2019 Northern Ireland Open

Joe_ Public · 11-11-2019 6:16pm #1

Ding loses 2-4 to 40 something year old David Lilley, the world no.120 in his first year as a pro. Ding gets the 3 snookers he needed in last frame and then immediately needlessly sticks last red over pocket. Awful stuff. I suppose this does qualify as a shock, but with ding, its never seismic nowadays.

Joe_ Public · 11-11-2019 6:26pm

Seems a decent bloke lilley. Brave decision to quit a decent job to go pro at that age. Played decent snooker today to be fair to him, wish him all the luck.

The Nal · 12-11-2019 1:25pm

Trump playing James Cahill at 1pm. Ronnie playing Oliver Lines at 7pm. Lines saying Ronnies comments about playing lower ranked players are "questionable".

Mark Allen vs Alan McManus should be worth a watch too.

El_Duderino 09 · 12-11-2019 1:30pm

The Nal wrote: »

Trump playing James Cahill at 1pm. Ronnie playing Oliver Lines at 7pm. Lines saying Ronnies comments about playing lower ranked players are "questionable".

Mark Allen vs Alan McManus should be worth a watch too.

What did Ronnie say?

The Nal · 12-11-2019 1:34pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

What did Ronnie say?

"There’s no point going out there and trying to play the right shot because every time you do, they play the wrong shot. Whatever plan you have they throw out the window with one shot, it’s like following a driver who doesn’t really know what they’re doing, you second guess it and you end up having a crash yourself."

Joe_ Public · 12-11-2019 2:44pm

Feel bit sorry for james cahill here. Tough life as a pro when you're struggling for confidence and you draw judd trump in the first round. Ronnie could have a point to make, just a shame he has to be so crass and condescending about it.

Arthur Daley · 12-11-2019 2:52pm

Stuart Bingham had a maximum on the other table. 3 maximums this season and counting. Will it get to 20 for Barry Hearn to pay out.

El_Duderino 09 · 12-11-2019 3:06pm

It's a tricky one. He probably has a point that the lower ranked players play differently top ones. But he still has to play them and thats just part of the job. Is he angling for some kind of bye to the later rounds for himself so he doesn't have to play the lower ranked players?

Joe_ Public · 12-11-2019 3:11pm

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Stuart Bingham had a maximum on the other table. 3 maximums this season and counting. Will it get to 20 for Barry Hearn to pay out.

Thats No.3 isnt it? Since we're not far off midway through season, you'd have to think maths are way against it. I dont think any season has ever got close to 20 so think barry has left himself a decent margin for error, while creating the potential for a bit of publicity. I suppose its at least a damn site more realistic than the bonus for winning the four open titles anyway!

Joe_ Public · 12-11-2019 3:34pm

Well, trump match has taken a turn! Decider looking likely.

El_Duderino 09 · 12-11-2019 4:07pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Thats No.3 isnt it? Since we're not far off midway through season, you'd have to think maths are way against it. I dont think any season has ever got close to 20 so think barry has left himself a decent margin for error, while creating the potential for a bit of publicity. I suppose its at least a damn site more realistic than the bonus for winning the four open titles anyway!

Yeah seriously. 20 is a huge number and it generates publicity (we're talking about it) after only 3 maximums.

The convention of paying big money for 147 is a bit strange anyway. It was a thing back in the 90s in the world championships. But the actual 147 doesn't generate any money. They can't charge punters or advertisers extra for it. They used to offer £147,000. But they insured against having to actually pay it and it made sense because it was such a rare occurrence. Maximums became so common that the insurance companies didn't want to cover it (or charged *£100,000 to cover the full amount. *Amount may have been made up by me).

Joe_ Public · 12-11-2019 4:36pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

Yeah seriously. 20 is a huge number and it generates publicity (we're talking about it) after only 3 maximums.

The convention of paying big money for 147 is a bit strange anyway. It was a thing back in the 90s in the world championships. But the actual 147 doesn't generate any money. They can't charge punters or advertisers extra for it. They used to offer £147,000. But they insured against having to actually pay it and it made sense because it was such a rare occurrence. Maximums became so common that the insurance companies didn't want to cover it (or charged *£100,000 to cover the full amount. *Amount may have been made up by me).

I personally dont get excited about 147s anymore. Publicity is definitely good all the same, but i dont believe it means very much anymore. I cant help picturing, though, a scenario where they get to No.18, bearing down on the prize, and suddenly players cant believe how slow and tight the tables are playing. But thats scurrilous of me, because we all know they'd never do something like manipulate playing conditions ;-)

Edit: would have to concede its definitely nice to go to a snooker match and see one live. Ive been to a lot of snooker matches over the years and never got lucky enough to see one.

zuutroy · 12-11-2019 8:20pm

Ronnie with the safety break continuing the weird trend of late. Playing properly since though in a very tight first frame.

