2021 Masters 10/01/21 -17/01/21

eric hoone

Could be a late one!

sligeach

Fair play to Gilbert. He may have been lucky a few times, but so has John in other frames.

tanko

Brian? wrote: »

Tell Higgins that after missing that pink

That's one shot, there was shots earlier that never should have dropped.

newmember2

Higgins not looking quite as solid as last night and a lot more misses and unforced errors tonight.

sligeach

I'd like to see a Yan v Gilbert final.

gormdubhgorm

newmember? wrote: »

Higgins not looking quite as solid as last night and a lot more misses and unforced errors tonight.

I would be surprised if he ever played, as well as last night ever again. I would say Gilbert will crack under pressure he is very emotional.

newmember2

sligeach wrote: »

I'd like to see a Yan v Gilbert final.

Yes, would think it might be that bit more of a match.

Brian?

tanko wrote: »

That's one shot, there was shots earlier that never should have dropped.

Fair enough.

I'm sick of the talk about generous pockets though. It seems like it's the main discussion every tournament.

Brian?

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I would be surprised if he ever played, as well as last night ever again. I would say Gilbert will crack under pressure he is very emotional.

Looks like you're right. Missed blue and then a terrible safety .

eric hoone

Gilbert really blew it on that blue

AllForIt

Respect to Gilbert for winning that safety exchange. Brought the match alive for me.

AllForIt

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I would be surprised if he ever played, as well as last night ever again. I would say Gilbert will crack under pressure he is very emotional.

He seems to be very up and down mentally, an emotional player as you say.

Stevie Davis used to hold a poker face. It's not a bad idea to do that to help keep your emotions in check.

sligeach

That may have been Gilbert's last chance.

TheW1zard

Cmon Eddie Redmane

AllForIt

Gilberts mistake was missing that long red to the green pocket when he was on a break. He should have just run though and made the pot straightforward instead of trying to hold for the pink.

sligeach

C'mon Yan Bingtao in the final.

gormdubhgorm

I think Yan is going to win tomorrow. It is like the master v the pupil. I wonder will it be a lot of tactical stuff?

newmember2

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

I think Yan is going to win tomorrow. It is like the master v the pupil. I wonder will it be a lot of tactical stuff?

I see Higgins having an easier match than tonight tomorrow against Bing.

Joe_ Public

Genuinely shocked to hear this is higgins first masters final since 2006, hadnt realised he had that pretty dismal record. Think he'll be gunning to put that right, yan to his credit been clutch at times this week but first major final is a big step to take. Think there'll be other days for him, very promising.

zuutroy

Last time Higgins, Ronnie, or Williams didn't make a Triple Crown final was 92/93. Amazing.

tanko

AllForIt wrote: »

Gilberts mistake was missing that long red to the green pocket when he was on a break. He should have just run though and made the pot straightforward instead of trying to hold for the pink.

Yeah, it was a poor shot at a crucial time.
Gilbert is very flakey, not good when the pressure comes on.

tanko

zuutroy wrote: »

Last time Higgins, Ronnie, or Williams didn't make a Triple Crown final was 92/93. Amazing.

That can't be true, can it?

Billy Ocean

tanko wrote: »

That can't be true, can it?

Unless they mean all 3 combined? If not definitely not true

weemcd

tanko wrote: »

That can't be true, can it?

Couldn't be true.

Joe_ Public

I'd say there are very few years over past 25 seasons where one of higgins, williams, o'sullivan didn't win at least one of the triple crown events.

AllForIt

Potentially first ever Chinese winner of The Masters tomorrow. And not Ding.

zuutroy

Billy Ocean wrote: »

Unless they mean all 3 combined? If not definitely not true

Yes, one of the three of them has made one of the finals every year since then. Unless Dave Hendon is wrong, which I doubt.

zuutroy

AllForIt wrote: »

Potentially first ever Chinese winner of The Masters tomorrow. And not Ding.

Ding won it about 10 years ago.

gormdubhgorm

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Genuinely shocked to hear this is higgins first masters final since 2006, hadnt realised he had that pretty dismal record. Think he'll be gunning to put that right, yan to his credit been clutch at times this week but first major final is a big step to take. Think there'll be other days for him, very promising.

Apparently Higgins lost a lot of semi finals. If he wins he will have three the same number of wins as the Steve Davis who won the three times he got to a final. Same as Paul Hunter. Davis always regarded his own record at the Masters as poor though. I assume Higgins feels the same about his own record in it.

Higgins was runner up twice in the Masters in in 1995 and 2005. Walloped by Ronnie each time.

