2020 World Championship Thread

[CaledonianCraig]

First topic message reminder :

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Anthony Hamilton who suffers from asthma and qualified for the tournament has withdrawn due to COVID-19 and the fact there will be fans attending.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]

A long missed red from Ronnie and Selby is in with a frame winning break of 97. Selby leads 10-7.

[Oioi]

Selby solid as a rock. It's over for Ronnie I reckon, can't see Selby dipping and even at his best Ronnie would struggle to compete with this. Every mistake getting punished in brutal fashion.

[eirebilly]

That maybe true CC but i just think that ROS is getting more and more adapt at playing the 'matchplay' snooker that used to wind him up greatly. Players like Ebdon and Selby are both experts in it, especially when it comes to ROS but i think he has it in him now to not let it affect him as much as it used too.

[eirebilly]

Maybe i spoke too soon...

[CaledonianCraig]

A fluked red and Ronnie has a chance here. He needs a good clearance here.

[CaledonianCraig]

But goes in off. Swings and roundabouts on the luck front. That was unlucky.

[Guest]

Selby’s safety is too good

[CaledonianCraig]

Hmm poor safety from O'Sullivan. A chance now for Selby.

[CaledonianCraig]

Now golden chance for Ronnie. Selby misses a pretty easy red.

[Guest]

Big miss from Selby. That could of been 11-7

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby will be kicking himself. Turning point? O'Sullivan mops up a frame he looked set to lose. Selby's lead cut to 10-8.

[Oioi]

Didn't see that miss coming from Selby. Enjoying his play but not a fan of him going for 3 snookers from here. Dragging it out to disrupt Ronnie's rhythm. Sure, he's doing all he can within the rules to get the win but doesn't mean I have to like it.

[Guest]

Selby just playing on to annoy & frustrate Ronnie here

[Duty281]

Selby boring us all to tears before we can get to 10-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

Didn't see that miss coming from Selby. Enjoying his play but not a fan of him going for 3 snookers from here. Dragging it out to disrupt Ronnie's rhythm. Sure, he's doing all he can within the rules to get the win but doesn't mean I have to like it.

Hmm Jamie Clarke won a frame from three (or was it four) snookers down earlier in the tournament. Bet he's glad he played on as it helped him go on to win his match.

[Oioi]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

[88Chris05]

Big let off for O'Sullivan there. 7-11 and things would have been starting to look very ugly. 8-10 keeps him hanging in there. There's just so much pressure on him to win frames in one visit, which isn't the thing you want to be relying on. You can get by like that against some players, but it's a different kettle of fish against Selby.

[CaledonianCraig]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

[Soul Requiem]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

Stop making excuses for gamesmanship.

[Oioi]

Fair enough Craig, we all have our preferences. Out of interest what kind of mind games does Ronnie play? Stuff he says in interviews?

[CaledonianCraig]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

Stop making excuses for gamesmanship.

Gamesmanship is Ronnie's middle name so lets leave that out of it eh?

[Guest]

11-8 to Selby.

Ronnie would snap your hand off for 12-12 end of session. Just hanging on here.

[CaledonianCraig]

Fair enough Craig, we all have our preferences. Out of interest what kind of mind games does Ronnie play? Stuff he says in interviews?

Yes he does. Throwing in comments about opponents prior to big matches. He has been doing it for years. Ronnie is a massive boxing fan so imagine it comes from that as it is a sport where you look to throw off opponents in the build up to bouts. Fair enough he does it but seems like Ronnie fans have a gross set of double standards.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby with a break of 68 puts the last frame abhorration behind him and makes it 11-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

Stop making excuses for gamesmanship.

Only if you stop making excuses for Ronnie.

[Soul Requiem]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

Stop making excuses for gamesmanship.

Only if you stop making excuses for Ronnie.

Can you pinpoint a single time i've made an excuse for O'Sullivan?

[Duty281]

11-8 to Selby.

Ronnie would snap your hand off for 12-12 end of session. Just hanging on here.

Even 11-13 would be acceptable from this position. 10-14 or greater would probably be game over.

[Oioi]

Respect your opinion but can't can't see how comments he makes in interviews should affect a player once they are on the table. Much easier to ignore that than actions taken during a match imo.

[CaledonianCraig]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

Stop making excuses for gamesmanship.

Only if you stop making excuses for Ronnie.

