summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
That's cheered me up no end.
I'm posting this in the match thread !
World Snooker Championship
- Thread starter summerisle
- Start date
I'm posting this in the match thread !
Only the fourth crucible final frame decider.
Nice they saw John Virgo off with a special on him playing and his career post player.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Some top players in it this year.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
Rollo Tomassi
Player Valuation: £20m
Golden ticket winner! What's this Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
O'Sullivan wins that on the bridle surely.
FrenchDarrenBent
Player Valuation: £20m
I wonder how much longer we’ll still be talking about Higgins, Murphy, O’Sullivan, Williams, and others.
Snooker hasn’t really changed much since 2006, apart from the rise of Chinese players.
Snooker hasn’t really changed much since 2006, apart from the rise of Chinese players.
Drico
Player Valuation: £70m
Snooker has been in flux for a while. The old guard are still around - but they aren't winning multiple tournaments anymore. Ronnie hasn't won a tournament in a few years. Mark Williams had a nothing season. John Higgins was superbly consistent but reliably beaten in finals. Mark Selby had a purple patch before Christmas where he touched his old heights for back-to-back wins but fell away into inconsistency after that. Judd Trump couldn't buy a title. Neil Robertson had one big success in a Saudi event that skewed his ranking. He's way off top four in the world, yet he sits there due to that monetary imbalance. Shaun Murphy, like John Higgins, was consistently good.
The four genius level players - the Class of 92 and Selby - will likely give the Chinese a run for the money in one-offs. Selby has a few years on the other three, so perhaps he will be the one to keep the flag flying (his narrow defeat to Wu looks a lot better today than it did last week). I don't think Robertson, Murphy, or Trump will ever rise to multiple world champion level. Kyren Wilson reminds me of Murphy - a bit too happy to be part of the "establishment". Mark Allen will be haunted forever.
The future would appear to be Chinese. How Zhao responds will be fascinating. One thing's for sure: expect the Chinese events to become even more lucrative now. That'll keep the Class of 92 around for a few more years yet...
I still harbour a dream that Jimmy White will have resurgence and come back to win that elusive world title
The Penalty Box Dancer
Player Valuation: £35m
Does anyone else feel snooker has changed over recent years and has become more attacking? I think the young Chinese players have brought that into the game and I feel the old tactical play has started to leave the game.
I don't even think these young players are affected by nerves or the big occasion. Like Wu Yize played this final like it was anywhere but the crucible but he was very fortunate to get there after beating Mark Allen.
Btw, I only watch the world championship once a year so I'm not a massive fan of the sport.
I don't even think these young players are affected by nerves or the big occasion. Like Wu Yize played this final like it was anywhere but the crucible but he was very fortunate to get there after beating Mark Allen.
Btw, I only watch the world championship once a year so I'm not a massive fan of the sport.
Drico
Player Valuation: £70m
It's been more attacking since Stephen Hendry, but the two greatest tactical players since then - Higgins and Selby - have won eight world titles between them, so I don't think there's been an overall fall off for great tacticians. That said, Brecel and the two Chinese have won three of the last four titles. With Higgins and Selby in relative decline, there hasn't been another great matchplayer to emerge to replace them. I think Murphy's game is too unbalanced to win the world crown - yet Wu is hardly more balanced. So, maybe there is a vacany - and an opportunity - for a tactician in the current vacuum. Selby's form to win the UK before Christmas would have beaten Wu - but he was off it since then and lost 11-13. Fine margins. He'll probably have a last hurrah yet, mind.
But the overall standard is higher than it's ever been and the potting has never been better. Even the tacticians are master break-builders. Higgins and Selby are in the top four for all-time Crucible centuries, so it's more about having an all-round game than being "attacking" per se.
Tony Hibbert's Wife
Player Valuation: £1.5m
Do you think the quality of long-shot potting has improved over the years? My memory is that long-pots were often refused and even when they were taken on, often missed. These days not only will the players take them on but they'll pot them most of the time.
I also seem to remember safety play felt like it went on forever back in the 90s/2000s.
summerisle
The rain, it raineth every day
You're right, the days of long safety bouts are hopefully consigned to the dustbin of history. Saying that, we just had the longest frame in Crucible history, but I think that was the exception. It's much more exciting to see players going for the pots ; risk and reward is much more entertaining.
Pot black creator a ton up today. Happy century DA.