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World Championship Snooker 2008

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    World Championship Snooker 2008

    Three weeks of green baize chess are upon us again. And it's probably the most open tournament ever. Ronnie O'Sullivan is the favourite, while former winners John Higgins, Shaun Murphy, Ken Doherty and Stephen Hendry will be fancied. Stephen Maguire and Mark Selby come into the tournament on form, and in a position to be world number one next season, and there are more dark horses than ever. Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson and Marco Fu have all proved they have what it takes to win tournaments in the recent past, while Jamie Cope, Ryan Day and Mark Allen are all tipped as future world champions, and are in great form this season.

    Odds:

    100-30 O'Sullivan
    9-2 Mark Selby
    7-1 Stephen Maguire
    8-1 Shaun Murphy
    11-1 John Higgins
    12-1 Ding Junhui
    16-1 Neil Robertson
    25-1 Ken Doherty

    The big story going into the week has been whether Graeme Dott would compete or not. Dott has been battling depression, and his form this season has suffered badly as a result, losing his last fifteen matches. His last win was against Stephen Lee in the quarter final of the Shanghai Masters back in August, and his last win on the British Isles was fourteen months ago at last year's Welsh Open. He begins his campaign against seasoned veteran Joe Perry, who came from 8-4 down to knock John Parrott out in the qualifiers. Perry's form over the years has been inconsistant, but a win over Dott should see him into the second round. Prediction: Perry 10-6

    Facing them in the second round will be the winner of the Steve Davis-Stuart Bingham clash. Like a lot of the old guard, Davis is struggling for form, and needs to reach at least the semi-finals to have a chance of retaining his top 16 status, this is his 28th appearance at the Crucible, so experience is on his side. On the other hand, Bingham is on an upward curve, having been a journeyman for many years, his current ranking of 23 his highest ever. Bingham has won all four previous encounters. Prediction: Bingham 10-9

    Elsewhere in the draw, and first on the table, champion John Higgins isn't having the best of seasons, and has failed to make a semi-final, this season, meaning that he is all but guaranteed to lose his number one raking. His first round opponent is former World runner-up Matthew Stevens. An awful two year run of form sent Stevens spiralling out of the top 16, and having to qualify for the first time for 11 years. A solid, if unspectacular season sees him on the brink of returning to next season's list. Prediction: Higgins 10-7

    In round two, the winner will face either Michael Judge or Ryan Day. Judge was once seen as a prospect, with a steady climb up the rankings that had seen him reach number 24 by 2002, however from then he slumped, only starting to climb again last season,and continue his good form this term, and a return to the top 32 beckons. First-time seed Day has had one of the strongest season's on the circuit, starting with the final of the Shanghai Masters, although he lost to Dominic Dale on that occasion, it has helped him amass enough ranking points to be provisionally ranked number 6. Prediction: Day 10-4

    The other match to begin proceedings pits Australian Neil Robertson against veteran Nigel Bond. Hotly tipped as a future champion, Robertson is experiencing his first bad season. Only one quarter final, isn't good form for a seventh seed, but last season's ranking points should be enough to keep him in the top 8. Bond, on the other hand has qualified for the seventh time and is experiencing his best season for a decade, and a good tournament here could see him return to the top 16 for the first time in ten years. He comes into the tournament on the back of a quarter final in the China Open, and should edge this. Prediction: Bond 10-8

    The winner faces a daunting prospect in Stephen Maguire, as long as he gets past Anthony Hamilton. Maguire has lived up to his 'On Fire' nickname this season, winning the Northern Ireland Trophy and the China Open, as well as being runner up in the UK Championship, and is one of the favourites this year. However, he does have a tricky first round opponent. Hamilton is one of snooker's enigmas. A player whose talent has never been questioned, but whose application often has. A ranking that can seemingly drift between lower top 16 and just outside the top 32, doesn't tell the story of how good Hamilton can be. A regular fixture at the Crucible (a seven-time qualifier in addition to the five times he's appeared as a top seed in the last thirteen years), and a capacity to spring suprises, suggests he should not be overlooked, however Maguire will prove too strong. Prediction: Maguire 10-6

