Welsh Open 2009

Dave147

Just going through the sky tv guide there and noticed that there is no Snooker coverage on BBC1 or BBC2, there was limited coverage of the Stevens vs Hicks game on Eurosport but that was cut short due to a clash with cycling. It's no surprise the game of snooker is dying out when BBC would rather show some crappy Ready Steady Cook or Stormont Live than what alot of people really want to see - Live Snooker with proper commentary (watching Eurosport snooker is like watching a local derby with the sound muted, no atmosphere)

Anyone like to shed any light on this? Why are the BBC, who have promoted the game for so many years, now deserting the game we all love in it's time of need!

zack01

hi dave, the welsh open is being televised live on bbc wales all week, they have covered it every just as bbc scotland used to cover the scottish open before sky took it over, if you have sky just go into your add channels section, key in frequency 10803, polarisation H, symbol rate 22.0, FEC 5/6, select find channels and store bbc wales 1 and bbc wales 2, problem solved,while your at it store bbc london as well so when the worlds comes along in april your coverage won't be interupted when bbc northern ireland go to their stormont live, coverage is a lot better than eurosport, enjoy.

Dave147

Thanks zack, think I knew that before but had forgotten.. I can't stick the eurosport coverage. It's just awful, can't wait to get stuck into the action tomorrow. Now if you'll excuse me I'm having my own best of 9 and up 3-1

zack01

good man, enjoy!

celticfc

Yes, the BBC have only had Welsh TV rights to show the Welsh Open for many years now rather than full network coverage. Although if they wanted to, they wouldn't have to go to much trouble to do so.

The Semi-finals & Final however are available via BBC Red Button on saturday & sunday, but with the fact of all the BBC regians free-to-air on satellite these days most people can easily access BBC Wales.

I always find the Welsh open a great tournament, It tends to have an Irish Masters feel to it as it's kinda preparation for the World Champs in april and a lot of the top players are very relaxed and play some great stuff.

celticfc

By the way...

Jimmy white's match vs Ali Carter is live on BBC Two Wales tomorrow from 1pm.

Really looking forward to it, it's been a while since Jimmy's made it through to the TV stages of a major tournament.

Michael Judge is playing in the evening session too live on BBC 2 Wales


Tuesday's first round order of play:

1300:

Joe Perry (Eng) v David Gilbert (Eng)

Shaun Murphy (Eng) v Barry Pinches (Eng)

Ali Carter (Eng) v Jimmy White (Eng)

Mark Selby (Eng) v Paul Davies (Eng)

Stephen Hendry (Sco) v Martin Gould (Eng)

Graeme Dott (Sco) v Mike Dunn (Eng)

1900:

Ryan Day (Wal) v Michael Judge (Ire)

Peter Ebdon (Eng) v Anthony Hamilton (Eng)



Wednesday's first round order of play:

1300:

John Higgins (Sco) v Dominic Dale (Wal)

Ding Junhui (Chn) v Matthew Stevens (Wal)

Marco Fu (HK) v Fergal O'Brien (Ire)

Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) v Steve Davis (Eng)

Neil Robertson (Aus) v Jamie Burnett (Sco)

Mark King (Eng) v Dave Harold (Eng)

1900:

Second round matches

Selby/Davies v Perry/Gilbert

Swail v Hendry/Gould

Dave147

Managed to win 5-1 with a break of 128 and 71, there's life in this old dog yet!

Will be watching James Brown (Jimmy) tomorrow, can't bloody wait for the worlds though, love when I get snooker fever!

RichieLawlor

i fancy Martin Gould to do Hendry here

Dave147

At work for the night and plan on watching the snooker but can't get interactive on BBC Wales, will they be showing full coverage on the channel?

celticfc

There's no interactive welsh open snooker on the BBC at all regardless of where you are except for just the semi's and the final, but there is an hour of live stuff on BBC 2 Wales @ 7pm-8pm & an hour long highlights show @ 11.20pm. Eurosport have it live tonight until end-of-play.