Can you pinpoint a single time i've made an excuse for O'Sullivan?

Trying to point to gamesmanship by Selby for reason the match taking this turn and before that it was trying to say Selby deliberately playing slow to put off Ronnie. Listen to the commentators and accept the fact that Selby is playing the better match play snooker.

[CaledonianCraig]

Respect your opinion but can't can't see how comments he makes in interviews should affect a player once they are on the table. Much easier to ignore that than actions taken during a match imo.

What actions during a match though? Jeez a player is perfectly entitled to play on for snookers. I have seen many many players play on for snookers in hopeless situations and not once have I heard that being cited as gamesmanship.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby in with first chance. Can't take it. Big chance for Ronnie. Takes this and he'll be delighted to get out of this session 2-2.

[Guest]

11-9

[CaledonianCraig]

And they head into their mid-session interval with Selby leading 11-9.

[Duty281]

Superb counter from O'Sullivan. 2-2 in this mini session, without playing brilliantly and with Selby having decent chances to win all 4, represents a great return for Ronnie.

[Soul Requiem]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

Stop making excuses for gamesmanship.

Only if you stop making excuses for Ronnie.

Can you pinpoint a single time i've made an excuse for O'Sullivan?

Trying to point to gamesmanship by Selby for reason the match taking this turn and before that it was trying to say Selby deliberately playing slow to put off Ronnie. Listen to the commentators and accept the fact that Selby is playing the better match play snooker.

Where have I suggested that Selby's gamesmanship is the reason the match is going his way, it's merely something he needs to cut out of his game.

[eirebilly]

Look, every player in snooker has their own approach to their opponents, ROS is no different.

[CaledonianCraig]

Sure, you can get the snookers in some situations, but surely no one thought it was possible with the way the balls were lying in that frame.

Circumstances. They can make you do odd things. It was a frame he knew he should have won and didn't want to let it go and as comms said did not want to go into frame 21 with miss fresh in the mind. Snooker is mind games. Ronnie uses them by the bucket load so why shouldn't Selby?

Stop making excuses for gamesmanship.

Only if you stop making excuses for Ronnie.

Can you pinpoint a single time i've made an excuse for O'Sullivan?

Trying to point to gamesmanship by Selby for reason the match taking this turn and before that it was trying to say Selby deliberately playing slow to put off Ronnie. Listen to the commentators and accept the fact that Selby is playing the better match play snooker.

Where have I suggested that Selby's gamesmanship is the reason the match is going his way, it's merely something he needs to cut out of his game.

He needs to cut nothing out of his game aside from missing when in or running out of position when in. That aside he is one of the best match play snooker players in the world. Ronnie will tell you that. Fellow pros will tell you that. The commentators many of whom are ex-pros will tell you that. Not once have I heard the term gamesmanship aimed at Selby.

[88Chris05]

Decent damage limitation job from O'Sullivan in those four frames. Could easily have lost three, maybe even all four of them. He really needs to start sinking a few long ones, though - that's going to be key if he wants to overhaul Selby here. He can't force the openings by out-doing Selby in the safety department, so he's going to have to force them by seizing the half-chances.

[No name Bertie]

Has O'Sullivan improved over the years in how he handles safety first slow (thoughtful) players?   Did Hendry retire too early from the game - or has the game moved on since he last played?

[Guest]

Can’t really make a case for Ronnie to win this. Safety play just isn’t good enough, and these kicks are just happening too often for him.

Selby 12-9 RoS

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby benefits from a missed red on a kick from Ronnie. Held himself together with a break of 72 to seal the frame. Selby leads 12-9 and cannot be behind going into the last session.

[Guest]

Another horror show for Ronnie. Looks a beaten man now.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby at the table again. Building a big break again.

[Guest]

13-9

No way back from here. I’d expect Selby to win this 17-12 or so

[CaledonianCraig]

Frame won but can there be a first century of this semi? Selby sure to lead 13-9.

[CaledonianCraig]

No century but 13-9 it is. Selby guaranteed a lead going into tonight's session. You feel if Ronnie can regroup and take these last two frames it is right back in the balance.

[CaledonianCraig]

Better that from Ronnie. Okay only four points but not pushing the boat out and he could get rewards for this.

[CaledonianCraig]

But he just can't buy a break just now. Selby back in.

[Guest]

Ronnie all over the shop.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby missing now too. Ronnie just needs to steel himself.

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