The Snooker Thread
 

Just been watching Judd Trump playing and beating Neil Robertson and can't help thinking how the whole strategy of snooker has changed over the years I've been watching it. Shots that previously would rarely have been considered are now routine it seems and the game as a whole is consequently a lot more exciting and aggressive than I ever recall. What a match I've just seen - some potting which almost defies belief. Well done Judd!

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Yeah the potting is impressive, I just can't get to excited about it, I used to really like snooker but these guys are like break building robots, it was more exciting when they missed a few imo.

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l am a admirer of Trump's but my favourites were the old scoundrels like Alex Higgin's and Jimmy White who mesmirized you with some of their play.

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For anyone who hasn't noticed, the Masters tournament is on. I've already hugely enjoyed watching Judd Trump and Ronny O'Sullivan win their first round matches and the prospect of them meeting again in Round 2 is mouthwatering after their last meeting in the UK Championship which Trump went on to win.

Higgins, White, O'Sullivan? Oh, what might have been....... :(

I hope Trump learns from their frailties and goes on to fulfill his huge potential.

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Yes l have watched some of the snooker Osem and Ronnies 1st round match was very enjoyable but he will have to be at his most focused beat to beat Judd l believe but it will be interesting nevertheless.

---------- Post added at 12:04 ---------- Previous post was at 12:01 ----------

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O'Sullivan seems to be happier and more relaxed than I've seen him in quite a while and if he can keep that up he'll be hard to beat.

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Yes l think being a father and getting into a more settled family way of life has helped quite a bit in that respect.

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Well I've been watching Trump v. O'Sullivan since around 1pm and it's already 3-0 to Trump.... :shocked:

For anyone who's interested in seeing some great snooker, it's available here live:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/snooker/15973141.stm

---------- Post added at 13:32 ---------- Previous post was at 13:30 ----------

Make that 4-0 to Trump with a 140 break! :eeek:

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Yes it looks like the other side of O'Sullivan has turned up today.:(

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Well a very good break off in frame 5 and a bit of luck after missing an easy black sees O'Sullivan get one back. Hopefully, just what's required to set up a great match.

Frame 6 and a bad early miss by Trump leaves O'Sullivan in the balls. Could the tide be turning?...

Nope, after some good tactical/safety play and a few poor shots by both players, Trump comes out on top. 5-1!

And the Rocket hits back with a speedy 141 break! 5-2

After a quick-fire 54 from Ronnie, Trump's back at the table with 2 difficult reds on a side cushion but he removes them both and proceeds to clear up whats left to win with ease in the end at 6-2.

Well done Judd Trump - very few people make Ronnie O'Sullivan look like a cautious player!

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http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/snooker/16671018.stm

Well done Neil and it will be interesting if he can win the world title back after winning it in 2010.

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Three-time winner Ronnie O'Sullivan has been drawn against 2002 champion Peter Ebdon in the first round of the World Snooker Championship.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/17725922

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Cheers for that denphone. The quick and the dead basically, could be interesting.

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Yes and l know which one l would like to see win this match.

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Stephen Hendry hits 147.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/17800969

Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry fired in a 147 maximum break on the first day of the World Championship.

Well done.:clap:

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World number one Mark Selby became the latest seed to be eliminated from the World Championship after a 10-3 defeat to Barry Hawkins.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/17849666

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All l can say is he has been a wonderful servant to the game of snooker and his presence will be sorely missed but his achievement of winning 7 world titles will never be forgotten.

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Hendry's retired, good on him I say, it wasn't great to watch passed legends like Davis and White getting beat by people who wouldn't have taken a frame of them in their prime.

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just finished watching it ,a disapointing end to his career :(

On a side note did you watch it through the BBC red button and did your sound keep going off?

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No my sound was fine Martyh.

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must be my crappy sky ,maybe a sparrow farted in the vicinity :D

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It is a shame to see Stephen Hendry retiring. He was a fantastic player in his prime. I'm happy to see him not go on and fall further in the rankings. A real sportsman and a pretty good commentator.

