34 Days of back to back snooker begins today !

waynescales1

I am stunned by that missed pink by Trump.

Brilliant final.

Arthur Daley

Fair play to Judd tough to lose it like that

gormdubhgorm

Snooker should come with a health warning!

tanko

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Fair play to Judd tough to lose it like that

The brown cost him but i still thought he’d get the pink.

waynescales1

Scottish Open starts in a few hours, not much point heading off to bed.

waynescales1

Did someone say the UK Championship wasn’t that important a tournament anymore? The two best players in the world at the moment playing out a 10-9 thriller until 1am on a Monday, giving absolutely everything they had to win it.

gormdubhgorm

waynescales1 wrote: »

Did someone say the UK Championship wasn’t that important a tournament anymore? The two best players in the world at the moment playing out a 10-9 thriller until 1am on a Monday, giving absolutely everything they had to win it.

Would have been even more drama first to 16 though!

Pighead

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Would have been even more drama first to 16 though!

Would have been still going on now if it was first to 16!

Great final and delighted to see Robertson win. Still can't get my head around the fact he has only been World Champion once. He's only reached the semi once since winning it back in 2010 as well.

Joe_ Public

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Would have been even more drama first to 16 though!

Yeah that's the point i'd say. It's still No.2 tournament on the calendar probably, but what people miss is the longer format matches. Take out the final and what else will anyone remember about that tournament? You just won't get the drama or epic encounters with best of 11s and shorter.

Genghis

Enjoyed the final yesterday, albeit fell asleep before the final frame. I missed the first session, tuned in around 4pm to see that BBC had finished coverage early. Compare that then to the 3hrs extended coverage last night, the second "half" of the match must have been about 3/4 of the match time!

Great to see the battle all the same.

And straight into battle again for the Scottish Open. Will be impressive if either Robertson or Trump can go long in this tournament, could be one for Wilson or Allen who have reasonable form, or even O'Sullivan if he gets any head of steam up.

Arthur Daley

My suggestion last week of making the semis best of 17 on Friday and a best of 31 final on Saturday and Sunday could easily be accommodated.

I understand that the reason for this format is the BBC. But their schedule was fairly messed up last night when BBC2 had the final until 1am.

Looking back on finals in this tournament there hasn't been a real blow out in the best of 19 final since 2007. Back when the BBC first developed the tournament there were blow out finals in 1980 and 1981 when Steve Davis was demolishing the field. Didn't do the sport any harm at the time.

By having 7 frame sessions until the final session Sunday night, they minimise the risk of not having any snooker on the Sunday night (unless someone wins 16-5, might happen once a decade), but also they would have 10 potential frames on the Sunday night to get from 21 frames to 31 frames. Last night's session had 11 frames.

Chalk McHugh

Another marathon Sunday of sport and hard to fit everything in but i watched the last session to it's very late conclusion.

I was listening to Steve Davis and Parrott at the interval when 6-6 and the Nugget wasn't impressed with the standard at that stage saying the game was so flat and it badly needed a crowd to get the players motoring.

The last three frames were enthralling i have to say. Robbo's brave brown into the middle pocket and subsequent clearance to force the decider was bravery personified.

The decider seemed to go on forever. So much at stake you could feel the tension. Real old school, late night slug fest. I thought those early hour marathon games were sadly a thing of the past.

Robbo should have cleared up and won it fairly comfortable but somehow jawed that cutback on the red.

With hindsight Judd probably wishes Robbo did clear up and save him from what was to come. When Judd screwed the cueball back with his right hand to land nicely on the brown i think everyone thought Robbo was finished. Even Robbo himself looked ashen faced.

Judd played a nervy brown didnt get on the blue into the middle which would have near guaranteed victory. He sank a nice long blue but wasn't plum on the pink. I remember thinking it was missable (probably a 95/100 shot) and while surprised he jawed it i wasn't shocked. Not in the circumstances anyway. Both players looked dead on their feet. Robbo somehow got up off the ropes, steadied himself and sank a terrific pink to claim a memorable UK Championship.

Rarely have i seen a defeated player looked so broken. Possibly when Higgins cleared up to beat Ronnie 10-9 in the Masters final all those years ago when Ronnie looked shell shocked. Or Davis when losing to Dennis Taylor. The look of utter dejection.

No doubt the championship took a while to warm up but people will never forget the last few frames. Especially the last frame. And forever that pink.

gormdubhgorm

Pighead wrote: »

Would have been still going on now if it was first to 16!

Great final and delighted to see Robertson win. Still can't get my head around the fact he has only been World Champion once. He's only reached the semi once since winning it back in 2010 as well.

Haha yeah they would be struggling to keep their eyes open.