    The first of this afternoon's games sees everyone's least favourite player Stephen Lee face Joe Swail. One of the lower key games this time round, as Lee's wretched form over the last two seasons sees him provisionally ranked 25th, whereas Swail has been absent from snooker's upper echelon since 2003, and like Bond and Hamilton, this is his seventh appearance as a qualifier. He is at his highest ranking since (17), but has been inconsistant this season, meaning he is likely to be just outside the 16 again. Probably worth watching the other game, while these two play. Prediction: Swail 10-5

    Whoever wins through faces either Ken Doherty or Liang Wenbo for the right to be the weakest of the quarter finalists. That may seem a strange thing to say considering that Doherty is a former champion, three time finalist and fourth seed, but his form this season has been dire, as he has failed to get past the second round in any tournament this season. Liang became only the second Chinese player ever to qualify for the crucible when he beat Ian McCulloch 10-5 in the qualifiers. A fixture on the circuit for a few seasons, this is Liang's breakout season, as he is guaranteed to break the top 50 rankings for the first time. But this is his debut at Crucible, so nerves may get the better of him. That said, he couldn't have asked for a much better player to face right now. Prediction: Liang 10-5

    This afternoon's other game pits Peter Ebdon against debutant Jamie Cope. Like Doherty, Ebdon isn't having the best of seasons. Ebdon can at least point to two early season quarter finals. However, he has been handed one of the toughest qualifiers. Cope is one snooker's hottest prospects. His 2007 China Open win catapulted him into Snooker's big time, and this (and indeed the only known 155 break - albeit in a practice match) before he reached the top 16 or the age of 22. While he has not quite recaptured last season's form, (he has qualified for every tournament this year, but lost in the first round of the last two tournaments) a win against Ebdon would put him amonst snooker's elite. Prediction: Cope 10-9

    The victor faces veteran Mark King or last year's runner up Mark Selby. King's most famous moment in snooker was offering to box Quentin Hann after Hann raised his fists against King's friend Andy Hicks at the crucible in 2004, but don't let that fool you. King is an accomplished player (as his 10-3 win over Jimmy White in the qualifiers proved), if a little inconistant. These inconsistancies have seen him dip in and out of the top 16, but a win here would see him return. Selby's march to the final last season was unexpected, but he has had a fine season, with his first trophies - the Masters and the Welsh Open. One of only five players heading into the tournament with a chance of being world number one next season, Selby is in a great position to go one better, and will be too good for King. Prediction: Selby 10-3

    I'll do the other six matches:

    Ali Carter v Barry Hawkins
    Shaun Murphy v Dave Harold
    Stephen Hendry v Mark Allen
    Ding Junhui v Marco Fu
    Mark Williams v Mark Davis
    Ronnie O'Sullivan v Liu Chuang

    later.

    #2
    World Championship Snooker 2008

    Nice summary Phoebe.

    Higgins is currently 7-2 up over Stevens at the break.

    I cant believe that Stephen Hendry is more than 25/1 in the betting, but looking at the half of the draw he is in, its understandable. He will have to beat Ding Junhui or Marco Fu, Higgins and O' Sullivan just to get to the final.

    Comment


      #3
      World Championship Snooker 2008

      As in just about each of the last ten years, I think if the real Ronnie O'Sullivan decides to turn up, he'll win. But getting the real Ronnie to play consistently at Sheffield for a fortnight, without spending at least one session mentally sitting in deckchair on a beach in Thailand and deciding to play a couple of frames left-handed for a laugh, is like trying to keep four kittens in an open cardboard box.

      Comment


        #4
        World Championship Snooker 2008

        Ali Carter starts his match against Barry Hawkins tonight. When you think about all the up and coming players, the one name that gets forgotten is Carter's, which is harsh in a lot of respects, most notably in the fact that the lowest he's been ranked in the last five years is 19th, so maybe it's the fact that he's only reached number 14 suggests he's stalled, or that there is truth in the fact that he's a 'choker' - a cruel tag for a known sufferer of Crohn's disease. Carter hasn't had the greatest of seasons, and his top 16 status is threatened if he does not prevail here. Hawkins is probably even more anonymous - he was ranked 12 last season, but received little recognition for an excellent two years of snooker. That collapsed at the Crucible in 2006, when Ken Doherty dismantled him 10-1, and last season his form never really recovered. This season he hasn't made any quarter-finals, but has played better in the tournaments where the ranking points are higher (The UK Championship and the Grand Prix). The pair are good friends too, so they know each other's game, so this should be close. As close as the UK Championship meeting where Hawkins pipped Carter 9-8. Both will remember that Carter led that match 8-2. Prediction: Carter 10-9

