2019 Champion of Champions, 4th-10th November - ITV4

Frank O. Pinion · 03-11-2019 11:32pm #1

The seventh edition of the revived version of this non-ranking tournament starts tomorrow. It's a great event, with everybody deserving of their place, by being some type of champion over the last 12 months. You can argue the merit of giving the Women's World Champion and Seniors World Champion places, but they are winners and have won a Snooker event in last year, unlike say, #3 in the world, Mark Williams, who hasn't won anything in over a year. No high-ranked top-up players this year, 16 actual champions. Ronnie is the defending champion, defeating Kyren Wilson last year, 10-9. Ronnie has made the final every year, only skipping the 2015 event.

Prize money is going up this year, from £100,000 to £150,000 for the winner, and from £50,000 to £60,000 for the runner-up. Played in groups, Monday-Thursday, meaning two round of 16 matches take place each afternoon, with the winners playing that evening in the quarter-finals. First is round is best-of-7s, QFs and SFs are best-of-11, and the finale is a best-of-19.

List of champions, and their qualifications for this year's event:

Ronnie O'Sullivan - 2018 Champion of Champions, 2018 UK Championship, 2019 Players Championship, 2019 Tour Championship, 2019 Shanghai Masters
Judd Trump - 2019 World Championship, 2019 Masters, 2019 World Grand Prix, 2019 International Championship, 2019 World Open, 2018 Northern Ireland Open
Neil Robertson - 2019 China Open, 2019 Welsh Open
Shaun Murphy - 2019 China Championship
Kyren Wilson - 2019 German Masters
Mark Selby - 2019 English Open
Mark Allen - 2018 Scottish Open
Yan Bingtao - 2019 Riga Masters
Matthew Selt - 2019 Indian Open
Stuart Bingham - 2019 Gibraltar Open
John Higgins - 2019 World Championship Runner-up, 2019 World Cup (Team Event)
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh - 2019 Shoot-Out
Jimmy White - 2019 World Seniors Championship
Reanne Evans - 2019 World Women's Championship
Martin Gould - 2019 Championship League
Stephen Maguire - 2019 World Cup (Team Event)

And how the draw worked out:

Group 1, Thursday
Ronnie O'Sullivan (defending champion) v Jimmy White (1pm)
John Higgins v Stuart Bingham (3pm, approx.)

Group 2, Monday
Neil Robertson v Martin Gould (1pm)
Shaun Murphy v Reanne Evans (3pm, approx.)

Group 3, Tuesday
Mark Selby v Yan Bingtao (1pm)
Mark Allen v Matthew Selt (3pm, approx.)

Group 4, Wednesday
Judd Trump v Stephen Maguire (1pm)
Kyren Wilson (last year's runner-up) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (3pm, approx.)

The winners of the afternoon matches play each other at 7pm each evening.

DuckSlice · 04-11-2019 10:21am

Be interesting to see how Reanne gets on against Murphy. I thought that match was Thursday though. I read an article this morning that when she won the worlds in 2012 that her prize money was £450 while Ronnie took home £250k for winning the mens equivalent. Madness.

Hopefully Ronnie will be in better form for this tournament.

Joe_ Public · 04-11-2019 11:34am

etxp wrote: »

Be interesting to see how Reanne gets on against Murphy. I thought that match was Thursday though. I read an article this morning that when she won the worlds in 2012 that her prize money was £450 while Ronnie took home £250k for winning the mens equivalent. Madness.

Hopefully Ronnie will be in better form for this tournament.

Murphy is odds on to win 4-0 today which is hard to argue with. I hope she acquits herself well. The standard in the womens game isnt high but it can only improve if the top players like evans get exposure and opportunity and inspire young girls that snooker is a sport they can take up and flourish. Thats why I'm happy enough to see her in it.

Joe_ Public · 04-11-2019 5:48pm

Some really good potting from evans there, growing into this match after a slow start. Murphy back to 3-2 now and something to think about.

DuckSlice · 04-11-2019 6:15pm

Looks like it will go 3-3. Only looking at the live scoring online though.

Joe_ Public · 04-11-2019 6:20pm

Couple of really good frames from her. Murphy not played well but you can tell hes clearly feeling the pressure a bit.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 2:36pm

Jimmy playing well and Ronnie all over the gaff. Upset definitely on the cards.

zuutroy · 07-11-2019 2:43pm

Jimmy doing amazing! O'Sullivan hasn't had a sniff yet really.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 3:02pm

Dramatic frame. Jimmy clear fav now anyway.

zuutroy · 07-11-2019 3:14pm

Its as if Ronnie just gave him a 3 frame head start. Demeanour totally different now. Even with the bookies now.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 3:35pm

Jimmy wants a chance. Well, here it is!

zuutroy · 07-11-2019 3:44pm

Even if Ronnie wine, Higgins or Bingham will destroy him on current form.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 3:48pm

No chance if he played like this anyway. If that was a kick on the black jimmy was very unlucky there.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 3:53pm

Ronnie 2 from 14 long pots. 14%!!