As for Robertson only winning the WC once I was thinking that myself. He always seems to be unlucky and draws someone who plays great snooker.

I had a look at the games he lost out of curiosity

2020 Selby 13-7 - QF

2019 Higgins 13-10 - QF

2018 Milkins 10-5- 1rd

2017 Fu 13-11 - 2rd

2016 Holt 10-6 -1rd

2015 Hawkins 13-12 QF

2014 Selby 17 -15 SF

2013 Milkins 10-8 -1rd

2012 O'Sullivan 13-10 -QF

2011 Trump 10-8 - 1rd

ArmaniJeanss

Well put together concept Arthur.

I think the problem is that the longer game exacerbates superiority leading to a shorter final session on the Sunday night (the supposed glory night).

So if A is twice as good as B under the current format and wins 10-5 you get a session of 8 and a session of 7. That's absolutely fine.

But if A wins 16-8 you get 3 sessions of 7 and a final Sunday night session of just three frames. Not good at all from a broadcaster point of view.

Joe_ Public

Robbos world championship record is pretty moderate for a guy of his talent. Even the title he won was a little bit cheap, from memory fergal, gould (who should have beaten him), davis, carter, dott. You can only beat who's in front of you but one top 16 player to win a world title is as handy as it gets i think.

Personally i think he's a great player who can start to doubt himself and get a bit negative when under maximum pressure, which is what separates him from the all time elite. He was playing great snooker in 2019 but blew it against Higgins in the worlds and was blaming the table afterwards. There's still time for him though and yesterday will give him a major boost going forward.

gormdubhgorm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Yeah that's the point i'd say. It's still No.2 tournament on the calendar probably, but what people miss is the longer format matches. Take out the final and what else will anyone remember about that tournament? You just won't get the drama or epic encounters with best of 11s and shorter.

I think the sponsors and the BBC are blessed that the final saved it.

Plus the fact it went on so long really would have got people engaged. If someone was flicking channels and not normally a snooker fan, they could have landed on it.

But, it was a very flat tournament with a lot of one sided quick matches - at least 32 stage on.

Arthur Daley

ArmaniJeanss wrote: »

But if A wins 16-8 you get 3 sessions of 7 and a final Sunday night session of just three frames. Not good at all from a broadcaster point of view.

True, but Ronnie or Judd could have a 6-0 win over in an hour in this tournament or the Masters. Yesterday afternoon was over by 4pm, but they were scheduled to go to 5pm.

Anyway we are told that 'linear programming' is becoming a thing of the past with streaming, on demand, I player etc. so maybe someday we can see the UK return to it's former glorious self.

gormdubhgorm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Robbos world championship record is pretty moderate for a guy of his talent. Even the title he won was a little bit cheap, from memory fergal, gould (who should have beaten him), davis, carter, dott. You can only beat who's in front of you but one top 16 player to win a world title is as handy as it gets i think.

Personally i think he's a great player who can start to doubt himself and get a bit negative when under maximum pressure, which is what separates him from the all time elite. He was playing great snooker in 2019 but blew it against Higgins in the worlds and was blaming the table afterwards. There's still time for him though and yesterday will give him a major boost going forward.

You could be right , has to be a between the ears thing. Because with the amount of centuries he can score, he should be destroying opponents souls like Hendry (in his pomp) or what Ronnie does.

I had a gawk at Roberston's 2010 WC. You must have a great memory.

Robertson beat:

Fergal (The Baby-Faced Assassin) 10-5 1rd -

(I looked up that nickname alternative 'Fearless Fergal' - Jayus)


Gould 13-12 2rd

Davis 13-5 QF

Carter 17-12 SF

Dott 18-13 Final

Joe_ Public

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

You could be right , has to be a between the ears thing. Because with the amount of centuries he can score, he should be destroying opponents souls like Hendry (in his pomp) or what Ronnie does.

I had a gawk at Roberston's 2010 WC. You must have a great memory.

Robertson beat:

Fergal (The Baby-Faced Assassin) 10-5 1rd -

(I looked up that nickname alternative 'Fearless Fergal' - Jayus)


Gould 13-12 2rd

Davis 13-5 QF

Carter 17-12 SF

Dott 18-13 Final

Ha, not really but i remember world championships pretty well and actually only checked that one a few days ago. Robbo did have a couple of personal issues, his partner was suffering bad depression i think which was tough and there was the video games addiction he's often talked about. That can't have helped. My overabiding impression though, is that he would start to clam up and play negatively when under the cosh. Remember him a few years ago saying how badly he was trying to get his average shot time down, more of a battle with himself than any opponent really.

blingrhino

Hard for judd to pick himself up after that and play tonight in the scottish open.

zuutroy

I think he's been moved to tomorrow night.