        The winner faces Shaun Murphy or Dave Harold. Murphy was the most unlikley champion since Terry Griffiths (Joe Johnson may not have been fancied but he was a top 16 seed). Murphy is one of the few players to have played in every World Championship they have entered, and his record at Sheffield speaks for itself. He arrives at the Crucible provisionally world number one, and in stunning form - since a first round exit in Shanghai, he has made the semi-final of every tournament since, although he has only made one final - the China Open - which he lost in the final frame. On form, only one man is better over the last tournament, but no-one is better over the last eight months. Harold couldn't have had a tougher start, as he seeks to win his first match at the Crucible since 2001. He is another of the older players having a renaissance, and a good tournament will see him return to the top 16 for the first time since 2002 - but with the opponent he has, a good tournament is out of reach. Prediction: Murphy 10-2

        Stephen Hendry and Mark Allen begin tomorrow afternoon, and the reason for Hendry's odds being as low as 25/1 become apparent for two reasons. Firstly, he's not the player he was. He's at his lowest ranking for twenty years, and semi-final of the Welsh Open apart, Hendry has struggled this season - failing to get out of the first round in half the tournaments. Secondly, Mark Allen is one of the best players in the world right now. Only six players have scored more ranking points this season - his semi-final in the Northern Ireland Trophy being the peak, and he's defeated Selby, Carter, Dott, Day, Williams, Doherty and most importantly Hendry this season. Prediction: Allen 10-5

        Whoever wins that will face a big challenge in either Ding Junhui or Marco Fu. This is the tie of the round. Ding, is the Chinese sensation who won three ranking tournaments as a teenager. No titles this season - yet - and if anything a disappointing term, where his best performance this season is a quarter final in the UK Championship. The only thing going against Ding is his record in Sheffield - played one, lost one, although he did face Ronnie O'Sullivan at this stage last year. Fu, on the other hand is in the form of his life. He made the Crucible in his debut season in 1999, and hit the top 16 rankings in record time, but has never fulfilled his potential, but this season has won the Grand Prix, and performed solidly, arriving at the Crucible with his highest ever provisional ranking after a season where only four players have scored more points. Fu loves the Crucible, reaching the quarter final in 2003 and losing the 2006 semi to Peter Ebdon in the deciding frame. All of which makes for a match which could go either way. Prediction: Fu 10-8

        For the second season in a row, Ronnie O'Sullivan faces a Chinese debutant, this time in the form of 17-year old Liu Chuang. O'Sullivan's is in great form on home soil, winning the UK Championship, and reaching two of the other three finals, his form in China - both on and off the table - left a lot to be desired. That said, there is no gulf in class between O'Sullivan and the rest, certainly not with the quality these days, but as long as he shows some consistency, he'll be there or there abouts in three weeks. Little is known about Liu, as it's his first season on the tour, and he hadn't won a match prior to February's China Open qualifiers, but he did have to win five matches - more than any other - to get here. Liu has faced O'Sullivan before, when he entered last year's China Open as a wildcard, but went down 5-1. With the different atmosphere at Sheffield, he could be in for a longer night. Prediction: O'Sullivan 10-2

        The winner faces the winner of arguably the 'sleeper' match: Mark Williams v Mark Davis. Williams hasn't played well for two years now, plummetting to provisional world number 26. He has won more than the two matches he won last season, however, reaching the quarter finals of the UK Championship and the China Open. Against most unseeded players though, his form does not look to good. But he has the luck of the draw, as he faces the only player left in the competition who has fallen further in the rankings. In fact the only player who has fallen further than Davis on the tour is Robin Hull, who hasn't played since October through ill health. Other than his run to Sheffield, Davis has only won matches in the Grand Prix this season. Not good form. Prediction: Williams 10-5

        As for the tournament itself, it looks like two difficult quarters of the draw, and two easier ones, and I would say that the best players in the easier parts of the draw will meet in the final, with Stephen Maguire edging out Ronnie O'Sullivan to claim his first title, with Marco Fu and Joe Perry as definite dark horses.

