2020 World Championship Thread

[CaledonianCraig]

How about a thread to discuss the 2020 World Snooker Championships at The Crucible.

The delayed tournament starts today with a limited audience allowed in to watch the matches. The draw is as follows:-

Judd Trump (1) v Tom Ford
Yan Bingtao (16) v Elliot Slessor
Stephen Maguire (9) v Martin Gould
Kyren Wilson (8) - BYE
John Higgins (5) v Matthew Stevens
David Gilbert (12) v Kurt Maflin
Jack Lisowski (13) v Anthony McGill
Mark Allen (4) v Jamie Clarke
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Mark Williams (3) v Alan McManus
Stuart Bingham (14) v Ashley Carty
Ding Junhui (11) v Mark King
Ronnie O’Sullivan (6) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Mark Selby (7) v Jordan Brown
Shaun Murphy (10) v Noppon Saengkham
Barry Hawkins (15) v Alexander Ursenbacher
Neil Robertson (2) v Liang Wenbo

Anthony Hamilton who suffers from asthma and qualified for the tournament has withdrawn due to COVID-19 and the fact there will be fans attending. This means Kyren Wilson gets a bye through to the Second Round.

This year there are five players making their Crucible debuts those being Elliot Slessor (England), Jordan Brown (Northern Ireland), Ashley Carty (England), Alexander Ursenbacher (Switzerland - the first Swiss player to play at the Crucible) and Jamie Clarke (Wales).

[CaledonianCraig]

Judd Trump begins the defence of his crown this morning against Tom Ford. On the other table Stuart Bingham takes on debutant Ashley Carty.

[Duty281]

Think I'll be boring and predict Trump to win the title again. Can't see beyond him as he's been in great form through the season, and in winning the title last year he played some of the finest snooker I've ever seen. The bottom half of the draw will be very tightly contested - narrow preference for Murphy to be Trump's final opponent.

[CaledonianCraig]

Think I'll be boring and predict Trump to win the title again. Can't see beyond him as he's been in great form through the season, and in winning the title last year he played some of the finest snooker I've ever seen. The bottom half of the draw will be very tightly contested  - narrow preference for Murphy to be Trump's final opponent.

He'd need to beat the Crucible curse. No first time winner has ever returned to defend their crown the following year.

[CaledonianCraig]

Tom Ford off and running in style early on. Seven reds and seven blacks and on a maximum.

[CaledonianCraig]

Misses the 13th black but Ford leads Trump 1-0. A golden chance there though for the maximum.

[CaledonianCraig]

As for the eventual champion this year perhaps Neil Robertson.

[CaledonianCraig]

Stuart Bingham has won a scrappy first frame on the other table to lead Carty 1-0. Meanwhile, a scrappier second frame on the other table is won by Tom Ford and he leads the defending champion Judd Trump 2-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ashley Carty wins his first ever frame at the Crucible and is level at 1-1 against Stuart Bingham. On the other table Tom Ford is a warm favourite to go 3-0 up on Trump.

[Duty281]

Think I'll be boring and predict Trump to win the title again. Can't see beyond him as he's been in great form through the season, and in winning the title last year he played some of the finest snooker I've ever seen. The bottom half of the draw will be very tightly contested  - narrow preference for Murphy to be Trump's final opponent.

He'd need to beat the Crucible curse. No first time winner has ever returned to defend their crown the following year.

Of course when that happened to Davis in '82, he lost 10-1 in the opening round. Looks like Judd is trying to go the same way.

[CaledonianCraig]

A tense third frame between Ford and Trump. Both players have had golden chances to win it and it is a black ball frame.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Ford wins it to lead Trump 3-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

This year things are a bit different going into the tournament. Normally, the qualifiers are said to be drained after going through the testing qualifiers days earlier but this year that could be of great benefit. The seeded players have had a longer break where their match sharpness will have been blunted unlike the qualifiers. I wonder if that will influence a few matches.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump looking much better now in the fourth frame. Hits a century break and goes into the interval trailing Tom Ford 3-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham leads Carty 2-1. Trump gobbles up another frame that Ford had chances in and trails 3-2 now and will feel a lot more at ease.

[Soul Requiem]

Hamilton, what a berk.

[Guest]

Fancy Ding this year. Chinese winner during Covid, seems a story.

[TRUSSMAN66]

Hamilton may have a good argument against World Snooker....Because of the rise in cases it has just been announced that crowds at sporting events are being banned again..

The lad has been shafted it seems.

[Duty281]

Ford misses a simple pink which costs him a 6-3 lead at the interval. Instead it's 5-4 and you'd have to think Trump will recover and get home from there.

[CaledonianCraig]

Hamilton may have a good argument against World Snooker....Because of the rise in cases it has just been announced that crowds at sporting events are being banned again..

The lad has been shafted it seems.

