2015 World Championships - Discussion Thread

[CaledonianCraig]

First topic message reminder :

So another world championship at The Crucible is upon us. Who will emerge victorious and be crowned the world champion? For me a lot depends on the early rounds. Players who will get better as the tournament goes on I feel will be the likes of Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and John Higgins so them avoiding an early exit will put them right in contention. Obviously, Ronnie O'Sullivan will be one of the favourites and his chances will hinge on avoiding top notch match play players ie Mark Selby and John Higgins in the latter stages. Ronnie is at his best in matches against expansive shot players who play an open game and whose misses leave chances. This year it is wide open I think so here is hoping we have a great fortnight of snooker. Enjoy and start discussing here when the matches get under way........

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie mopping up a frame Stevens had in his grasp and now leads 5-2. Early days I know but I feel Stevens has to win the last frame of this session.

[CaledonianCraig]

Meanwhile, Barry Hawkins is now level at 11-11 with Mark Allen.

[CaledonianCraig]

Matthew Stevens stops the rot and wins the last frame of the day to keep him in with a shout. Ronnie leads 5-3 and to be honest I see him winning this one. Meanwhile, Hawkins is now ahead 12-11 after trailing 11-9.

[CaledonianCraig]

A great comeback by Barry Hawkins as he beats Mark Allen 13-11 - winning the last four frames on the bounce.

[CaledonianCraig]

Tomorrow morning's matches sees Joe Perry start his Second Round match against Shaun Murphy and on the other table Marco Fu and Judd Trump begin their match.

[EdWoodjr]

It seems a charisma vacuum such as Anthony McGill  is flying the flag for Scotland. Oh my god.  Babe-Magnet Hendry ( money has nothing to do with it of course ) has buggered off, Higgins & Dott have taxis a-waiting. Maguire fails to produce when the heat's on as per usual.
Neil Robertson-charisma-free robot. Ronnie O'Sullivan- never-a-day's-work-in-his-life brat ,  hot and cold, smile-a-year John Wayne  are still in but zzzzz
Oh bring back the glory days of serial snorter 147 one-hit wonder Kirk Stevens, Dean ''30 break in 8 min' Reynolds & Tony 'bottle merchant' Meo.
On second thoughts perhaps not.
PS The '85 decider was actually crap, Taylor will confirm this.

[CaledonianCraig]

I am not too sure what you are getting at. Many pundits have commented on the cheery disposition of McGill. Seems some bitterness about something.

[EdWoodjr]

I'm just a typical, grumpy,cynical Scotsman but, trust me, I'd love McGill to do the bizzo. Good luck to him

[CaledonianCraig]

To be honest I think it is a year or two too soon for him. This year the experience will help him and fill him with confidence.

[Hammersmith harrier]

Hawkins is just one of those World Championship specialists, doesn't excel throughout the rest of the season but it comes to the longer games and he's incredibly hard to beat, reminds me a lot of Joe Swail in that respect. One of the most pleasing results so far as I do think Mark Allen is a bit of a twit and doesn't play the game within the spirit it should be played.

[EdWoodjr]

Hawkins is hard work to watch, big time. Joe SwaIl isn't necessarily someone who raised his game for the big stage. Fair enough, couple of semis but if memory serves me right, Parrott had him in tears ( literally ) when coming back with 4 down with 5 to play. Totally agree on Allen though. He's a whinging, sour-faced soap dodger who adds heehaw to the entertainment value of the game ( not a sport ) as a whole.

[CaledonianCraig]

So far this morning Shaun Murphy leads Joe Perry 3-1 and Judd Trump leads Marco Fu 4-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Judd Trump extends his lead to 5-2 (though two of those frames he has pinched) and Murphy now leads Perry 4-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Shaun Murphy now in firm control as he lads Joe Perry 5-1. Imperative that Perry wins the last two frames of the session. On the other table Marco Fu looks good to take the last frame of their session and trail 5-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Murphy going a long way towards winning this match as he leads Perry 6-1. Perry looks deflated.

[CaledonianCraig]

Murphy spurned a chance or two in the final frame of the session (but at one point needed a snooker) and Perry capitulated to lose the frame on a re-spotted black and trails 7-1. Game over for me. The winner of this match plays Anthony McGill in the Quarter-Finals.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon Neil Robertson resumes 6-2 ahead of Ali Carter and Ronnie O'Sullivan resumes 5-3 ahead of Matthew Stevens.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie O'Sullivan takes the first frame of the day to lead 6-3. Alarm bells ringing for Matthew Stevens. And on the other table Ali Carter reduces the deficit to 6-3 against Neil Robertson.

[CaledonianCraig]

Stevens gifting up plenty of chances for Ronnie and he will gobble them up all day - O'Sullivan leads now 7-3. In fairness Matthew is having a horrible run of the balls.

[CaledonianCraig]

Neil Robertson leads 7-3 and looks comfortable. Like Matthew Stevens, Ali Carter is handing out too many chances to the Aussie.

[CaledonianCraig]

Stevens gets a desperately needed frame on the board and now trails 7-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

At their mid-session interval Ronnie will be pleased. He leads 8-4 and a comeback from Matthew Stevens looks unlikely. If Ronnie wins here which looks likely then in the next round he will play Stuart Bingham which you would fancy Ronnie to win. Thereafter Ronnie may face Ding Junhui or Judd Trump in the semis.