        Comment


          #5
          World Championship Snooker 2008

          You've got to watch the highlights of this second session between Jamie Cope and Peter Ebdon. A magnificent contrast of styles. We all know what Ebdon is like, but Cope will take any pot on, and is such a fast player, he makes Alex Higgins look like Cliff Thorburn. Cope has no nerves, and is playing like he's in his bedroom. Terry Griffiths and Clive Everton are commentating, and they're blown away by not just the shots he's attempting, but the ones that he's potting. A typical exchange:

          Griffiths: "This is an extremely difficult shot here ... Well I thought it was difficult"
          Everton: "I know a lot of players who wouldn't risk that type of pot in an exhibition match"

          The highlight is Cope's 101 break in the sixteenth frame, where he pots a red into a middle pocket from a seemingly impossible angle, and then for the final pot, hits the cue ball from the left of the black ball, and pots the red (positioned just in front of the yellow ball, on it's spot), into the green ball's pocket. I've never seen O'Sullivan try a shot so audacious.

          The match is still in progress, and ends a good day of snooker. The Carter-Hawkins match the other highlight, and a game that swung from player to player. 3-0 Hawkins, 7-3 Carter, 7-6, 9-6, 9-9 (which is how the afternoon session ended), with the final frame played tonight. I won't spoil it, because that will be on the highlights as well.

          Comment


            #6
            World Championship Snooker 2008

            Thanks for the previews. They're really whetting my appetite for the Eurovision.

            I should be watching more of this year's tournament, this is the first time we've had Freeview and instant access to games via BBC1.

            Comment


              #7
              World Championship Snooker 2008

              I watched a couple of frames of Day vs. Judge last night. It was turgid stuff. Hopefully, the little I will get to see will be higher quality than that.

              Comment


                #8
                World Championship Snooker 2008

                After watching Hendry's thrilling last frame win today (and in the post match interview he came across as a right cocky bastard) I have just watched the first 4 of Mark Williams and the other guy (Mark Davis). Davis has potted 15 balls in 4 frames. Williams looks as if he doesnt give a toss, watching the other table and stuff, but he is playing dangerously well.

                Currently its 8-4 to Bingham against Steve Davis (though about to be 8-5), and its fairly average. I think age has finally caught up with the Nugget.

                Comment


                  #9
                  World Championship Snooker 2008

                  Williams now leads 8-1 at the session end, and on the other table, my predictions are as bang on as usual, with the score now Davis 8 Bingham 8, Davis coming back from 3-8 down.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    World Championship Snooker 2008

                    Cracking comeback from Steve Davis, pitty he couldn't finish the job.

                    Ronnie playing tomorrow.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      World Championship Snooker 2008

                      Looks like a straightforward couple of opening frames for Ronnie.

                      I've just remembered, all the games are live on the BBC website. This is potentially catastrophic.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        World Championship Snooker 2008

                        Am I the only person who prefers watching cagey, 20-minute long safety battles to big breaks?

                        Comment


                          #13
                          World Championship Snooker 2008

                          I like watching safety battles of high quality in the knowledge that if someone messes up or plays a great shot they can potentially win or lose a frame as a result. Saftey battles were both players are breakbuilding badly leave me cold though.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            World Championship Snooker 2008

                            I much prefer the breakbuilding and risky shots myself.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              World Championship Snooker 2008

                              Ronnie O'Sullivan cruises through to the 2nd round, although the Chinese kid did reasonably well.

                              Unfortunately, it means that the rest of the afternoon is Peter Ebdon v Mark King. There is something about Peter Ebdon that is extremely aggravating.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                World Championship Snooker 2008

                                Thought Ronnie looked quite erratic, sure he played some great shots as usual, but he missed quite a few balls by really big margins.

                                Can't see him progressing to the final if he plays that for long.

                                Ebdon is mind blowingly dull. A modern Griffiths perhaps.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  World Championship Snooker 2008

                                  barndoorio wrote:
                                  Thought Ronnie looked quite erratic, sure he played some great shots as usual, but he missed quite a few balls by really big margins.
                                  True enough, but the kid didnt put up any sort of fight in todays session. He said afterwards that he lost interest a bit, which happens frequently, but not usually against a better/bigger opponent.

                                  If he can be bothered.

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    World Championship Snooker 2008

                                    It irritates me with all this stuff about Ronnie's condition. Not the condition itself, but the fact that if he's plays badly, it's because he couldn't be bothered, or the whole "if he turns up in the right frame of mind he'll walk the competition". He plays up to it himself at times, but it's massively disrespectful to the other players. Yes, he's the best player in the world, but not by much, and all the other players are judged by their form, but Ronnie never is, it's his mental state, as though if he's in the right frame of mind, he'll beat everyone else regardless of his form.