AllForIt

zuutroy wrote: »

Ding won it about 10 years ago.

Thanks. Don't remember that at all

Joe_ Public

zuutroy wrote: »

Yes, one of the three of them has made one of the finals every year since then. Unless Dave Hendon is wrong, which I doubt.

Dave is wrong, but just by a year. Since 93/94 which was ronnies breakthrough uk win. The last time none of the three won a major was 09/10. Before that it was 95/96, the second of hendrys clean sweeps. Guess thats why they're regarded as 3 of the top 5 all time greats.

tanko

zuutroy wrote: »

Yes, one of the three of them has made one of the finals every year since then. Unless Dave Hendon is wrong, which I doubt.

Ok, i thought you meant every single final and not one of the three every year.

tanko

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Dave is wrong, but just by a year. Since 93/94 which was ronnies breakthrough uk win. The last time none of the three won a major was 09/10. Before that it was 95/96, the second of hendrys clean sweeps. Guess thats why they're regarded as 3 of the top 5 all time greats.

But he's saying reached one of the triple crown finals, not winning one of them i think.

Joe_ Public

gormdubhgorm wrote: »

Apparently Higgins lost a lot of semi finals. If he wins he will have three the same number of wins as the Steve Davis who won the three times he got to a final. Same as Paul Hunter. Davis always regarded his own record at the Masters as poor though. I assume Higgins feels the same about his own record in it.

Higgins was runner up twice in the Masters in in 1995 and 2005. Walloped by Ronnie each time.

Its not a terrible record per se, but seems incongruous that since 2006 he's been in 6 world finals but zero masters finals. Some players just seem to perform better in certain tournaments/venues than others. Bingham had hardly ever won a match at the masters before turning up and winning it last year. Think davis is on record as saying he didnt care much for the old conference centre, whereas he adored goffs where he won multiple titles. Paul Hunter loved it, guess the type of flamboyant guy who'd respond to the big venue atmosphere. His win over ronnie still one of my favourite ever snooker matches.

Joe_ Public

tanko wrote: »

But he's saying reached one of the triple crown finals, not winning one of them i think.

Yeah, one of them reached a final every year since 93/94 is what dave Hendon said. Theres only two of those years in which one of them didnt actually win a title as well, thats all i was pointing out.

tanko

Maybe it's just that the longer matches in the world championships suit Higgins better.

Arthur Daley

I think that when Steve was at his peak it was recognised at the time that he was vunerable at the Masters. The conference centre crowd were probably shouting for the other fella despite it almost being his backyard, and the Romford mob could be drowned out by anybody but Davis punters.
Plus the Masters was looked down on a bit in the Snooker establishment because it wasn't ranking and it was invitational, with relatively short matches. I do believe there were 4 or 5 tournaments ahead of the Masters. The World, UK, Grand Prix and British Open/Mercantile Classic.

Mysterypunter

High quality all week, watching on Eurosport, Dominic Dale is excellent on commentary

zuutroy

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Dave is wrong, but just by a year. Since 93/94 which was ronnies breakthrough uk win. The last time none of the three won a major was 09/10. Before that it was 95/96, the second of hendrys clean sweeps. Guess thats why they're regarded as 3 of the top 5 all time greats.

Well he said last time they weren't in one was 92/93...which is the same as being in one from 93/94 on

Joe_ Public

zuutroy wrote: »

Well he said last time they weren't in one was 92/93...which is the same as being in one from 93/94 on

Yeah, reading comprehension malfunction on my behalf!

COME ON YAN!!!

DelBoy Trotter

John to win 10-8 is my prediction

deisedav

Mysterypunter wrote: »

High quality all week, watching on Eurosport, Dominic Dale is excellent on commentary

Yeah Dale is really good and easy to listen to .

tanko

Which Higgins will turn up, the one that played Ronnie or the one that played Gilbert?
Gilbert had plenty of chances but he wasn't good enough to take them.

DelBoy Trotter

Confident start to the match by Yan

Joe_ Public

Dream start certainly for a masters final rookie. Demeanour wise, yan does come across really solid.

A little bit of a smile there from the inscrutable Bingtao, as he pots the black to get on the last red... He's playing well, and looks relaxed.. All good for the Chinese

Higgins barely had a sniff yet - one half-chance last frame. Yan's safety play solid.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Higgins barely had a sniff yet - one half-chance last frame. Yan's safety play solid.

And then he goes and pots a red like that

tanko

Bing tao can't afford to be missing pots like that red if he's going to have any chance of winning.