He's just in one of those moods you see occasionally where he'd or like to win but won't break his back to do so. Not bothering with safety to any great extent.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 4:04pm

Jimmy, jimmy ooohhh. Blew it son.

zuutroy · 07-11-2019 4:05pm

Ugly stuff all round. Probably stay in and watch him tonight now instead of going to play myself...Will prob regret that by 7:30.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 4:11pm

Great match, says stephen hendry, had everything. Why doesnt he state honestly that ronnie was away with the fairies there? It was a bizarre, dramatic match, not a great one.

Pighead · 07-11-2019 4:27pm

I'd say Jimmy is currently trashing his dressing room. He was unlucky in frame six but that missed red in the final frame was unforgiveable. Ronnie will be a lot more focused this evening I reckon. He went for everything today because he knew it was unlikely Jimmy could finish in one visit. I reckon we'll see him tighten thongs up tonight against Bingham/Higgins.

zuutroy · 07-11-2019 4:52pm

He's yet to take a match seriously since winning in Shanghai, so let's see. I suppose playing Higgins might put a bit of manners on him.

The Nal · 07-11-2019 4:56pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Jimmy, jimmy ooohhh. Blew it son.

Heard that before.

Pighead · 07-11-2019 5:33pm

zuutroy wrote: »

He's yet to take a match seriously since winning in Shanghai, so let's see. I suppose playing Higgins might put a bit of manners on him.

Yeah, but he hasn't played anybody worth talking about since Shanghai. I think he decides to play with careless abandon when he's up against anybody outside the top 16 just to make the match interesting for himself.

zuutroy · 07-11-2019 10:07pm

I'll never understand him. What a clearance to win.

The Nal · 07-11-2019 10:09pm

Still crazy after all these years. What a few last shots they were.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 10:11pm

That was quite something, even by his standards. Why bother with safety when you can just do that?

Pighead · 07-11-2019 10:13pm

zuutroy wrote: »

I'll never understand him. What a clearance to win.

Unreal clearance. So great watching him when he's on song. The speed he was moving around the table was ridiculous. Robertson up next tomorrow. Ronnie's had his number for the past couple of years with maybe four or five wins on the trot. Can never rule out Robertson but you'd have to fancy O'Sullivan.

Joe_ Public · 07-11-2019 10:20pm

I still wouldnt really fancy Ronnie playing in that kamikaze mode. Though i think he might tighten it up a little now he's in sf.

Pighead · 08-11-2019 2:54pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I still wouldnt really fancy Ronnie playing in that kamikaze mode. Though i think he might tighten it up a little now he's in sf.

That's a fair point. Apparently he said in one of his interviews last night that he's aiming to get his average shot time down to ten seconds in his match this evening. As you say above that would be a kamikaze move. He's not beating Robertson if he completely abandons his safety game and focuses on his average shot time. Will be interesting to see if he's true to his word. I'm guessing he won't be given the fact that it's a semi-final and he's unbeaten in this competition.

The Nal · 08-11-2019 3:07pm

Pighead wrote: »

That's a fair point. Apparently he said in one of his interviews last night that he's aiming to get his average shot time down to ten seconds in his match this evening.

He said 8 seconds or even 7! He was a right arse in his interview.

zuutroy · 08-11-2019 4:17pm

He's said a good few times that he hates those post match interviews as they're so formulaic. Doesn't even give the lads at Eurosport where he earns a few quid decent answers. Anyway, it looks like he's back up to a solid 7 on the 'off-the-rails' meter again. So much for all the stuff about cook books and running keeping him centred.

waynescales1 · 08-11-2019 7:07pm

O'Sullivan is really letting the substandard (in his opinion) facilities at some of the events get to him. Every time he's in front of a camera he's complaining about it. When asked about his performance last night he still somehow managed to complain about standards at an event that happened weeks ago in his answer.

I'd either accept it and get on with it, or don't attend the event.

waynescales1 · 08-11-2019 10:36pm

5-4 O’Sullivan, enjoyed that black ball frame.

2019 Champion of Champions, 4th-10th November - ITV4

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