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Possibly atmospherics what with the thunderstorms etc

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possibly ,still gonna blame the sparrows though, now where's me gun :D

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Wake the birds at this time of night with a gun? That's TV viewing over for this evening :)

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Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Ali Carter 18-11 to win his fourth World Championship title at the Crucible.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/17979736

Well done Ronnie and a deserved 4th world title to the most talented snooker player we have ever seen.:clap:

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Yup a very big well done to Ronnie and Ali Carter who's done so well to come back to the big time.

:clap: :clap: :clap:


I don't think I've ever seen a more relaxed and controlled 'rocket' - utterly devastating at times, as usual, but calm under pressure and so secure in his safety play. So many times in the past his temperament has cost him dear but this time around he's seems to have finally conquered his demons and displayed a wonderful all round game as a result.

I always thought Ronnie would probably wind up like that other troubled snooker genious Alex Higgins so I'm really delighted to see him playing and behaving in the manner we just seen over the last 17 days and, hopefully, realising his full potential at last.

Well done Ronnie!!

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I feel sorry for Ali Carter, however anyone with any sense would have to admit that Ronnie outplayed Ali.

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Snooker: BBC retains rights to three major championships

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/20957082

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Ronnie O'Sullivan 'can beat Stephen Hendry's record'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/21592285

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Anyone been watching the Haikou World Open? Seems a bit of a shambles from what little I've seen. Lights flickering, flies and bugs troubling the players, people walking around directly in the line of sight of players taking shots. Just watching Trump v. Stevens and there's hardly anyone in the arena.. :confused:

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l think the problem now is we are having too many tournaments in places where facilities and standards are not of the same standard.

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That'll be the Hearn influence...

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Indeed and that is alright up to a point but the trouble with Barry is he goes over the top in the end.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Barry Hawkins to win fifth World title

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/22421611

Simply the greatest there has ever been in terms of talent.

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I agree, but it felt like the most relaxed final going knowing Hawkins didn't have a chance no matter how well he played. There was not one ounce of tension when Sullivan plays the way he can in a final.

He's great to watch but how can anyone compete against him when he can just turn up and win, I'm sure if he wants to win any tournament he could if his mind was on it. I just wished he had better control of his demons and enjoyed the talent that he has.

Makes a mockery of the rankings though being 28th in the world.

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I find it difficult to watch snooker now, I used to be well into it in the 80s. There were some great characters back then, and some electrifying finals.

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Quite agree, he has spent the best part of the last year since winning the last world championship working on a pig farm and hardly picking up a cue .He said in an interview that he has no interest in snooker anymore and is only in it to pay for his kids schooling .

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There's no doubt O'Sullivan is a great natural talent and was able to mix his flair for potting with some incredible safety and positional play. Having said that I found what he said about the tournament and his reasons for playing rather disrespectful to the others who clearly take the game far more seriously. This is the first time I haven't wanted him to win - I'm just getting a but tired of all the other stuff which seems to follow him around. I'd miss his talent in the game but not his attitude to the hand that feeds him.

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Ronnie O'Sullivan wins fifth Masters title by beating Mark Selby.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/25802468

Well his talent has never been into question as he was sublime this week.

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Some say he ruins snooker because he's either too good or doesn't take it seriously enough because of his own personal demons. Yet I think he's just amazing to watch. If his mind is with it he could win every time and no one else stands a chance. I don't think there'll be anyone else like him again in the game that has that kind of ability that is so natural.

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Yup, I hope he's finally got it together. Over the years he's said and done some pretty unprofessional things which he should be ashamed of and that's a great pity because he can be a genius when his mind's in the right place. There are shades of the Hurricane in Ronnie and I hope he doesn't wind up in the same appalling situation. For me Judd Trump is the one who plays most like Ronnie and has huge natural talent, has his early success cost him dear though I wonder...

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Well there is still life in those oldies yet.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/32584278

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That was a great final. I thought the Trump Bingham match was something special and for Bingham to repeat the act was astonishing.

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Good on him. I don't follow it like I used to back in the late 70's and 80's.

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One of the games legends announces his retirement.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/36034458

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TBH I thought he retired years ago