World Grand Prix 2023 - 16-22 Jan, ITV4, Eurosport, Discovery+

First matches today best of 7 frames

1pm

Mark Allen v David Gilbert

7pm

Zhou Yuelong v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh

I’m gonna give Allen the first match & I’m not sure for the second..

Any predictions or hopes? 👀

@mods feel free to merge with masters thread if you’d rather.

Arthur Daley

Coverage doesn't start until 7pm. Allen v Gilbert match is then.

Just on the Monday afternoon they put in a break, to give people a breather from last week so we don't go too snooker loopy

Coverage will be on the other afternoons this week, but not Saturday as there is usually racing on. With Mark Williams playing Jamie Jones tomorrow at 1pm.

Judd Trump plays Vafaei tomorrow night not before 9pm. Definite possible hangover there for Judd in best of 7.

Arthur Daley

These are best of 7s in the last 32, and last 16, so a bit like a Home Nations event, there could be some upsets for the top 16 that are here.

Ronnie plays the Hawk 7pm tomorrow

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120115728#Comment_120115728

Sorry that’s my mistake you are correct!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120115728#Comment_120115728

Yea I’d be worried about Judd also to be fair. He might be feeling fatigued from yesterdays match and the pressure that came with.

Same goes for Williams. I think the rest have something to prove especially Ronnie O’Sullivan since he didn’t fair great in the Masters.

edit: that’s just how o think the players feel obviously they’ve proven their worth by now 😅

Arthur Daley

They are finding some pretty refs these days. Not seen her before.

Strumms

Wish they’d just put the snooker on a TV channel, instead of behind gambling apps that just ain’t accessible or of zero interest to most people.

Barry Hearn all over it.

Arthur Daley

Selby and Robertson gone early doors. Might struggle to get into the later ITV tournaments. Even Ronnie is at risk of missing out. Although again he claims am 'I bovered'

Trump ploughs on with a tough win over Vafaei

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120117797#Comment_120117797

Shes no Len Ganley

Arthur Daley

Ding loses 4-0. In last frame against Willo Ding fails to hit final black ball on the cushion straight in front of him. Ending the match there and then.

He was trying to roll up to it. But very poor.

Arthur Daley

Ronnie will struggle to make the Players Championship and then the Tour Championship at this rate of going.

John Higgins is fairly certain to miss both. Unless he more or less wins in Wales.

Missing the Tour Championship in particular is not ideal as it is probably the fourth biggest event now, and great for long match sharpness heading to the Crucible.

AllForIt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120127134#Comment_120127134

Wrong shot. Even if he hit it he prolly would have left it on to the green pocket. It was a very difficult safety to be fair. I think he would have been better off to just bash it around the table, hit and hope.

Arthur Daley

Pretty ref seemed to have some controversy in frame 4 of Allen v Lisowski. She seems to have awarded a free ball, and after 6 or 7 minutes the players decided it wasn't a free ball. The frame developed into a bit of a mess and over an hour long not usual for these two.

Hendry was not impressed in the studio that if she was inexperienced she shouldn't be refereeing a quarter final of a major tournament.

I feel a bit sorry for her, but I'm an old softee.

As usual the players were pros and didn't make too much of a fuss, just got on with it.

AllForIt

Yes that was a bit farcical. I think Allen should have stayed in this chair though because the two competitors trying to sort it out between themselves isn't proper.

Arthur Daley

Only really saw the last few minutes of it, but seems Allen is being criticised a lot for challenging the refs decision.

Imagine if Ronnie was out there it could have been a right ruck.

Arthur Daley

At least she was decisive on the re rack there. 3 shots each or it was a rerack. With Allen up 30-7

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120117797#Comment_120117797

She’s been on the circuit for 11 years.

hayrabit

that ref Proletina used to be around until a few years ago; only noticed her return back there recently, mebbe in the last 3/4 months

think she was studying to be an architect/draughtsman in the interim

she had a mischievous smile on her face for a lot of the Allen/Lisowski match - good enough reason to tune in !

Boys we all love to see a nice looking young one, that’s why I adore the Mrs, but can we keep it to the snooker as opposed to drooling over referees?

hayrabit

and Trump wins frame two after needing a snooker (he's getting good at that lately 😃) to leave it 1 apiece early doors

be nice to see a relative unknown like Guodong advance; but hard for him now, i reckon, after being one shot away from a two frame buffer early in the piece

he's in early in frame three here, where there looks to enough reds in the open to see him amass a decent lead here, the Chinaman

hayrabit

after 6 reds and 6 blacks Xiao went up for the blue (too high on it, so went for green instead, and duly potted it) after the seventh red

Ken thought he should've stayed on black - i disagree, and now Xiao's enough points in the bag to take a 2-1 lead..

...unless, unless 😂 broke down after a 76 to 0 points lead, with just 67 left,, frame not over yet!

still one apiece - for now

mon Xiao

Judd concedes - he trails two frames to one

Wonder if trump is just a bit fatigued after the masters? Fairness like it was only Sunday gone.

hayrabit

maybe Trump #"got smashed" after his Masters win, like he said he wanted to do heheheh

#weren't expecting him to come out with summat like that in his post match interview - he goes a bit mental in Ally Pally tbf 😃

holding his own at two each - think he'll win easy now

mon Xiao

hayrabit

ref here looks a bit like Tatiana - not sure if it's her or not 😊

if it is, she should've kept her blonde/ashy-coloured hairdo imo 🤣🤣 looked well with it ! 😛

hayrabit

Yates is annoyed Allen is taking so long to play his shots

Fouldsy annoyed Noppon playing on when needing two snookers - with still (i think?) 3 reds left on table

grumpy feckers 😂

and Allen looking extremely likely to go 2-0 up against Noppon

Arthur Daley

Yeah that is Tatiane.

Noppon is a likeable guy, a lot of neutrals would like to see him advance. And he has done some damage this week already.

hayrabit

both players extremely methodical this eve

think Noppon used to play a lot faster than this - working for him anyway tho here in frame three.

hayrabit

Snooker on ITV3 tonight

hard to find it there 😊 i

If ya didn't know it was on, ITV3 aint exactly a channel you'd turn on for da craic 🤣🤣

hope Shaun wins here - keep him from talking shoyte in studio 😃

AllForIt

Murphy misses an easy black to halt his momentum after a great 140 break in the previous frame giving the edge back to Trump. Story of Murphy's life really.

4 - 1 to Trump

Murphy hasn’t been playing at all lately chaps been making a show of himself between this and the masters