2018 Masters

Permabear

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It's unreal.. I'm just flicking in and out as I'm in work. Every time I look at it, he has cleared up again!

Permabear

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Joe_ Public

Bloodless execution. Good stuff from Ron but not much pressure, Marco having a poor season.

Table conditions, frankly, seem a joke which can’t be overstated.

Permabear

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The Nal

Permabear wrote: »

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Felt bad for Fu. Destroyed. But nobody is beating Ronnie in that form.

Permabear

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taytobreath

1 hour 22 mins was the time it took him to defeat Marco

Pighead

Unreal from Ronnie Marco only scored five points in the last three frames and they came from a Ronnie foul! Unbelievably Ronnie is possibly playing the best snooker of his career at the rip old age of 42.

Joe_ Public

Still way ahead of the pack when he’s on song and motivated but no way could I agree he’s playing the best snooker of his career or even that close to it. Doesn’t have to in fairness.

zuutroy

Seven 50 breaks in a six frame match :eek:

Pighead

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Still way ahead of the pack when he’s on song and motivated but no way could I agree he’s playing the best snooker of his career or even that close to it. Doesn’t have to in fairness.

Disagree. His all round game is majestic at the moment. If he wins the Masters and the Worlds this could very well go down as the best season of his career. His mindset is so much stronger these days and because of that he's tougher to beat. Maybe he's not as flamboyant, fast or flashy as he was back in his 20's but his all round game and mentality are way ahead of what they were.

Permabear

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Wilson is 4-3 up on Hawkins. The pockets look to playing fairly easy from what I saw today. Lots of shots wobbling and going in.

Joe_ Public

Pighead wrote: »

Disagree. His all round game is majestic at the moment. If he wins the Masters and the Worlds this could very well go down as the best season of his career. His mindset is so much stronger these days and because of that he's tougher to beat. Maybe he's not as flamboyant, fast or flashy as he was back in his 20's but his all round game and mentality are way ahead of what they were.

I’d go with that to some extent. Mentally he looks strong but the key word there is if. If he does it at the worlds - which of course he has not over the past 3 years. That’s the ultimate test for me, I’d like to think he’s up to the crucible slog this time round - in fairness he did not play badly last year - but I still have my doubts.

For what it’s worth, I can’t accept Ronnie is a better player now than 20 years ago. I believe he - and to some extent Selby - are dominating a relatively weak era in the sport. At his best he had Higgins, Williams, Paul Hunter (Rip), Ebdon, McManus, Doherty, Stevens, among others, continually pushing and testing him. Last month he breezed the UK not meeting a top 16 player until the final. I don’t think Ronnie has much respect for most of the young pros coming up, what was it he calls them - numpties I think it was. Judd Trump is still top 3 or 4 I think and what a disappointment he’s been. Says a lot about the state at the top I believe.

Ron is great but I think the set up suits him, shorter format at the UK for example. Beyond Selby there’s just a lack of hardened, big match players to truly test him. Higgins is demonstrably in decline yet he’s still competitive, again that tells a story I think.

Just my 2 cents really, I love watching the guy as much as anyone, just think what he’s doing needs to be put in some perspective is all.

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Joe_ Public wrote: »

Beyond Selby there’s just a lack of hardened, big match players to truly test him. Higgins is demonstrably in decline yet he’s still competitive, again that tells a story I think.

This is more or less exactly what Ronnie said himself in his post-match interview yesterday.

Love that he's in a big chair rather than standing :D

The Nal

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Just my 2 cents really

Agree with most of that, certainly about quality at the top, but its a very different sport now compared to 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.

2009-10 - Six full ranking tournaments and a total prize fund for the season of £3.5million

2017/18 - 28 tournaments (18 ranking I think) and total prize money is now £12million.

The top 16 guys aren't as protected anymore. They used to enter a lot of comps a few rounds later, like the FA Cup. Now they mainly play at the start with the rest of the 132 players. Could argue that a lot of the top guys are being dragged down a level as a result.

Anyway, good day ahead today. Can't see past comfortable wins for Murphy and Higgins. Carter has been poor this season.

HisJills

Permabear wrote: »

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Hahaha nice one!

Joe_ Public

The Nal wrote: »

Agree with most of that, certainly about quality at the top, but its a very different sport now compared to 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.

2009-10 - Six full ranking tournaments and a total prize fund for the season of £3.5million

2017/18 - 28 tournaments (18 ranking I think) and total prize money is now £12million.

The top 16 guys aren't as protected anymore. They used to enter a lot of comps a few rounds later, like the FA Cup. Now they mainly play at the start with the rest of the 132 players. Could argue that a lot of the top guys are being dragged down a level as a result.

Anyway, good day ahead today. Can't see past comfortable wins for Murphy and Higgins. Carter has been poor this season.

Yes fair points I think. It’s a vastly different game from the one I grew up watching. Not for the better in many ways I feel but I guess while players now rattle in tons nearly every second frame and the bbc fawn over the quality, few will complain only the old cranks like me

Carter shocking lately alright, head looks to be gone a little.

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The Nal

Great match. Give us the decider!

Permabear

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Joe_ Public

Very sloppy from McGill last frame, threw it away really. Could see that the blue was in his way when trying to pot that red, not sure how he thought that was on.

Permabear

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The Nal

Great stuff from Mark Williams

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