World Snooker Championship 2023

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120534163#Comment_120534163

They had to quit early as well.

Sultan of Bling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120533495#Comment_120533495

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120533526#Comment_120533526

Would the penultimate session finish after 24 frames which would mean that match did go to the last session, all be it only one frame.

Off the top of my head, I think crafty Ken won his semi v Robidoux with a session to spare in 1997 and didn't Ronnie do the same one year v Hendry?

Also remember Davis beating Higgins and Taylor in semi finals with a session to spare in the 80s and Taylor best Tony Knowles in a semi also.

I'm sure there has been plenty more.

Sultan of Bling

Davis also won finals with a session to spare v thorburn and Parrott.

Hendry did the same to white in one of their finals also.

Sandor Clegane

Selby is one of the greats, love him or hate him he's up there with the best.

Big game player, level with Higgins for triple crown events and has a real chance to overtake with a 5th World title...whether he's better than Higgins is debatable, you could make a case for either really, overall Higgins has more ranking titles but if Selby were to win his fifth world title he'd overtake him on triple crowns and that is where players are judged the most...in terms of playing style Higgins is easier on the eye, more attacking, but tbf Selby at his best can score, the stats prove it, people dislike him because he can turn very negative and shuts matches down but that's a trait I admire, Selby values the win more than anything, everything else comes second and that's the mark of a real winner.

I remember last night the commentary said he needs to slow Allen down and stop his momentum and that is exactly what happened today and he goes back tomorrow with a lead...it was ugly, not very entertaining or easy on the eye but it works and he's been hugely successful doing it, it just makes him an incredibly tough player to play against, especially over these long sessions.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120534217#Comment_120534217

Your'e correct yeah I can't add. I will check again, I was close though! If I was betting I would say it was a Hendry or Ronnie walloping of some poor unfortunate.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120534217#Comment_120534217

As @Sultan of Bling points out I was a frame out. @Say Your Number the last semi final to finish with a session to spare was not Higgins Hawkins 2017 - 17-8 .

It was poor auld Hawkins another year. 2014 where he lost 17-7 to Ronnie.

So that is two Semi Final wallopings Hawkins got.

Arthur Daley

It was as far back as 1993 since Hendry beat Jimmy 18-5 in the final. 30 years since we had a bit of a walloping in the final. We had the odd 18-7 or 18-8 like Wilson in 2020 but I'd say these are respectable enough showings.

So after 30 years we are due a one sided final, but this year doesn't look to be it.

After last night's session really looking forward to the next few days, despite the Selby style in the other match.

When Dennis won in 1985 he beat Tony Knowles well in the semi, and Davis beat Ray Reardon in the other semi, so they were rested up before their epic final.

In the documentary by Colin Murray about 1985, it was feature about 1985 that they had quite a lot of early finishes, and John Virgo would come out to the Crucible and do his impressions to give the punter some value for money for the occasion.

Murray went to visit David Icke for the documentary, who remembered he didn't know how to fill in all these gaps in the schedule in 1985. Since then he'd have found a few topics for fillers, no doubt.

bokale

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120533727#Comment_120533727

I think it's in O Sullivans first book were he says they played their best snooker locked around Jimmy's house. Of course O Sullivan could play half cut. It takes the pressure off.

O Sulllivan still most talented to pick up a cue in my opinion. He bangs in 147s for fun at exhibitions etc. He's an unreal talent. Crazy to me that it's even up for debate.

Sultan of Bling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120534803#Comment_120534803

+1 on this.

In my 40+ years watching the sport, there hasn't been anyone to hold a candle to him in terms of his natural talent.

HeidiHeidi

What a brilliant session last night - I sat up until stupid o'clock watching back the recording, couldn't take my eyes off it!

What a refreshing change to see Brecel playing with a bit of animation and personality about him.

I couldn't even begin to guess how it's going to go this afternoon!

Marty Bird

Allen missed a chance to cut that red in thin cut but didn’t take it, cost him the frame

kirk.

Virgo needs to get his eyes tested he's miles off with his calls

Allen looking nervous as Murphy was saying

kirk.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120534836#Comment_120534836

It's hard to call now I thought SI had it wrapped up

Reckon SI will still have it comfortably in the end

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120534836#Comment_120534836

It only used to be a debate years ago when he hadn’t got the world titles and then only looked like he would only get a couple and likely fade in his 40s - as was the way.

But Ronnie reinvented his whole game learnt safety, got his head right and actually improved with age - got the 7 world - most ranking events - most centuries- can play left handed and you would hardly notice.

That makes Ronnie easily no1. Sees the shots really quickly as well. Can make any shot if required- cue power side no problem- thinks quickly/adapts

However, Excellent Ronnie is as a player he is a terrible analyst. Probably the worst. Can’t articulate his snooker thoughts and ends up sounding like a fella that wandered in from the street. When he is in Eurosport snooker studio sounds poor.

sligeach

Just tuned in this morning. Has Selby been boring Allen into submission again, just as he did yesterday and bored everyone else in the process? 😉

From the first 15 minutes I've seen, it looks like it.

hawaii501

How anyone can enjoy watching this rubbish is lying. Only because its a worlds semi I'm teying to keep it on. Fell asleep watching the frame yesterday.

jj880

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120535093#Comment_120535093

Yup. Back at it again.

Hes on the black with the reds split. Come on Selby. 100+ now.

jj880

Ah ffs.

Snake Plisken

It will be a late night finish by the looks of it for these two, thanks to Selby slowing everything down and dragging Allen down into the same type.of slow play. Thank God we have the polar opposite with the boys on the other Semi.

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120535148#Comment_120535148

I think there's a very big difference between a good tactical battle and what selby does. He's just too slow.

He's obviously a quality player and well able to score but he's just almost impossible to watch.

hawaii501

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120535174#Comment_120535174

Yeah exactly, sure you dont become a 4-time world champ without having quality.

He just takes so long for easy shots just to annoy the other player

sligeach

BBC strike again with their 💩. Semi-final of the World Championship and they ended coverage to show Best Dishes Ever, a cooking programme that's a fair few years old. With BBC4 sitting idle, doing nothing.

eddieoregan

It’s on the red button!!

sligeach

I don't have the red button. It should be on live TV.

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120535201#Comment_120535201

BBC4 isn't idle as far as I know. It broadcasts CBeebies during the day, so they'd have to suddenly cancel those programs to show snooker (which would cause an untold clusterfcuk amongst that audience and their mumsnet parents).

It's slightly unintuitive in that the channels are different numbers when the content arrives at our TVs so it looks like BBC4 is idle, but from a BBC resource pov they are just one channel.

Snake Plisken

I managed to get the BBC iPlayer running 100% stable on my LG TV using Getflix and it's been great this year.

That was a great frame for Mark to win and would have hurt Selby can't see more then this frame being played before they get pulled off for the afternoon session

eddieoregan

the Red button is live!

eddieoregan

You can manually tune in the “BBC Red button” in other channels on SkyQ, I have!

kirk.

Murphy has all the answers he's not the worst though just didn't win it too often himself with all his knowledge

jj880

Was watchin it on Eurosport when The Best Dishes came on BBC. Sunny here now though. Will get back watchin it for the other semi.