UK Championship 2019 26/11 - 8/12 BBC/Eurosport

Joe_ Public

Inviere wrote: »

He was an absolute monster on the baize for a long long time. Those two recent Crucible finals have changed him though, he's a shadow of himself. I suppose the years are catching up with him too, but he could very easily have been level with Ronnie with 5 Crucible wins. Anyway, it's nice to see fresh faces this far into a major, so there's that!

He's one of the all time greats, top 3 or 4. But i think, along with mjw, he's probably a bit surprised to be still in world top 5 at this point of his career. Apart from judd no young players have as yet arrived to pass him out. He still feeds off their weaknesses when he gets the chance.

Inviere

Joe_ Public wrote: »

He's one of the all time greats, top 3 or 4. But i think, along with mjw, he's probably a bit surprised to be still in world top 5 at this point of his career. Apart from judd no young players have as yet arrived to pass him out. He still feeds off their weaknesses when he gets the chance.

Agreed, I hate to harp on about the cliche that is the Class of '92, but by God they were some students of the game. Monsters, absolute monsters. I'd go as far as to say Higgins is an all time great, and he seems passed his best now, but that chap was (and still is) as tough as they come.

Trump, if he keeps his head screwed on, could have a monumental amount of success over the next two decades. He has the sheer natural talent of Ronnie, has matured over the last few seasons and is seeing the results of that, and his potting is probably the best I've ever seen. Combine all that with an elite safety/tactical game, and the guy becomes actually scary.

Joe_ Public

Inviere wrote: »

Agreed, I hate to harp on about the cliche that is the Class of '92, but by God they were some students of the game. Monsters, absolute monsters. I'd go as far as to say Higgins is an all time great, and he seems passed his best now, but that chap was (and still is) as tough as they come.

Trump, if he keeps his head screwed on, could have a monumental amount of success over the next two decades. He has the sheer natural talent of Ronnie, has matured over the last few seasons and is seeing the results of that, and his potting is probably the best I've ever seen. Combine all that with an elite safety/tactical game, and the guy becomes actually scary.

What i always remember about Higgins was that as a kid his dad would drive him across scotland to practice with hendry and he'd keep getting pasted until he could hold his own and finally best the great man. He had the talent but the application too. Never convinced judd quite had that and just taken him that much longer to get there. Judds tactical game really has come on past couple of years, does make him a frightful prospect for sure i would agree.

Dante7

I'm actually really enjoying watching Matthew Stevens playing. His style is a bit different and he does have a wonderful touch. 1-0

ArmaniJeanss

Bond 3-1 at the interval, playing decent but game has been scrappy.

2-2 on the other table.

taytobreath

its probably just me, but does jimmy white look a bit hungover in his commentary stint

nkl12xtw5goz70

Allen back level at 3-3 now and playing much better. Things starting to look ominous for Bond, I feel.

FrKurtFahrt

How did Bond (and Stevens, for example) qualify for this tournament (having been unheard of for years) - one of the three elite tournaments of the year? I thought that it would have been particularly difficult to qualify here, given the pre-tournament rankings. I'm not being selective here, just genuinely curious.

Joe_ Public

FrKurtFahrt wrote: »

How did Bond (and Stevens, for example) qualify for this tournament (having been unheard of for years) - one of the three elite tournaments of the year? I thought that it would have been particularly difficult to qualify here, given the pre-tournament rankings. I'm not being selective here, just genuinely curious.

128 players were in the main draw so they were comfortably within the qualifying criteria. Anyone on the main tour would have been in it.

Chalk McHugh

taytobreath wrote: »

its probably just me, but does jimmy white look a bit hungover in his commentary stint

Looks like he's just back from a stag do in Chernobyl.

Chalk McHugh

Bond has that glow of a man who has spent 50 odd years skulking around dark, seedy, smoke filled dens of debauchery otherwise known as snooker halls.

Chalk McHugh

Quite a few hideous festive jumpers in the audience. You'd swear it's christmas or something.

