2017 World Snooker Championship

Permabear

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omb0wyn5ehpij9

Higgins has had two chances at the last red and missed both. If Selby robs this, it'll hurt Higgins a lot

Permabear

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Rekop dog

wonderfullife wrote: »

2. Higgins to win first session 6-2 over a flat/tired Selby.

Good shout old sport.

Permabear

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martingriff

This may be a noob question but lets say Selby/Higgins nominates a Black as the color hits it but by canning into another color that pots. Is it a foul or because he hit the black it is okay?

Permabear

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Permabear

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purplecow1977

Fluke!

Baron Kurtz

martingriff wrote: »

This may be a noob question but lets say Selby/Higgins nominates a Black as the color hits it but by canning into another color that pots. Is it a foul or because he hit the black it is okay?

A foul, to the value of the ball that went in after. If I get what you're saying.

Edit: Think ref Perma covered that there.

wonderfullife

wonderfullife wrote: »

1. Higgins to win 18-13.
2. Higgins to win first session 6-2 over a flat/tired Selby.
3. Higgins to have 4 centuries in match to Selby's 2.

Next Wednesday's Lotto Numbers:

7, 16, 18, 29, 34, 37

I secretly love the muted disgust in Willie Thorne's voice right now because he's so biased towards Selby (for obvious reasons).

Permabear

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Passenger

Think Ding may have worn down poor old Mark Selby yesterday.

martingriff

Permabear wrote: »

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Baron Kurtz wrote: »

A foul, to the value of the ball that went in after. If I get what you're saying.

Edit: Think ref Perma covered that there.

Permabear wrote: »

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Thanks all I had thought the opposite

barneystinson

Was stuck sitting in a car park an hour ago with a sleeping toddler and found my way to this thread... what's the story with all the ill will towards Higgins, I thought he was pretty much completely exonerated of any real wrongdoing in that thing 6 or 7 years ago..?! Has there been something else / more since, (or am I being naive in believing what I read about him basically being put in a situation where he's in Kiev meeting with Russian businessmen who it transpires may actually be "businessmen" and has to just go with the flow in order to get out of the room?)

Inviere

wonderfullife wrote: »

Higgins to win first session 6-2 over a flat/tired Selby

Do the lotto, now!

Very interesting so far, Higgins mostly on form, & Selby showing cracks. However, if anyone can leave a session & come back blazing, it's Selby. Game on!

wonderfullife

barneystinson wrote: »

Was stuck sitting in a car park an hour ago with a sleeping toddler and found my way to this thread... what's the story with all the ill will towards Higgins, I thought he was pretty much completely exonerated of any real wrongdoing in that thing 6 or 7 years ago..?! Has there been something else / more since, (or am I being naive in believing what I read about him basically being put in a situation where he's in Kiev meeting with Russian businessmen who it transpires may actually be "businessmen" and has to just go with the flow in order to get out of the room?)

The video looks bad.

But people don't want to accept the findings of the Tribunal which cleared him of all charges. The ban he received was for bringing the game into disrepute - the same reason Ronnie O' Sullivan was given a 2-year-suspended ban for headbutting Mike Ganley, which split Mike open!

A lot of people think John and Ronnie to an extent both "got off" because they were higher profile and more important than others hit with heavy bans (Quinten Hann, Joe Jogia, Stephen Lee etc). The feeling is if a lower ranked player nutted a tournament official or agreed on tape to throw a match, they'd have thrown the book at them regardless of circumstances.

The reality is he was told 5 mins before the meeting that the guys he was meeting were connected to the Russian Mafia and to go along with whatever they asked.

His manager, on the other hand, had negotiated for weeks with the Fake Sheikh from the News of the World an amount for John to throw some frames and it's why he was given a lifetime ban from snooker.

Road-Hog

wonderfullife wrote: »

Selby in recent years reminds me more of Steve Bannon than a comedian. :pac:

On the basis of wishful thinking, karma and otherwise, I'll make a quick prediction.

1. Higgins to win 18-13.
2. Higgins to win first session 6-2 over a flat/tired Selby.
3. Higgins to have 4 centuries in match to Selby's 2.
4. "Denise and the Kids" to be shown on camera during every frame of the final mini-session with Hazel constantly referencing how big the kids have gotten and inside jokes to let everyone know she's great friends with Denise.
5. Dennis Taylor to remind us often that Mark Selby's wife is a great pool player and to do his usual pregnant pause before saying the word "pool".


I'm confident of 2 out of 5.

What about the number of references to the 1985 final😀

wonderfullife

Road-Hog wrote: »

What about the number of references to the 1985 final😀

Dennis Taylor clichés I can think of:

1. "As long as a player needs (pregnant pause) TWO frames you always feel like you're in with a chance."

2. Some obligatory reference to Patsy Fagan in the audience.

3. "The stun-run-through is one of the most difficult shots in the game". (Hint - It really isn't. Deep screws, safeties with check sides, 3-cushion escapes.... there's a dozen shots harder).