I wouldn't say he has been shafted. He was allowed to take part in the qualifiers and fill his boots with ten grand knowing crowds were going to be at The Crucible then pulled out saying he disagreed with crowds being there. If you mean Barry Hearn having a big dig at him well maybe but he is being allowed to keep his prize money so shouldn't think he will feel too bad just now.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump ended up trailing Ford 5-4 and Bingham leads Carty 5-4 in the morning matches.

This afternoon Ding looks good to take a 3-0 lead against Mark King. No play on the other table as Kieran Wilson received a bye after Anthony Hamilton's withdrawal.

[CaledonianCraig]

Judd Trump pinches the 12th frame to level at 6-6 against Tom Ford. I think that could be the turning point in this match. In the other match in the evening session Mark Williams leads Alan McManus 2-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Alan McManus levels it at 2-2 as they head to their mid-session interval.

[CaledonianCraig]

For the first time in the match Judd Trump leads at 7-6. As he gets stronger, Ford gets weaker. I can only see this match going one way now.

[CaledonianCraig]

Williams misses the last pink and loses the frame. McManus leads 3-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

Alan McManus leads Mark Williams 5-4 overnight. On the other table the defending champion Judd Trump wins 10-8 against Tom Ford. He will ne telieved as at one point he trailed 5-2.

[Duty281]

Ford will be disappointed as plenty of rather routine misses cost him victory. Whilst Trump lacked a bit of scoring rhythm at times, his safety play was consistently excellent. Wouldn't expect him to be that poor, overall, again this tournament.

[CaledonianCraig]

This morning Stuart Bingham is in control now leading debutant Ashley Carty 8-4. On the other table Dave Gilbert trails the qualifier Kurt Maflin. Maflin leads 2-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Stuart Bingham stretched into a 9-4 lead over Ashley Carty but has gone off the boil and Ashley Carty has won two frames on the bounce to keep his faint hopes alive. Bingham leads 9-6. On the other table Kurt Maflin leads Dave Gilbert 4-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Carty pulls back another frame. Bingham still needing just one more frame though leading 9-7.

[CaledonianCraig]

Stuart Bingham finally gets the job done and seals a 10-7 win. He will play either Mark Williams or Alan McManus in the Second Round. On the other table Kurt Maflin holds a 5-3 lead over seeded Dave Gilbert.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon's matches sees Ding resume 5-4 up on Mark King and on the other table John Higgins starts his match against Matthew Stevens who came through the qualifiers.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon has saw John Higgins take a 6-3 lead over Matthew Stevens. On the other table they are into a last frame shoot-out with Ding level at 9-9 against Mark King.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Ding comes through in a thrilling match winning 10-9.

Tonight's sole match sees Mark Williams and Alan McManus play their match to a finish. McManus leads 5-4. No play on the other table as Kieran Wilson got a bye through as Anthony Hamilton withdrew from the tournament.

[CaledonianCraig]

Mark Williams looking the better player this evening. He wins the first two frames of the evening and he now leads McManus 6-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

Williams 7-5 up now and McManus' game following apart this evening. He needs a frame tonight and fast.

[CaledonianCraig]

Williams turning the screw as McManus implodes. He wins all four frames of the mini-session and goes into the interval leading 8-5. It will take a monumental recovery from Angles to come back from this you feel.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Mark Williams has reeled off all six frames this evening to sprint to a 10-5 win against Alan McManus. Solid stuff from Williams whilst McManus fell apart tonight he looked very good yesterday at times. Mark Williams will now play Stuart Bingham in the Second Round.

[CaledonianCraig]

This morning's matches sees Yan Bingtao start his match against debutant Elliot Slessor. On the other table Neil Robertson begins his campaign against Liang Wenbo.

[CaledonianCraig]

Robertson begins his campaign with a brilliant 16 red clearance and break of 140. Great start. He leads 1-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

A scrappier and more tactical second frame is won by Liang Wenbo - 1-1. Interesting they have now added audience applause to the empty Crucible for centuries scored. On the other table Yan Bingtao leads Slessor 1-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

Another scrappy frame is won by Liang Wenbo - he leads Neil Robertson 2-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Robertson wins the fourth frame with a century break and they go into their mid-session interval level at 2-2. On the other table Yan Bingtao leads Elliot Slessor 3-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

A century break from Yan Bingtao and he is putting Elliot Slessor to the sword leading 4-0 at their mid-session interval.

[CaledonianCraig]

Neil Robertson certainly scoring the far heavier of the two and hits an 80+ to lead 3-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

Robertson finding a really nice groove in and around the balls. Another break of 64 takes him into a 4-2 lead. Liang Wenbo needs to start scoring big.

[CaledonianCraig]

Elliot Slessor wins his first frame at the Crucible but he trails Yan Bingtao 4-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Liang Wenbo steadies the boat and wins the 7th frame with two breaks. Robertson leads 4-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Yan Bingtao running away with his match. He leads 5-1 now.

[CaledonianCraig]

The 8th frame looked sure to go to Liang Wenbo but a bizarre run of the balls means Neil Robertson pinches the frame to lead 5-3. That will hurt. On the other table it looks likely Yan Bingtao will soon lead 6-1.

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