Joe_ Public · 13-11-2019 2:11pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Ronnie with the safety break continuing the weird trend of late. Playing properly since though in a very tight first frame.

Jimmy just sayin he thinks it was in homage to Alex Higgins who was known to use the same shot back in the day, given they are in Belfast and playing for the Alex trophy. Who knows? Makes some sort of sense probably...

Joe_ Public · 13-11-2019 2:18pm

Jesus, mark selby has never heard of the green party! I know he's a snooker player, but still.

El_Duderino 09 · 13-11-2019 2:34pm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Jesus, mark selby has never heard of the green party! I know he's a snooker player, but still.

This is why they say 'never meet your heroes'.

Sebastian Vettel (f1 driver) was in Japan when the hurricane was maybe going to cancel the race and rugby world cup games and was causing chaos to the country at large. He said he didn't even know there was a hurricane.

I suppose they are so good at their specific job because they don't try to know about anything else. I'd prefer of I didn't know that about Selby. Makes him sound like a div.

Joe_ Public · 13-11-2019 3:14pm

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

This is why they say 'never meet your heroes'.

Sebastian Vettel (f1 driver) was in Japan when the hurricane was maybe going to cancel the race and rugby world cup games and was causing chaos to the country at large. He said he didn't even know there was a hurricane.

I suppose they are so good at their specific job because they don't try to know about anything else. I'd prefer of I didn't know that about Selby. Makes him sound like a div.

Ah yeah, i do like mark, achieved a lot with the talent he was given, but that was just a bit of a shocker to be fair. Theres tunnel vision and then theres just being totally out of touch with whats happening in the world.

zuutroy · 13-11-2019 8:54pm

Ronnie's long game is in bad shape both on potting and thin safeties. Wonder are the eyes starting to go!

Dante7 · 13-11-2019 9:50pm

Ronnie showing the manic side of his bipolar on Eurosport. That's two nights in a row.

El_Duderino 09 · 13-11-2019 9:54pm

Dante7 wrote: »

Ronnie showing the manic side of his bipolar on Eurosport. That's two nights in a row.

Do you know, he was Interviewed after a match in the champion of champions and he looked manic. Couldn't sit still or wait until the end of a question. I put it down to being excited after the win bit I did wonder if it was normal.

zuutroy · 13-11-2019 10:01pm

Been saying for a few weeks now that he seems to be a bit off the wall again. Tonight's interview was terrible, particularly slagging off the ref's appearance.

GeneralC · 13-11-2019 10:04pm

He shouldn't have said anything about the ref's weight. Total madness. He should be made to apologise and fined for these interviews.

Muppet Man · 13-11-2019 10:09pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Been saying for a few weeks now that he seems to be a bit off the wall again. Tonight's interview was terrible, particularly slagging off the ref's appearance.

Completely agree... he seems off the wall in the last few interviews And just being a bit of a clown on camera, in fact just there when he was with Jimmy talking about the match I’m sure they cut the interview short because jimmy looked a bit shocked when he said they were going for a commercial break. I think the host just had enough of it at that stage. Totally agree that comments about the ref were out of order and I suspect he will be pulled up for it. He’s awesome to watch, but he’s becoming unsavoury.

Muppet man

Dante7 · 13-11-2019 10:12pm

It's a typical manic phase of someone who is bipolar and not taking their meds. The thing is, he could do five tons in a row in 25 minutes.

Joe_ Public · 13-11-2019 10:21pm

Having a cut at the ref was so unnecessary, bet he didnt try that on with len ganley back in the day! What odds though its slagging off the sponsors that gets him a reprimand? Cant be having that at all!

waynescales1 · 13-11-2019 10:44pm

Ferg and Ken both through to Round 3.

zuutroy · 13-11-2019 10:44pm

And he has spoken about having a good rapport with that ref before in terms of getting the balls back on the spot quickly to keep him flowing. Disappointing.
If I was Andy Goldstein I'd be really pissed off. This is a guy you work with on broadcasts and you're throwing him under the bus.

Pighead · 14-11-2019 12:57pm

Wow. Great win for Ken against an in-form Un Nooh. Didn't see that coming.

zuutroy · 14-11-2019 1:05pm

Absolutely...fair play to him. Plays Selby or Brecel tonight.

Pighead · 14-11-2019 2:04pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Absolutely...fair play to him. Plays Selby or Brecel tonight.

Played well too. Very good break of ninety something to level at 3-3 and then a fantastic 66 to leave Un Nooh needing snookers. Looked a bit of a stinky table when he began the break but played a few excellent shots to clear the reds.

Glenman · 14-11-2019 4:00pm

zuutroy wrote: »

Absolutely...fair play to him. Plays Selby or Brecel tonight.

What time is Ken playing tonight? Will that be on Eurosport?

2019 Northern Ireland Open

Comments