34 Days of back to back snooker begins today !

Joe_ Public

Still a big ask but real battling qualities from vafaei here, impressed with this even if he's totally lacked the fluency he showed against ding.

zuutroy

Best of 11 starting at 8 pm at best...could be a late one.

zuutroy

zuutroy wrote: »

Best of 11 starting at 8 pm at best...could be a late one.

Ta... Although, this frame aint over yet

gormdubhgorm

I love how Hendry is almost playing the frame as the 'nervy top player'.

waynescales1

Is anyone gonna get the correct side of the blue in this frame?

And what a shot Vafaei has played to free pink and black from wrong side of the blue.

zuutroy

I suspect there won't be more than 8 or maybe 9 frames in the next match.

I think he meant that safety, the Iranian.. acknowledged by Hendry

A good result there I think.. not an easy one for Selby

Still life in this - not an easy clearance

waynescales1

zuutroy wrote: »

Best of 11 starting at 8 pm at best...could be a late one.

Didn’t really understand the 3:45pm start time for today’s matches, with a full evening match to come later on. Why not 1pm like normal. Was there some other sport on ITV earlier today which would have clashed with the snooker?

zuutroy

ITV always seem to have horse racing on during these tournaments thus the weird weekend scheduling. That may not be the case this time, I havent checked, but that's usually the culprit.

gormdubhgorm

Yeats must have been waiting ages to use that '10 out of 10' line for Selby for ages.

weemcd

The Jester from Leicester has to be one of the worst nicknames I've ever heard for Selby. He never cracks a smile even when he's winning.

Dour.

mrunsure

zuutroy wrote: »

ITV always seem to have horse racing on during these tournaments thus the weird weekend scheduling. That may not be the case this time, I havent checked, but that's usually the culprit.

Yes, snooker didn't start until 3.45 because of racing. There's also no snooker tomorrow afternoon because of racing, which is also normal for ITV tournaments.

Joe_ Public

Not easy on the eye but that was a great match for vafaei, type of games can really bring you on. Wasn't far away from getting to a decider there.

gormdubhgorm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Not easy on the eye but that was a great match for vafaei, type of games can really bring you on. Wasn't far away from getting to a decider there.

He is 26 might give him a lift. Seemed to enjoy it as well.

waynescales1

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

He is 26 might give him a lift. Seemed to enjoy it as well.

Wow, didn’t know that, looks at least 36.

Agree though, looked very strong tactically. Put Selby under a lot of pressure with his safety game.

Joe_ Public

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

He is 26 might give him a lift. Seemed to enjoy it as well.

Have been following him for a good 7-8 years now and the struggles he's faced to get where he is now. Best safety i've seen him play ever, and sods law his usually efficient potting would let him down. Should take heart from that display though, went toe to toe with selby in the tactical stakes and just fell a small bit short is all.

zuutroy

Ronnie's neatly groomed. Look out Judd!

gormdubhgorm

Alan McManus and the fella that sounds like a 'far less annoying' Phil Yates - David Hendon, are enjoying this. Feckers paid to watch it.

gormdubhgorm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Alan McManus and the fella that sounds like a 'far less annoying' Phil Yates - David Hendon, are enjoying this. Feckers paid to watch it.

At least McManus has to go to the trouble of 'scrubbing up' for ITV; unlike Eurosport I like Alan, as he knows all the ins and outs of the game...

gormdubhgorm

Deleted User wrote: »

At least McManus has to go to the trouble of 'scrubbing up' for ITV; unlike Eurosport I like Alan, as he knows all the ins and outs of the game...

Sure when they are writing that fellas obituary, it will write itself. He is with the angles now.

waynescales1

Tough on O’Sullivan to be 2 down after some excellent safety play.

Some of Ronnie's safety/snookers there were genius level imo.. He might have got a little bit a the rub with some of them; but it was like he knew there were a couple of different possibilities regards how the balls would end up; taking balls clashing etc into account.

I bet Selby's watching, and he's green with envy :pac: :pac:

eric hoone

Ouch, not happening for Ronnie tonight

zuutroy

Playing fine and 3-0 down. Tough game.

gormdubhgorm

Don't think I have ever seen Ronnie whitewashed. Could happen at this rate.

zuutroy

Just when you think he's gone as a contender, he drags you back in.