[CaledonianCraig]

Robertson pinches frame 11 and leads 8-3. Ronnie similarly in control and back-to-back centuries mean he leads 9-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie leads 10-4 now and the QF beckons. Robertson leads Carter 9-3 and it is not inconceivable he could finish the match today - a session early.

[CaledonianCraig]

Stevens really struggling here - poor positional play, missed pots and slack safety. He needs to knuckle down and win these last two frames. Take nothing away from Ronnie though as he has taken most of the chances offered up.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie mops up another frame that Stevens had chances in and now leads 11-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Neil Robertson takes another frame and leads 10-3 with three frames left to play today.

[CaledonianCraig]

O'Sullivan walkiing this match takes the last frame of the session to lead 12-4 going into the final session tomorrow evening. Stevens shell-shocked.

[CaledonianCraig]

People with tickets for tomorrow evening's play may have very little snooker to watch. On one table Ronnie only needs one more frame to beat Matthew Stevens and on the other table the match between Neil Robertson and Ali Carter may already be done and dusted by then. The audience may have JV out doing his impersonations.

[CaledonianCraig]

Robertson ends up leading 12-4 overnight. Tomorrow evening's session promises to be an early finish.

[CaledonianCraig]

In this evening's matches Shaun Murphy led 10-1 but Perry has won the last two frames and trails 10-3. Judd Trump leads Marco Fu 9-3. And with both of these matches down to end in tomorrow afternoon's session and no morning session there could be as little as about five frames in total played tomorrow.

[CaledonianCraig]

Shaun Murphy leads 11-3 and if he wins the last two frames of the day he wins the match a session early. On the other table Trump leads Fu 9-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Shaun Murphy will need just one frame tomorrow to reach the quarters. He leads Joe Perry 12-4 overnight.

[CaledonianCraig]

At least there appears to be a little more snooker left to play in the other match that will finish tomorrow - at present Trump leads Fu 9-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

Overnight Judd Trump leads Marco Fu 10-6.

[CaledonianCraig]

Fu keeps his hopes alive and continues his comeback. He trailed 9-3 but has now pulled it back to 7-10.

[CaledonianCraig]

Joe Perry at least extending play for another frame wins the first frame of the day but surely is delaying the inevitable as he trails 12-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

Shaun Murphy beats Joe Perry 13-5 and will ply Anthony McGill in the quarters. That match starting tomorrow I do believe.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump stretches his lead over Marco Fu to 11-7.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump on the verge of the quarter-finals as he leads Fu 12-7. One more frame takes him through.

[CaledonianCraig]

Fu keeps the match alive to take the final frame before the mid-session interval but Trump still leads 12-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

Judd Trump seals his quarter-final place in beating Marco Fu 13-8.

The Quarter-Final line-up will most likely be this:-

Anthony McGill (Sco) V Shaun Murphy (Eng)
Barry Hawkins (Eng) V Neil Robertson (Aus)
Ding Junhui (Chn) V Judd Trump (Eng)
Stuart Bingham (Eng) V Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng)

[CaledonianCraig]

This evening sees the completion of the final Second Round matches and Neil Robertson leads Ali Carter 11-5 whilst Ronnie O'Sullivan resumes 12-4 ahead of Matthew Stevens.

[Mike Selig]

I watched a fair amount of the Trump-Fu match. I think Trump now has all the components in his game to win the worlds - his potting of course, but break-building and safety have now improved. Where he is still lacking though is shot selection, and at times concentration. Unlike the other main contenders he still has this tendency to either go for something daft or play a seemingly straight forward shot poorly. There were moments during the match against Fu when you thought a fightback could happen.

Robertson or O'Sullivan still the big favourites for me.

I can't see McGill repeating his performances so far, and I think Murphy will take that one comfortably.

[CaledonianCraig]

I watched a fair amount of the Trump-Fu match. I think Trump now has all the components in his game to win the worlds - his potting of course, but break-building and safety have now improved. Where he is still lacking though is shot selection, and at times concentration. Unlike the other main contenders he still has this tendency to either go for something daft or play a seemingly straight forward shot poorly. There were moments during the match against Fu when you thought a fightback could happen.

Robertson or O'Sullivan still the big favourites for me.

I can't see McGill repeating his performances so far, and I think Murphy will take that one comfortably.

I can't disagree with much of that. The thing that weighs in O'Sullivan's favour for me is his run-in. Historically, he struggles against the top all-round match play players and from here on in thee isn't really any such player left in. He plays Bingham next and although he has done very well I cannot see him having what it takes to beat Ronnie. Into the semis and Ronnie would play either Ding (blows far too hot and cold) or Trump (for me he plays too open a game which Ronnie likes). In the final it will probably be Robertson or Murphy who both play an open game which will also suit Ronnie.

[CaledonianCraig]

A concession from Matthew? Looks to have a neck problem here and not getting right down on his shots. Spirit broken and Ronnie in to complete the coupe de gras surely?

[CaledonianCraig]

Stevens flinching, wincing and grimacing his way through the frame but manages a 50+ break to win the frame but still trails 12-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Ronnie ends Matthew's agony and misery to win 15-5. O'Sullivan plays Bingham in the quarters.

[CaledonianCraig]

Robertson a frame away from joining him and now leads Ali Carter 12-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

And after just over half an hours play this evening we are done and dusted. Robertson hammers in another century break (fourth of this match) and 145 (biggest of the tournament) sealing a 13-5 win over Ali Carter. Now then where's JV with his snooker impersonations?

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