2018 World Championship

valor

_feedback_ wrote: »

Anyone having trouble with the Eurosport Player not working tonight?

yes it just went out, very annoying

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Ding is really having a nightmare tonight

Joe_ Public

AllForIt wrote: »

I'd actually agree with that. It is looking worrying for him in terms of what he can achieve for himself in terms of titles - he's been around a long while now and his tournament wins are way lower than what has been expected. He certainty doesn't raise his game on big occasions like Hendry or Davis did, for all his talent.

Hawkins looks more up for this match that Ding does, where's the passion?

Has been around a long time alright, especially for a guy barely past 30. I can’t understand how a guy who came to the UK without a single word of the language at 15 and made a success of it should be so weak mentally. Impossible to fathom. I thought he was improving in that department and fancied him this year but looks like the same old story once again.

Say Your Number

If Hawkins clears up here, it'll be hard to see a way back for Ding.

Joe_ Public

And an Allen horror show on the other table. How many times has he been in only to let Wilson back to clean up?

Mysterypunter

That was absolute rubbish from Ding. Gave away the first 2 this evening. 11-5 is too much

skipper_G

Ding's body language while Hawkins has compiled this break isn't encouraging. He looks like he's already given up.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

skipper_G wrote: »

Ding's body language while Hawkins has compiled this break isn't encouraging. He looks like he's already given up.

Yeah, he’s a beaten man unfortunately. And I can’t see any way back tomorrow

AllForIt

Joe_ Public wrote: »

And an Allen horror show on the other table. How many times has he been in only to let Wilson back to clean up?

Wilson is certainty the could-win outsider for the title. If he does win this match, I'd actually fancy him for it. He's young, he's passionate, he's really good and an exciting player to watch. I certainly enjoy watching him play. He likes to go for his shots and I think he has that go-for-it attitude at critical moments that Ding does't appear to have.

Joe_ Public

AllForIt wrote: »

Wilson is certainty the could-win outsider for the title. If he does win this match, I'd actually fancy him for it. He's young, he's passionate, he's really good and an exciting player to watch. I certainly enjoy watching him play. He likes to go for his shots and I think he has that go-for-it attitude at critical moments that Ding does't appear to have.

Wilson is certainly interesting. I have definitely being guilty of underestimating him, he’s very very solid if not spectacular and that’s a good way to be. Might be better playing Trupm next than Higgins if he gets through but no reason he should fear anyone.

Arthur Daley

Well most years nowadays you identify such and such a player in round 1 or 2 or the quarters and then they fail to show up and they are out. Such is the Crucible marathon and it's great to watch sport that is not all too predictable.

Tonight it looks like a Hawkins v Wilson final. By Sunday we might get Carter v Trump.

Joe_ Public

It’s been a bizarre tournament in many ways. If you’d told me 2 days ago, while Trump was struggling against Walden, that he’d be tournament favorite I’d have laughed out loud. Hawkins was 6th favorite last night and is now vieing with Judd at the top of the betting. Tomorrow? Who knows? Fascinating in its own way really.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

AllForIt

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Has been around a long time alright, especially for a guy barely past 30. I can’t understand how a guy who came to the UK without a single word of the language at 15 and made a success of it should be so weak mentally. Impossible to fathom. I thought he was improving in that department and fancied him this year but looks like the same old story once again.

I'm really curious if Ding has a sports psychologist at all? There are certainty matters of psychology going on with Ding and I don't see any evidence that they are being addressed. Maybe in their culture they don't speak of such things, I've no idea.

Milkman..

Joe_ Public wrote: »

It was the fourth frame, Trump played a red close to the right rail and it bumped an inch-inch and a half from the pocket and still dropped. Hendry was aghast. "Is this a nine-ball table we're playing on?"

Parrott, who usually wastes no opportunity to tell us how tight these pockets are compared to the clubs, gasped at a red that dropped for Allen earlier.

The pockets aren't bigger. It's a combination of the fall of the slate and the nature of the cloth that is making the pockets more accessible, though admittedly I'm no technical expert. It's just been increasingly noticeable how easier the tables are playing, since around 2014 or 2015 I would estimate, and in my opinion it is compromising the integrity of the game.

Look at the maximum stats,from wiki..

"Maximum breaks have gradually become more commonplace in professional snooker. Only eight maximums were achieved in the 1980s, but 26 were attained in the 1990s and 35 in the 2000s. Thus far in the 2010s, over 60 maximums have been achieved."

_feedback_

_feedback_ wrote: »

Anyone having trouble with the Eurosport Player not working tonight?