Mick Shrimpton

Superb clearance by Ronnie

Rothko

Great clearance by Ronnie but Judd really should have won that frame.

gormdubhgorm

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Don't think I have ever seen Ronnie whitewashed. Could happen at this rate.

He must have heard me great pink. Game on 3-1

waynescales1

Yes Ronnie, what a pink.

eric hoone

Great clearance by Ronnie, still in with a chance 3-1 down

Joe_ Public

Almost contemptuous ease that break, bit off on the pink, no worries, just smash it in and round the angles for the black. Judd missed frame ball by a big margin though!

gormdubhgorm

zuutroy wrote: »

Just when you think he's gone as a contender, he drags you back in.

zuutroy

I'm surprised at ITVs narrative. He certainly hasn't played badly today in comparison with the last 3 weeks.

amens

weemcd wrote: »

The Jester from Leicester has to be one of the worst nicknames I've ever heard for Selby. He never cracks a smile even when he's winning.

Dour.

He's always making jokes, not usually while playing though. You mustn't have been watching him for long. He's hardly going to smile in a match that he's expected to win but is struggling.

Joe_ Public

zuutroy wrote: »

I'm surprised at ITVs narrative. He certainly hasn't played badly today in comparison with the last 3 weeks.

A bit meh about hendrys analysis there, personally. One of best clearances he's ever seen? In nearly 40 years watching the game? It was very good to be sure, great pink, but there wasn't a difficult ball there. And he'd just made a very good break in previous frame so it wasn't as if it had just suddenly sprung from nowhere, as stephen was claiming.

gormdubhgorm

zuutroy wrote: »

I'm surprised at ITVs narrative. He certainly hasn't played badly today in comparison with the last 3 weeks.

I agree ROS easily could be 3-1 up.

amens

Joe_ Public wrote: »

A bit meh about hendrys analysis there, personally. One of best clearances he's ever seen? In nearly 40 years watching the game? It was very good to be sure, great pink, but there wasn't a difficult ball there. And he'd just made a very good break in previous frame so it wasn't as if it had just suddenly sprung from nowhere, as stephen was claiming.

Wasn't there a clearance of 72 or something in the world final against carter that had some really great shots in it? Where Denis Taylor says he'll do well to make 20.

Joe_ Public

amens wrote: »

Wasn't there a clearance of 72 or something in the world final against carter that had some really great shots in it? Where Denis Taylor says he'll do well to make 20.

Can't remember tbh but i've no doubt you could come up with a fair few better than that. Hendry started off by saying it was probably the best clearance he'd ever seen and i just instantly thought of alex. He then downgraded it to one of the best a minute later. Don't expect a guy like hendry to get carried away like that. The manner of the clearance was a bit spectacular to be fair, was ronnie near his best for sure.

zuutroy

amens wrote: »

Wasn't there a clearance of 72 or something in the world final against carter that had some really great shots in it? Where Denis Taylor says he'll do well to make 20.

It was Willie Thorne on commentary but you're right.

2ndcoming

Bit of mindgames from Ronnie there?

I missed the very start after midsession... Saw Ronnie picking his mug up from on, or beside Judd's table.. The left-hand side; as we're looking at it, is where the top-dog usually sits; I think.. Mindgames perhaps??

zuutroy

I think time has finally caught up with Ronnie.

2ndcoming

Screwback on that opening red was delectable.

gormdubhgorm

zuutroy wrote: »

I think time has finally caught up with Ronnie.

Not about that he has not played badly. It is just that once the Juddernaut got going is hard to stop.

2ndcoming

2ndcoming wrote: »

Screwback on that opening red was delectable.

My thoughts exactly

A thing of beauty indeed... Bloody fantastic and sublime position

zuutroy

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Not about that he has not played badly. It is just that once the Juddernaut got going is hard to stop.

I'm kind of summing up the whole season. He ain't what he was. Even the World win was something of an aberration.

amens

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Can't remember tbh but i've no doubt you could come up with a fair few better than that. Hendry started off by saying it was probably the best clearance he'd ever seen and i just instantly thought of alex. He then downgraded it to one of the best a minute later. Don't expect a guy like hendry to get carried away like that. The manner of the clearance was a bit spectacular to be fair, was ronnie near his best for sure.

It was Willie Thorne that said he'd do well to get above 20. A clearance of 92
https://youtu.be/rLk71tnNxOU
Worth watching to see a crowd as well