                                    Anyway, elsewhere Day has beaten John Higgins, which I thought he might, although I thought it would be closer than 13-9, Ebdon is also through, 13-9 against Mark King.

                                    Stephen Hendry will be next - he's 11-5 up against Ding Junhui and looking ominously in form. That said, he's only won one title in five years (the 2005 Malta Cup), and only beat Mark Allen because of Allen's poor choice of shot in the first round. Ding doesn't look comfortable here, and it's his first ever three session match.

                                    Ali Carter will be next through, as he's 12-4 up against Shaun Murphy. Murphy's been a bit of a twat this week, with his silver lined suit on his first day, and his comments about how the other players would all be nervous come Murphy starting, and how it's the real start of the tournament, but Carter proved against Barry Hawkins that he's capable of losing 7 frames on the trot.

                                    Elsewhere the games are just beginning or starting later, I predict wins for O'Sullivan, Swail, Perry and Maguire.

                                    Comment


                                      #19
                                      World Championship Snooker 2008

                                      Phoebe, I guess it's because snooker, at the highest levels (or even at club standard level) is a mental game, not a technical one. You do get lucky and unlucky breaks in snooker, of course, you can get a kick off a ball or what have you, but it's not like golf where three pitch shots hit exactly the same way can end up in the hole, ten feet away or twenty feet away depending on the exact gust of breeze, or the exact side of the spike mark on the green they pitch onto. In Snooker, if one guy with Ronnie O'Sullivan's technical brilliance is on fire (this is the man who once made a 147 in under 5 minutes at these championships, let's not forget) he'll win every single frame he starts. That he doesn't, is both testimony to the expertise of his opponents, but also says a lot about whether Ronnie "can be bothered".

                                      He's the Bobby Fischer of snooker.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        World Championship Snooker 2008

                                        Under way for the evening session, Andy Fordham is there watching and he looks ever thinner, you can't believe it's the same man, but it is. Well done him.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          World Championship Snooker 2008

                                          Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:
                                          Phoebe, I guess it's because snooker, at the highest levels (or even at club standard level) is a mental game, not a technical one. You do get lucky and unlucky breaks in snooker, of course, you can get a kick off a ball or what have you, but it's not like golf where three pitch shots hit exactly the same way can end up in the hole, ten feet away or twenty feet away depending on the exact gust of breeze, or the exact side of the spike mark on the green they pitch onto. In Snooker, if one guy with Ronnie O'Sullivan's technical brilliance is on fire (this is the man who once made a 147 in under 5 minutes at these championships, let's not forget) he'll win every single frame he starts. That he doesn't, is both testimony to the expertise of his opponents, but also says a lot about whether Ronnie "can be bothered".

                                          He's the Bobby Fischer of snooker.
                                          Rogin, Ronnie can be bothered and off-form. It happens to every player. O'Sullivan is no different. Using an example of one frame to say he's leaps and bounds above the rest is utter crap. It pays testiment to his speed and his break-building skills, but if we're going on 147s, then Willie Thorne is the greatest player who ever lived. Jamie Cope's 155 must make him superhuman. But, a 147 does not tell a player's ability at safety play, or getting in and out of snookers, which is where O'Sullivan's weak points are - and that side of his game has dipped a lot since Reardon stopped coaching him.

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            World Championship Snooker 2008

                                            I had some of Ebdon's last match on in the background the other day and at the end of one frame, he seemed to be in prolonged and animated discussion with the referee. What was all that about, then?

                                            N.B. - I think it was Ebdon, anyway. Perhaps I just assumed that if anyone was going to kick up a silly fuss, it would be him.

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              World Championship Snooker 2008

                                              According to the Beeb, Ronnie's just got a maximum to finish Mark Williams off. Looking at the scores, all but two of the twenty frames in their match included at least a half-century...

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                World Championship Snooker 2008

                                                Arse. I was thinking about watching a bit of Ronnie's game on the BBC iPlayer. How many 147's have there been at the Crucible? And I still haven't seen a single one live.

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  World Championship Snooker 2008

                                                  I managed to catch it live this afternoon, which was a first for me. He was mindblowing all session, too. Like a man potting acorns into a wide-brimmed tin bucket.

                                                  Comment

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