has a preference for one player or another based on their style regardless of their overall achievements. I never enjoyed watching Selby play but that is no remark on his ability. I'm much prefer to watch robbo or Murphy when on top form than Selby.

AllForIt wrote: »

When you say your not a robbo fan I'm not sure if your talking about his snooker or him personally. Personally I didn't like him at all when he came to prominence. I thought he was really arrogant and I hate his hairstyle which he never changed over the years. As time passes I think he's lost that arrogant attitude and I'm hoping he'll loose that trendy hairstyle as well : )

I have always been a fan of his snooker. At the top of his game he's comparable to a style of say J.White (edit: not exactly but similar) but he hasn't been consistent. Hendry recently commented on robbo's so called 'power game' meaning he can make long shots with lots of power and accuracy. Hendry admitted he couldn't play those kinds of shots.

It's funny how one has a preference for one player or another based on their style regardless of their overall achievements. I never enjoyed watching Selby play but that is no remark on his ability. I'm much prefer to watch robbo or Murphy when on top form than Selby.

Thats true about hendry, he was never blessed with great cue power in relation to some of his peers. But the way these tables are set up now, cue power, while no doubt handy to have, isn't as much the advantage it once was i don't think. The cloths are so slick, you can just let table do the work for most shots, like a marco fu or mark allen.

As regards robbo, nothing at all against him personally, just not the greatest fan as a snooker player. On a slightly facetious level, i find his incessant table walking, sizing up shots five different ways, a bit of an irritant to watch, but more than that, it's how often he resorts to negative safety shots when under pressure. I actually dont think i've ever watched a top player play so many containing safety shots as he does, and I believe it's a weakness in his game. He's won lots of titles to be fair to him, but i'd regard his world title as extremely on the soft side and he'd have to win another before i was willing to elevate him up with the likes of selby or williams. Has time to prove me wrong yet it must be said.

Dante7 wrote: »

But Jaysus, now I won't be able to avoid noticing him doing the sizing up shots from all angles!

Major reason I'm not a big fan of his either. Other players can make a 10-15 point break in the time it takes for Roberson to walk around the table, and look at the shot from every angle. It's very frustrating, as even he himself has said he plays a lot better and wins more often, when his shot time is under 20 seconds.

But...he has had a fantastic season, and is actually #1 for season (#4 on official rankings), especially since mid-February, where he's been in four finals in a row, and won £405,000 in less than two months. He has a much "easier" path to the World Championship final than the other top players this season.

A little less than two weeks until the World Championship, but there's one more event before then, The Seniors Masters, which is also played in the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.

A one day event, taking place this Thursday, 11th April. All rounds are best-of-3. Winner's prize is £7,500.

Cliff Thorburn (defending champion) v Stephen Hendry
Ken Doherty v Barry Pinches
Jimmy White v Joe Johnson (never played each other at the Crucible)
Aaron Canavan v John Parrott

The event will air live on FreeSports, from 2pm on Thursday.

Inviere wrote: »

I find Mark Allen very noticeable for that myself, tends to roll up to the bunch in a negative fashion, rather than trying something more positive/aggressive that the other top players would do.

Yes that's a fair point. I've always thought Allen could be a far better safety player if he put his mind to it, not that he's terrible as it is. I've been wondering past while whether containing safety shots are becoming a more regular feature of the game in general but not sure if that's just me. Especially on a black ball years ago, i think players were more liable to go for thin cut pots or doubles up and down the table. Now the mantra is get the object ball safe at all costs and that invariably means just tiddle it up to the side cush.