Mine is out too. one of the first nights i got to sit and watch the snooker from 7.

Joe_ Public

AllForIt wrote: »

I'm really curious if Ding has a sports psychologist at all? There are certainty matters of psychology going on with Ding and I don't see any evidence that they are being addressed. Maybe in their culture they don't speak of such things, I've no idea.

No I don’t think he has. Apart from Griffiths as his technical coach I’m not sure there’s much more to his set up. According to Ronnie he doesn’t work hard enough, doesn’t play enough tournaments and simply doesn’t want it badly enough. Interestingly Ronnie wasn’t overly enthusiastic about Hawkins either.

danganabu

Milkman.. wrote: »

Joe_ Public wrote: »

It was the fourth frame, Trump played a red close to the right rail and it bumped an inch-inch and a half from the pocket and still dropped. Hendry was aghast. "Is this a nine-ball table we're playing on?"

Parrott, who usually wastes no opportunity to tell us how tight these pockets are compared to the clubs, gasped at a red that dropped for Allen earlier.

The pockets aren't bigger. It's a combination of the fall of the slate and the nature of the cloth that is making the pockets more accessible, though admittedly I'm no technical expert. It's just been increasingly noticeable how easier the tables are playing, since around 2014 or 2015 I would estimate, and in my opinion it is compromising the integrity of the game.

Look at the maximum stats,from wiki..

"Maximum breaks have gradually become more commonplace in professional snooker. Only eight maximums were achieved in the 1980s, but 26 were attained in the 1990s and 35 in the 2000s. Thus far in the 2010s, over 60 maximums have been achieved."

That's perfectly normal for any sport it's call evolution, look at any other non team sport and you will see the exact same pattern for example frequency of 9 darters or holes in one. Plus of course there are simply more frames played.

PropJoe10

AllForIt wrote: »

I'm really curious if Ding has a sports psychologist at all? There are certainty matters of psychology going on with Ding and I don't see any evidence that they are being addressed. Maybe in their culture they don't speak of such things, I've no idea.

He doesn't have the right approach to long matches. The minute he loses the first couple of frames in a session, the shoulders go down. You can't afford to lose a few frames in a row in a shorter match but in these, you can lose a session 6-2 and make up for it in the later sessions. Ding doesn't seem to be able to deal with being behind at all in a match. It's a strange one but he'll never win a world title unless he finds a way to stick in the longer matches in damage limitation mode.

Look at John Higgins earlier. Played pretty awful for the whole session and still could've come out of it 4-4.

mdwexford

Joe_ Public wrote: »

No I don’t think he has. Apart from Griffiths as his technical coach I’m not sure there’s much more to his set up. According to Ronnie he doesn’t work hard enough, doesn’t play enough tournaments and simply doesn’t want it badly enough. Interestingly Ronnie wasn’t overly enthusiastic about Hawkins either.

I felt a lot of what Ronnie was saying about Ding could be applied to himself.

Colin Murray is a destestable human as well.

Joe_ Public

mdwexford wrote: »

I felt a lot of what Ronnie was saying about Ding could be applied to himself.

Colin Murray is a destestable human as well.

Absolutely, there was a bit of pot and kettle about it. Especially the sabotage remark. Few people have sabotaged themselves more in sport than Ronnie at the 2015 worlds imo.

Milkman..

What's Colin Murray done?

He seems like a knobhead alright

Loafing Oaf

AllForIt wrote: »

I'm really curious if Ding has a sports psychologist at all? There are certainty matters of psychology going on with Ding and I don't see any evidence that they are being addressed. Maybe in their culture they don't speak of such things, I've no idea.

Probably see them as a symptom of capitalist decadence...:P

Loafing Oaf

Some clearance by Trump!:eek:

Arthur Daley

Ding out now. No fightback this morning. 13-5.

Hawkins had a red bobble then drop surprisingly. Edbon reckoned that would not drop on the qualifying tables.

The Nal

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

Some clearance by Trump!:eek:

Missed it! Watching Hawkins go through here. No fight at all from Ding.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

skipper_G

As a long time fan of Ding, how utterly disappointing it is to watch him go out with such a whimper. No fight from him at all, fair play to Hawkins thought went straight for the jugular this morning.

The Nal

Anyone remember the mid 00s "Ding will dominate snooker for 15 years" chat?

Feel sorry for him. He needs a bit of bite to his game.

Joe_ Public

No fight from ding. Didn’t really expect it.

Higgins hasn’t picked up at all this morning. That attempt on the respotted black was shocking. Time for Trump to turn the screw.