'Tis a pity Jimmy never really got going today, he had a decent 70+ break in the second frame but Ali was just playing solid stuff throughout.

Anyway, COME ON MICHAEL!! (Oh and Fergal too whose playing tomorrow afternoon)

Dave147

Thought as much, pity because the eurosport coverage is disgraceful. Although the BBC commentary doesn't seem too great for this tournament either. Selby will retain it unless Ronnie is on form IMO.

Bluezar

Shame about Jimmy White today,never got into the game against Carter...
His first televised appearance in two years apparently...Let's hope we don't have to wait that long to see the great man again!!!!!

celticfc

Bluezar wrote: »

Shame about Jimmy White today,never got into the game against Carter...
His first televised appearance in two years apparently...Let's hope we don't have to wait that long to see the great man again!!!!!

Well, it appears he's getting used to the qualifiers in Prestatyn now and in his run to the Welsh open he had some great wins.

He'll be iff to the EIS in Sheffield next week to qualify for the World Championship. His first match infact is against Galways 18 yr old Vincent Muldoon.

In the next round the winner of that will play Andy Hicks, the winner of that will play Rory McLeod and then the winner of that will play someone ranked 17-32.

All that just to make it to The Crucible in April.

Not easy is it? :pac:

NabyLadistheman

Whats the story with Ken not qualifying for these sort of competition? Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Fergal O'Brien to name some of the journey men takin part. I undersatnd him being out of the top 16 but surely he must stilll have the class to come through some qualifiers.

Ken's game must well and truely fallen apart

Glenman

torresistheman wrote: »

Whats the story with Ken not qualifying for these sort of competition? Steve Davis, Jimmy White, Fergal O'Brien to name some of the journey men takin part. I undersatnd him being out of the top 16 but surely he must stilll have the class to come through some qualifiers.

Ken's game must well and truely fallen apart

This season Ken only had to win one match to qualify for an event but next year it will be more as he continues to slip down the world rankings. Stephen Hendry does not have any sympathy for people in his position. He has the ability but must nuckle down on the practise table. He is currently outside the top 32 and if he finishes the season there I can't ever see him getting back into the top 16. I hope I'm wrong

Anyway, fair play to Joe Swail for making the quarter finals yesterday, Joe is a ledgend!

Aaron M

Dave147 wrote: »

pity because the eurosport coverage is disgraceful.

Why is it disgraceful? I've been watching hours of live coverage today on Eurosport and nothing to complain about here.

Dave147

Aaron M wrote: »

Why is it disgraceful? I've been watching hours of live coverage today on Eurosport and nothing to complain about here.

Hmmm, where to start? Where's the studio? Where are the analysts? Where are the commentators that have a clue what they're talking about and can talk about something other than check side and screw back. Give me a break, it's complete amateurism.

Aaron M

Dave147 wrote: »

Give me a break, it's complete amateurism.

I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. I want to watch LIVE snooker, and as far as I'm concerned Eurosport do a commendable job of actually staying late and showing matches to their conclusion (I don't have the BBC interactive service).

Glenman

Eurosport covarage is OK but I prefer BBC alright. I'm watching the BBC Wales coverage on the RED button, it is good. Heading back to my accomodation now and have no sky digital. Is there anywhere I can see the second session live on the web? I know Eurosport are showing it online but you have to register?
Nice to see Swailer in his first final, hope he can win.

Aaron M

It's 5-3 in favour of Swail over Carter at the mid-point. I do worry about Swail sometimes, he's a little like Joe Perry in that they both seem to regularly miss frame balls when the pressure is on. I think Carter might be able to handle the pressure better (let's not forget Joe is almost 40 years old - he may never get another chance to win a tournament considering this is his first ever final!) - and I think Carter will win.

As for streams, you can try either:

http://www.channelsurfing.net

or

http://www.justin.tv

They sometimes contain links to Eurosport online coverage that might only usually be available in certain countries (like the way BBC online coverage is limited to the UK).