Chalk McHugh

Wonder would the combined weight of Allen and Maguire trump Joshua and Ruiz? A battle of the beize heavyweights would not be for the feint hearted.

Chalk McHugh

We could be burning the midnight oil with this one. Bit of an old fashioned slugfest.

nkl12xtw5goz70

Maguire goes through, beating Stevens 6-4. Bond 4-5 down, trying to take this one to a deciding frame.

Chalk McHugh

Bond looks shaken but not stirred.

ArmaniJeanss

The cider.

nkl12xtw5goz70

Deciding frame coming up! This one really could go either way. Allen looks worn down.

Chalk McHugh

Come on Nigel! Rolling back the decades.

nkl12xtw5goz70

Bond messes up a safety shot and gifts Allen the first good chance.

Chalk McHugh

The end is nigh for Nigel. The Belfast Bruiser rolls on. Pity.

taytobreath

bond is a good pro, he will build on that i think, he knows he can still compete with the best. i enjoyed that match

nkl12xtw5goz70

Tomorrow's semifinals...

1 pm

Ding Junhui vs Yan Bingtao

7 pm

Stephen Maguire vs Mark Allen

Chalk McHugh

taytobreath wrote: »

bond is a good pro, he will build on that i think, he knows he can still compete with the best. i enjoyed that match

Good pro, but i feel it's the last sting of a dying wasp. I'd be surprised if he reaches a ranking quarter final ever again. Very surprised.

Chalk McHugh

Mckenna Crashing Material wrote: »

Tomorrow's semifinals...

1 pm

Ding Junhui vs Yan Bingtao

7 pm

Stephen Maguire vs Mark Allen

The Chinese derby should be good. The Battle of the Bulge i'll pass on. Just cant watch Maguire play. Hate his style.

Not a great UK for me.

Sharp MZ700

Mckenna Crashing Material wrote: »

Tomorrow's semifinals...

1 pm

Ding Junhui vs Yan Bingtao

7 pm

Stephen Maguire vs Mark Allen

Thought I was watching it live on BBC! Must put on a bet.

Joe_ Public

taytobreath wrote: »

bond is a good pro, he will build on that i think, he knows he can still compete with the best. i enjoyed that match

As said earlier up the thread, been a pro for 35 years and has never been once off the tour which is a fine achievement at the age of 54.

Arthur Daley

When Nigel Bond appeared furst he used to wear a white glove on his bridge hand up to the mid 90s anyway. He packed in that wheez eventually.

Chalk McHugh

Arthur Daley wrote: »

When Nigel Bond appeared furst he used to wear a white glove on his bridge hand up to the mid 90s anyway. He packed in that wheez eventually.

I dont ever remember him wearing a glove.

Joe_ Public

I dont recall that either but then that could be just my 1990s for you.

Chalk McHugh

Joe_ Public wrote: »

I dont recall that either but then that could be just my 1990s for you.

The only person wearing a glove in the 90s was OJ Simpson.

Joe_ Public

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

The only person wearing a glove in the 90s was OJ Simpson.

It didnt fit!

Chalk McHugh

Joe_ Public wrote: »

It didnt fit!

Should have got Frank Dreben to prove otherwise!!

Arthur Daley

Very little about it online but he definetly wore a glove when he emerged as a pro in 89/90. By 95 and his world final against Hendry he'd packed it in. Think there might have been another player who tried it out as well. (Presumably not the same glove....Lol)

Sharp MZ700

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Very little about it online but he definetly wore a glove when he emerged as a pro in 89/90. By 95 and his world final against Hendry he'd packed it in. Think there might have been another player who tried it out as well. (Presumably not the same glove....Lol)

Only other high profile I remember back then was Earl Strickland.

cadaliac

Just home from an Xmas party
Christ Higgins out!

nkl12xtw5goz70

Sharp MZ700 wrote: »

Only other high profile I remember back then was Earl Strickland.

Quite a few American pool players wear gloves, but it's very rare to see a snooker player doing so. Even when O'Sullivan, Davis, Allison Fisher, etc., played 9-ball, I don't recall them wearing gloves.