Joe_ Public

Yeah Judd on tomorrow. Remember when Wilson had to travel and play in belfast the day after fighting out a late one with ronnie in the champion of champions (i think) and they brought in the rule after that, or arrangement however you'd call it.

AllForIt

Chalk McHugh wrote: »

The last three frames were enthralling i have to say. Robbo's brave brown into the middle pocket and subsequent clearance to force the decider was bravery personified.

Yes it was brave but I think he had to go for it though the commentators were saying it was too risky. He just had to concentrate on potting it and not do much with the cue ball, and he wasn't hampered by the cush or a ball either, bridge hand nicely on the table.

I think Judd will regret not going for the long green to the black pocket as much as missing the pink. He would have been on the brown or even an easy snooker or left the green safe if he missed it. So it was a favourable percentage shot he turned down.

I fancied Robbo for this final on recent form but he did have a severe dip in form at one stage going really slow though indecision which I think is his one obvious flaw. He seems to be thinking too far ahead sometimes. If he could address that he could be world champ again sometime.

Although he almost lost the final I think he deserved it overall for his performance all week which was better than Trumps imo. Trump over the last couple of years has managed not to loose matches in addition to the matches he deserved to win but this time it didn't happen.

Chalk McHugh

AllForIt wrote: »

Yes it was brave but I think he had to go for it though the commentators were saying it was too risky. He just had to concentrate on potting it and not do much with the cue ball, and he wasn't hampered by the cush or a ball either, bridge hand nicely on the table.

I think Judd will regret not going for the long green to the black pocket as much as missing the pink. He would have been on the brown or even an easy snooker or left the green safe if he missed it. So it was a favourable percentage shot he turned down.

I fancied Robbo for this final on recent form but he did have a severe dip in form at one stage going really slow though indecision which I think is his one obvious flaw. He seems to be thinking too far ahead sometimes. If he could address that he could be world champ again sometime.

Although he almost lost the final I think he deserved it overall for his performance all week which was better than Trumps imo. Trump over the last couple of years has managed not to loose matches in addition to the matches he deserved to win but this time it didn't happen.

Yea i was surprised he didn't take that long green. He could have still got the cover behind the brown if he missed it and left himself brown to middle if he potted it.

Robbo actually said in his post match interview that he would definately have gone for that green.

Hindsight never lost a frame though and if the snooker worked out Judd would be praised for making such a wise decision. It was very un-Trump like all the same.

Well done to Robbo .... Nice tribute he gave to his friend and mentor Peter Worth as well. The man must have really meant a lot to him. And what a brown!

That was an excellent final that had almost everything. Will last long in the memory that one. Don't get many 1am finishes nowadays.

mrunsure

Robertson has withdrawn from the Scottish Open so he can get a rest before next week's World Grand Prix.

zuutroy

Scottish is in a mess after a load of delayed Covid test results. They're only playing the 1pm games now.

Great clearance by Selby to go 3-0 up there against Yuan - he must have been at least 5/1 to pot the pink, get to the yellow, and pot all the colours. The green was on the baulk cushion, and the black was close to it's own cushion.

I wonder who's in the cameraman's ear. Twice in the last frame when Mark was on a red the cameraman was showing the potting angle to the obvious pocket/s; were he actually going for a pot. On both occasions they were reds, and he was 'running for cover' . The first one was obvious, as the camera was almost behind the shot; with a potential red to middle from the black end. It was clear he was playing safe on that one, as the camera was almost behind the shot, and Selby was aiming for the outside of the red, and not the right hand side of it - where he'd be hitting it were he attempting the pot - but the camera was focused on the centre pocket, as if he was going for the red...

Yuan gets one back. He's capable alright.

Joe_ Public

One who definitely won't be playing next week is Stephen Maguire and by sounds of it, he won't be too put out by it.


Stephen Maguire said he knew he "shouldn't have come" after losing 4-1 to Englishman Zak Surety in the first round of the exiled Scottish Open.

The tournament is being played at Milton Keynes' Marshall Arena, which was also the venue for the UK Championship.

Maguire, 39, said he hopes to come back "refreshed" in the new year.

"I've had enough of the hotel," said Maguire, who showed frustration with a break off shot in the fourth frame.

"It's just too much for me, it's too much for me to be away and locked in a room. It takes a strong mind to stay in your room all the time and I've obviously not got that.

"He played too good, far too good. I didn't get going and he deserved his win. He put me under pressure and I couldn't get in amongst the balls. Fair play, I hope he does well in the tournament."

"I've just had enough, just had enough," said the Scot. "Enjoy Christmas, forget about it, it's not a big deal. Come back refreshed next year.