4. "Cliff Thorburn was the first to play that shot" (the 2 cushion escape with side). "Hope you're well Cliff!".

5. "Stephen Hendry was the first to play that shot" (straight off the blue smash into the pink to open the reds).

6. Numbers 4 and 5 are not even remotely true.

7. Some reference to all the great players in China and how they'll be dominating snooker in years to come. He's been saying that now for 15 years.

8. "He never missed those when he was in his prime" - (basically used for anybody over 35 despite mounting evidence a snooker players prime is closer to 40).

9. Some way of sneaking in a reference to the "great Bill Werbeniuk" (who incidentally was never ranked higher than 8th in the world ever).

Frankie Lee

Werbeniuk gets mentioned any time a player returns to baulk with a screw back safety shot, he was the 1st to do it apparently. He probably does deserve to be regarded as great given the amount he drank and level of snooker he was still able to play.

I actually don't mind Taylor and Virgo for the big tournaments, they are unique.

barneystinson

wonderfullife wrote: »

9. Some way of sneaking in a reference to the "great Bill Werbeniuk" (who incidentally was never ranked higher than 8th in the world ever).

In fairness, I'd say he was great CRAIC.

wonderfullife

Something people were sleeping on is the fact Higgins has never lost to Selby in any marathon frame match.

In fact, I expect John was hugely relieved to be playing Selby and not Ding because he was never beaten Ding in best-of-25 or better.

The 2007 World Final between Higgins and Selby started off 5-3 first session to John and 7-1 the 2nd session to go 12-4 up overnight.

I could very easily see history repeating with John winning another session 6-2 again to take a 12-4 lead overnight.

If Selby knuckles down and turns this around I'll be mightily impressed with him but imo his race is run and if was gambling I'd be looking at the frame score odds from 18-14 to Higgins all the way down to 18-8 Higgins.

wonderfullife

barneystinson wrote: »

In fairness, I'd say he was great CRAIC.

I was told a story of him putting back 30 pints in a single day and making a 120 break after doing so! Could be an urban legend but sounds about right :pac:

martyos121

wonderfullife wrote: »

I was told a story of him putting back 30 pints in a single day and making a 120 break after doing so! Could be an urban legend but sounds about right :pac:

He was before my time but even his Wikipedia page makes him sound a right character (if it's all true):

Some of Werbeniuk's most famous feats of drinking include: 76 cans of lager during a game with John Spencer in Australia in the 1970s; 43 pints of lager in a snooker match/drinking contest against Scotsman Eddie Sinclair in which, after Sinclair had passed out following his 42nd pint, Werbeniuk was reported to say "I'm away to the bar now for a proper drink"; 28 pints of lager and 16 whiskies over the course of 11 frames during a match against Nigel Bond, in January 1990 – after which Werbeniuk then consumed an entire bottle of Scotch to "drown his sorrows" after losing the match.

mdwexford

wonderfullife wrote: »

Something people were sleeping on is the fact Higgins has never lost to Selby in any marathon frame match.

In fact, I expect John was hugely relieved to be playing Selby and not Ding because he was never beaten Ding in best-of-25 or better.

The 2007 World Final between Higgins and Selby started off 5-3 first session to John and 7-1 the 2nd session to go 12-4 up overnight.

I could very easily see history repeating with John winning another session 6-2 again to take a 12-4 lead overnight.

If Selby knuckles down and turns this around I'll be mightily impressed with him but imo his race is run and if was gambling I'd be looking at the frame score odds from 18-14 to Higgins all the way down to 18-8 Higgins.

10 years ago has no bearing on this match whatsoever.

Not even a tiny bit.

zuutroy

Leave Dennis alone.

wonderfullife

mdwexford wrote: »

10 years ago has no bearing on this match whatsoever.

Not even a tiny bit.

100% your opinion.

A player with a history of beating someone consistently over long-frame matches has a huge impact on their confidence levels, which 100% in mine factors into this match in a big way.

Anyway we shall see. I fully expect John to pull clear and effectively win this final tonight by breaking the back of Selby.

wonderfullife

Stephen Hendry, right on cue, just backed up the very point I made!

mdwexford

wonderfullife wrote: »

100% your opinion.

A player with a history of beating someone consistently over long-frame matches has a huge impact on their confidence levels, which 100% in mine factors into this match in a big way.

Anyway we shall see. I fully expect John to pull clear and effectively win this final tonight by breaking the back of Selby.

They have played four times first to 10 or higher and its 3-1 to Higgins.

They have played twice at a longer distance, 13-12 and 18-13 to Higgins.

Not quite the domination you are insinuating.

KERSPLAT!

Here we go! Selby needs to win this session. 5-3 or 6-2 would be great but Selby seems tired. It might be tomorrow before we see him at his best. He needs to make sure he's still in touching distance going into tomorrow. If Selby loses this session even 5-3 and he's in big trouble