Joe_ Public

Was a guy wearing a glove last season, forgetting his name right now, was scottish anyway but name wont come to me. Selby sometimes used one when playing in far east, down to heat and humidity which might increase friction and stickiness. A former pool champion so guess he would be more open to it than most.

Chalk McHugh

Hope Yan wins from here on in but i feel Ding will beat him and beat Allen in the final. Ding's apparent lack of interest for quite some time now has turned me off him a little, usually sitting slumped in his seat and offering little resistance when departing tournament after tournament. Great player when tuned in, though.

Chalk McHugh

There was a player wearing some sort of glove last year but cannot remember who. A Chinese player i believe.

gormdubhgorm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Was a guy wearing a glove last season, forgetting his name right now, was scottish anyway but name wont come to me. Selby sometimes used one when playing in far east, down to heat and humidity which might increase friction and stickiness. A former pool champion so guess he would be more open to it than most.

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

There was a player wearing some sort of glove last year but cannot remember who. A Chinese player i believe.

This fella (recently retired) Ross Muir regularly wore a glove.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Muir



I found forums where they discussed why pool players use them more than snooker.

https://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/board/forum/snooker-forums/coaching-questions/40552-gloves

https://www.reddit.com/r/snooker/comments/90qc30/why_do_pool_players_wear_a_glove_but_snooker/

Humidity, pool cue made of maple sticks more etc.

This fella discusses why most snooker players do not wear a glove but pool players do. He says it is because of the different bridge. He did a few tests on it found it helped him, Awkward holding chalk though, and gathering the balls out of the pocket annoying.

gormdubhgorm

Arthur Daley wrote: »

When Nigel Bond appeared furst he used to wear a white glove on his bridge hand up to the mid 90s anyway. He packed in that wheez eventually.

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

I dont ever remember him wearing a glove.

One forum mentioned two nigel's who used to wear a glove when playing snooker at some stage.

https://community.betfair.com/snooker/go/thread/view/94174/25893701/Has_any_pro_snooker_player_ever_wore_a_glove_whilst_playing_during_a_match#flvWelcomeHeader

Nigel Bond and Nigel Gilbert.

Also 'James stills wore a glove in 1983 mercantile credit match against tony knowles knowles won 5-1'

Dante7

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Was a guy wearing a glove last season, forgetting his name right now, was scottish anyway but name wont come to me. Selby sometimes used one when playing in far east, down to heat and humidity which might increase friction and stickiness. A former pool champion so guess he would be more open to it than most.

Ross Muir

Chalk McHugh

Yan looks nervy. I always feel the Chinese players look up to Ding and are in awe to some extent. I think Ding has a psychological advantage against his compatriots.

Chalk McHugh

Stroll in the park for Ding.

gormdubhgorm

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

Yan looks nervy. I always feel the Chinese players look up to Ding and are in awe to some extent. I think Ding has a psychological advantage against his compatriots.

Yeah Yan is playing shots with safety in mind as if he was going to miss them rather than going for them. Plus he seemed to lose his head a bit when he went to free that red off the rail in the second frame when there was no need.
He seems a bit rattled alright.

gormdubhgorm

Ronnie was very dismissive of Yan on Eurosport. Saying Yan has played the same way since he was 14, does not excite him and he is a very limited player.

Joe_ Public

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Ronnie was very dismissive of Yan on Eurosport. Saying Yan has played the same way since he was 14, does not excite him and he is a very limited player.

Ronnie following the roy keane school of punditry. I think he could be right but not sure you need to be so trenchant about it, he's only 19 so can still adapt and learn.

Chalk McHugh

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Ronnie was very dismissive of Yan on Eurosport. Saying Yan has played the same way since he was 14, does not excite him and he is a very limited player.

Pretty cutting. Ronnie can be pretty nasty at times.

Inviere

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Ronnie following the roy keane school of punditry. I think he could be right but not sure you need to be so trenchant about it, he's only 19 so can still adapt and learn.

Ronnie has been insufferable for about a year now. Arguably the GOAT, but an absolute knob a lot of the time.