"I shouldn't have come down. I knew I shouldn't have come down. I wasn't ready to come down. I got what I deserved there. It makes it easy now because I miss the tournament and the cue can go away and I can regroup and see how we get on next year."

Strumms

Classy... like it would have cost him much to say.. “ yeah, didn’t play to my potential, wasn’t feeling great but disappointed not to have played better and Zak was on fire...and that was the main reason I lost, well done to him. “

Pasteur.

Strumms wrote: »

Classy... like it would have cost him much to say.. “ yeah, didn’t play to my potential, wasn’t feeling great but disappointed not to have played better and Zak was on fire...and that was the main reason I lost, well done to him. “

He did in fairness if u see the whole interview on the BBC page

Mark Allen's happy. An easy win over Jimmy, and he's liking his new cue too.

Joe_ Public

Pasteur. wrote: »

He did in fairness if u see the whole interview on the BBC page

Yeah i didnt think he was being disrespectful, just honest really. I don't imagine maguire is the only one feeling that way, snookers not really the kind of sport you can keep going week after week and not feel mentally drained. Murphy wasn't in great shape last week for one. I think the xmas break can't come too soon for a lot of them.

Glenman

I see Ken Doherty plays Chang Bingyu, when is this match does anyone know?

Joe_ Public

Glenman wrote: »

I see Ken Doherty plays Chang Bingyu, when is this match does anyone know?

Official start time is "not before 2pm" so depends on the preceding match on the table. Could be a bit later than that way things are going. Lot of sloow matches going on.

Aaron Hill currently 1-1 with Peter Devlin.

Joe_ Public

No joy for Aaron, goes down 2-4 to fellow tour rookie Peter Devlin. A few weeks break and hopefully finds a bit of form in the new year.

waynescales1

Strumms wrote: »

Classy... like it would have cost him much to say.. “ yeah, didn’t play to my potential, wasn’t feeling great but disappointed not to have played better and Zak was on fire...and that was the main reason I lost, well done to him. “

Seems to be a trend in recent years that an increasing number of people don't want to hear anything out of the ordinary from any sportsperson in any interview. Do people just want to hear cliches and platitudes over and over? Trump was criticised for something similar when he said he "bottled it" after the UK final. That was the most interesting thing I'd heard him say all week. Same with Maguire. The more unfiltered, honest player reaction the better in my opinion. Let people show their personality infront of the camera.

waynescales1

Joe_ Public wrote: »

No joy for Aaron, goes down 2-4 to fellow tour rookie Peter Devlin. A few weeks break and hopefully finds a bit of form in the new year.

Shame, that's another early exit, I'd like to see him get a run to at least a QF. We'll obviously have to be patient with him, especially while playing best of 7s, but I'd like to see something from him that shows he's gonna go on and at least be a top 16/32 player.

Joe_ Public

waynescales1 wrote: »

Shame, that's another early exit, I'd like to see him get a run to at least a QF. We'll obviously have to be patient with him, especially while playing best of 7s, but I'd like to see something from him that shows he's gonna go on and at least be a top 16/32 player.

Yeah, patience is the key word i think. Lot of good players don't make it first time around on tour because it's such a brutal step up from junior and amateur game. Heard Robertson talk about his first abortive tries last week. I really don't want to see it happen to Aaron though as i believe he has the ability, important not to get too downcast this early in his career.

Glenman

Another disappointing result for Ken, no luck since almost getting to the final of the champions league. All these first round opponents are good players.

waynescales1

Hill, Doherty and O’Brien all gone in Round 1. Pretty grim from an Irish point of view.

Strumms

Ronnie 45 behind 18 left and playing on ? Some sort of mind game ?

zuutroy

Strumms wrote: »

Ronnie 45 behind 18 left and playing on ? Some sort of mind game ?

Been doing it for weeks. Getting really old now. He needs to start practicing. Playing really bad now.

cadaliac

zuutroy wrote: »

Been doing it for weeks. Getting really old now. He needs to start practicing. Playing really bad now.

Disgusting carry on. Complete lack of respect
Now Taylor can’t hit a barn door

cadaliac

Actually feel like turning it off

Strumms

Why isn’t Taylor trying to just drop the ball dead weight over the pocket ? Seems a bit strange to be playing those shots at pace

zuutroy

Taylor the first one to return the favour. Might be a long night!

Omega28

I love Ronnie but this type of behaviour is starting to get old already. I'm half tempted to turn over to the Utd match, which is a REALLY bad sign ��

Omega28

Is Trump is this?

zuutroy

Omega28 wrote: »

Is Trump is this?

Yes he won earlier today.