2019 Masters

Harry Palmr wrote: »

Really enjoyed that last frame, absorbing cat and mouse.

Yeah, centuries all well and good but nothing beats a good tactical ding dong for me.

Lot of hype around the match, hope it lives up to expectations

Gracelynn Stale Vow wrote: »

BBC really playing up the rivalry here. Almost describing it as a grudge match.

Think it just shows how desperate snooker is for a few “young” players, or at least new names, to start winning big titles and develop genuine rivalries. These guys are closer to 30 than 20 now, time for them to deliver I think.

Gracelynn Stale Vow wrote: »

Yep. Trump will turn 30 in August and yet Virgo just referred to him as a "young up-and-coming player."

Trump has been "up-and-coming" for years now. He has won some titles but never lived up to all the hype.

Yeah I like judd but he has underachieved criminally for the talent he has. But he has at least won titles and doesn’t cower when facing ronnie like a few others, I’ll give him that.

The other day they were going on about Lisowski as if he had just stepped out of the cradle, he’ll be 28 in a few months. Bbc just won’t acknowledge that the young generation now just is not up to scratch.

I think it’s a bit more alarming than people realise. Look beyond Wilson and Lisowski in the rankings and there isn’t really anything coming from the UK in the 20-30 bracket, despite hearn and the bbc telling us everything is great. There’s really nothing there.

Thing is to savour every bit of Ronnie while he’s still there because there just won’t be another like him again, not in any of our lifetimes anyway.

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Isn't this a reflection of where the game was going 10-15 years ago. The game was in decline, but has had a bump this decade and the hope is that kids of 10 or 12 are now more encouraged to pick up the cue and practice 4 hours a night. It is almost like there is a lost generation that grew up in the 2000s/early 2010s but the few quid in the game now will see the next generation emerge. Granted not too many will emerge from here or even from the UK, but if you build it and put it out there, they will come.

Was the game in decline 15 years ago though? There were obvious structural problems of course but you still had a young generation- Ding, Paul Hunter, Mark Allen, S Lee, Maguire, Murphy etc who all exhibited a lot of potential. Not all realised admittedly but at least it was there.

The numbers taking up the game is the big issue for sure, how you inspire those kids to play a fairly solitary and sedantary time consuming pursuit is the issue. Uk has to look at china and try to copy, even at a more modest level, what they are doing but costs a lot of money they probably don’t have.

Hammer blow for wilson here, only himself to blame.

Gracelynn Stale Vow wrote: »

I'd hope you're right -- but the financial reality is that only the top 10 players in the world are making six-figure incomes. Players outside the top 50 are making under £30k, outside the top 70 are making less than £20k, and outside the top 100 are making less than £10k -- from which they have to deduct expenses, tournament entry fees, and so on. Unless a player can get well into the top 16 and stay there consistently, there are no riches to be made in snooker. Many "professionals" have to work second jobs to make ends meet.

You are right on that. No way most of the players can make a decent living, unless they get somehow lucky with sponsorship. Can’t be much fun as a low ranked pro scrimping and saving on costs while trying to maximise your chances of winning matches. Bit of a vicious cycle I think.

Gracelynn Stale Vow wrote: »

Exactly. Ronnie's first-round opponent in the UK was saying that he hoped he could get some time off work so that he could practice for the match. These players come in, predictably get obliterated 6-0 or 6-1 by one of the better players, get no prize money, and are out of pocket for costs. That's the reality of being a low-ranked pro.

Hearn's spin on this is that he's giving the unknown players a chance to break through by pitting them against the big names. But you can't break through if you're working to support yourself and thus don't have the time to improve your game.

That’s hearns capitalist mentality coming through, no money for first round defeats as in “losers get nothing.” I think there was one poor sap a couple of years ago who drew top 5 players nearly the whole season and failed to win a match. So easy to get locked into a cycle of defeat and struggle to get out of it. Still think 128 players is too much for the tour, it can’t sustain it quite yet l.

It was always thus. Only top 50 could hope to make any sort of living solely from snooker, and even then you need exhibitions etc. Don't see this changing.

Shocker!

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Hendry being a little bit critical, should have been done a lot quicker. That’s the ruthless take on it I guess

Hes right though? Everyone wants to see Trump being more ruthless. He has all the talent in the world.

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Not been a great first round it has to be said. Brecel-Allen the only real quality, hard fought match. Day-Higgins was close but poor quality. Hope for better starting tomorrow.

I don't know it hasn't been that bad. I though Ronnies performance was underrated where the match got off to a very slow start. I loved the last frame where he came back to clinch it on a re-spot black.

Trump and Selby played very well. Trump a more measured game and Selby playing with a bit of spark which we haven't seen from him in a while.

Murphy was terrible. I though his cue action was all over the place. He was playing with a very strange exaggerated feathering of the ball, with a huge backswing. He really needs to look at that imo. As a basic principle which helped me in potting better is to line up the shot first, then start feathering, he didn't seem to be doing that at all. Williams is a great example of someone who visibly lines up the shot before feathering.


Incidentally, someone on YouTube has been posting full matches not long after they have been completed. Currently watching the Williams vs Robetrson match which I didn't see.

AllForIt wrote: »

I don't know it hasn't been that bad. I though Ronnies performance was underrated where the match got off to a very slow start. I loved the last frame where he came back to clinch it on a re-spot black.

Trump and Selby played very well. Trump a more measured game and Selby playing with a bit of spark which we haven't seen from him in a while.

Murphy was terrible. I though his cue action was all over the place. He was playing with a very strange exaggerated feathering of the ball, with a huge backswing. He really needs to look at that imo. As a basic principle which helped me in potting better is to line up the shot first, then start feathering, he didn't seem to be doing that at all. Williams is a great example of someone who visibly lines up the shot before feathering.


Incidentally, someone on YouTube has been posting full matches not long after they have been completed. Currently watching the Williams vs Robetrson match which I didn't see.

The bbc say it’s been great too so who am I to argue ;-)

Day injection on his shoulder I think, not sure how much of a factor that might be.

Ryan "Unforced error" Day.

The difference in the BBC and Eurosport studios is gas. Beeb with a big window overlooking the auditorium and table and Eurosport look like they're shoved into some cloakroom.

Looking at replays of 'kicks' is the same as me looking at baby sonograms. I can't see anything!

Scrappy enough so far.

Edit. Very easy in the end. C game from Ronnie.