World Snooker Championship 2023

mdwexford

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120537730#Comment_120537730

It’s my 6th year coming but usually go for round 2 games. Decided to come see the big matches this year and it’s a bucket list moment to see the trophy being lifted.

Yeah I agree. Selby is just a beast at the Crucible. Can see him being the one with the most World titles by the time it’s all said and done.

He makes you work for everything, you can see the energy zapping from his opponents. Such a mental grind, don’t know how they were able to hold a cue by midnight last night.

Arthur Daley

Got plenty of tickets for next year too.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538326#Comment_120538326

It is funny the way many people have their biases and assumptions. Then when the stats prove otherwise they are bamboozled.

The thing about Selby is he is an all rounder. But does many a shot at a careful pace. When he lets himself 'off the leash' he can be a fluid player. But he is not going to do that on the 'big occasion' and it is going to be opponent dependant.

Personally I am looking forward to the final. I love a clash of styles. Will be watching the match for the different nuances. body language etc. Trying to figure out what safety Selby will play, whether Luca really should have gone for that shot etc.

This is all coming from a person who doesn't want Selby to win, as I think it will be bad for snooker interest (among the youngsters etc). But Selby is a great player.

And I would argue that we have Alex Higgins on the one hand who was the most overrated/overhyped on the one end of the spectrum. But on the other end of the spectrum Selby is the most under appreciated and derided in the history of snooker. The snooker players appreciate him but most of the masses don't.

Many on this thread have already said they won't be watching. It makes me think that some only appreciate some aspects of snooker, and can't appreciate the other. I said I will be watching the final. But on occasion last night, I even found myself shouting at the telly 'f**k sake Selby, hurry up and hit it!'.

But yet, I was enjoying the drama of it all. The mental aspect of it, Selby going over careful, Allen letting lose a bit. Allen almost had him and all. He even had a good chance in that last frame.

kirk.

I'd watch if there was a shot clock. Don't agree with this slowing down the game as a tactic

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538366#Comment_120538366

I honestly don't think it is a tactic completely by Selby he just gets in a mode of playing. Similar to how some soccer teams go defensive then find it almost impossible to change to attack. They can't get into the mindset of it.

A poster pointed out how Selby nominated the Green when it was touching. Ref had a good laugh at it. But Selby had himself wrecked tied himself in knots. Even in studio afterwards he said it was 'his own fault' how the game dragged out.

I was thinking to myself despite Selby taking a minute and a half on a good few shots. His average shot time was still 23 seconds. So you could hardly argue in the overall match he was 'slow'. Just in parts of it.

Arthur Daley

https://twitter.com/RealCovTopBrian/status/1652347387929657345?t=uJbrpIDx7Lummw-pookFuQ&s=19

Coventry top Brian has his own one man campaign going in Sheffield about WST not cracking down on touting of century club briefs for the final at almost 6 grand a pop.

That is just for tonight's session.

Too right Brian.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538447#Comment_120538447

That's awful you would get a car for that!

ArmaniJeanss

There's no doubt Mark Selby can be a frustrating watch - I think he acknowledges it himself.

But I find the whole 'he spent two minutes and then played the obvious shot he was always going to play' comments to be missing the point. Yes, of course he sees that shot immediately but he also sees it's limitations and he is is desperately searching for a better shot. Often he has to retreat to that initial shot. Other times he comes up with something better in that two minutes and occasionally it's outrageously clever what he comes up with.

I see a few of our once-a-year posters (edit, and a regular) suggesting a 30-second shot clock. I can't think of anything which would spoil the event more than a continuous countdown timer and 5 beeps in the last 5 seconds of every shot. And it would likely lead to the opposite of what they want anyway. Yeah, it would speed up individual shots in games like last night, but it would make other frames longer and nittier with smaller breaks if you don't have time to assess a cannon, line up a plant, or get the correct angle to go into the pack. With time pressure, safety would be the default choice.

Looking forward to it anyway. I'm very much Team Selby but Luca seems a decent enough guy. Good clash of styles and hopefully a close game.

ebbsy

I think Brecel is going to win and win by a good margin as well.

He is capable of putting a run of frames together very quickly, and Selby is very turgid.

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538326#Comment_120538326

There be 2 points to that. First is just because he plays slow (and he does) snooker does not mean he can't get a giant score. They are not mutually exclusive. Also what is the average time for those centuries

martingriff

What I saw in the last few frames when Shelby was trying to get over the line he overthought some shots and it came back to haunt him by missing

gormdubhgorm

Is it just me of is it unfair on Rob Walker mentioning Selby 'learning the lessons from his father' in his walk on build up? I saw Selby purse his lip a bit.

gormdubhgorm

I figure to win this final Brecel needs about 14 frames like this. I can't see that happening though.

mfceiling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538671#Comment_120538671

What did that mean?

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538695#Comment_120538695

Selby's auld fella died when he was very young, and he was very close to him.

From the way Selby talks about him he had a strong work ethic. But Selby always gets emotional when he talks about him and how his Dad missed when he turned pro etc.

gormdubhgorm

Luca getting 'Selbyed' second frame in. Not sure Luca has it in him to win these type of frames. If Luca wins the odd one of them would say he wins this final.

gormdubhgorm

Luca survives the Selby tactical 2nd frame - fair play to him.

sligeach

Even though Luca won that frame, Selby will probably take some small comfort that he dragged that frame out for so long. 😴

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538809#Comment_120538809

Luca played some good shots in the tactical exchanges though. OK you can say Selby was unlucky not to land nice on a colour. But Luca concentrated, that is the main thing. The way he was in other matches I thought he would just give up quickly.

gormdubhgorm

Brecel seriously impressive so far, winning 2 frames out of 3 that he could/should have lost.

walshb

Luca is slight favorite now outright

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538326#Comment_120538326

Spot on. He’s a compete player. Some of the whingeing is so bitter.

gormdubhgorm

Luca unlucky in that fourth frame - game on now though.

Strumms

did that pot that Brecel missed to the middle to let Selby in, roll off big time. I only got one look at it but it seemed to….

Rothko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538907#Comment_120538907

I find the whinging funny tbh.

Rothko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120538671#Comment_120538671

Yeah, I thought that was bad form. I know Selby has talked about it in interviews before but there's a time and a place for bringing it up and that wasn't one of them.

sligeach

He needs 4 snookers but Selby will play on alright. If he doesn't win, he'll get second prize of boring, tiring and trying to put Brecel off his game. 🥱

Thankfully Luca puts an end to it quickly.

Hotblack Desiato

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

Not the BBC's fault your TV provider is crap!

Anyone in Ireland can get all BBC channels with a satellite dish for free, we don't know how lucky we have it really. Only thing we're missing is the iPlayer.

BBC4 isn't "sitting idle" it doesn't exist until 7pm, before that the frequency is CBeebies. There'd be hell to pay if they took that off the air for the snooker and why would they when they have the red button and iPlayer?

Say Your Number

Should have thrown out that eejit with the phone.

gormdubhgorm

For those who have not seen it make sure to watch Luca's great pot on the Brown - fifth frame when looked like he had no real options. Luca deserves the frame for that alone.