Snooker Season 2023/24

tomhammer..

Pockets too easy

ArmaniJeanss

1.15am in Riyadh, and the last game of the day is waiting to start. Theoretically could go on until 5am local.

Players are getting money for nothing so not a huge amount of sympathy, but still unusual.

Arthur Daley

Thing is they'd be bitching if asked to come on after 11pm on the rolling system at the Home Nations

Genghis

Decent chance for a 167 attempt here with Ronnie.

😁

gormdubhgorm

I was thinking could they hit a red into the golden ball early on to move it. Then one of them can go all out.

gormdubhgorm

Jayus Higgins didn’t pot a ball. Ronnie 4-0. 3 centuries could have had 4.

Genghis

Its a tournament that is right up Ronnie St.

Big money, single table, no numpty rounds to wade through, short format matches, 2-days from first match to final, not being held in some UK provincial leisure centre, exhibition in style, limited press presence.

I imagine that Ronnie and all the competitors are being treated royally in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia too. Breaks journey to Wuhan also.

No surprise he is the favourite.

Ronnie 11/8

Judd 9/4

Mark 7/2

Luca 6/1

Genghis

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121855232#Comment_121855232

🤔 Pretty emphatic.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121856231#Comment_121856231

O’Sullivan was in some form in his post match interview after the Higgins match.

Asked how he did:

“Owight ya know” (Lisowski beside him laughing his head off at that one)

O’Sullivan continues- “Before I was playing like filth. I finally found some form”

Then he goes on about how he loves Ryadh no pubs because he doesn’t drink and is not into partying.

And the really funny part was he said he was not tired (3am over there). Says he wanted to keep playing, wouldn’t mind doing an exhibition for the fans.

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857323#Comment_121857323

And had a little pop at Selby

https://twitter.com/ILoveSnooker_/status/1765333044938862704

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857806#Comment_121857806

Yeah I had forgotten that bit. It was a sneaky dig. Selby never comments back on that type of thing. I wonder does it annoy him?

tomhammer..

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121857929#Comment_121857929

Probably not

It's usually the person making the comment

that's affected

gormdubhgorm

I caught up there with the semi finals. A channel called "snooker studio"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Jx18seg8H4&t=17224s

Allen was in very hard luck v Brecel. He played well.

Trump was talked up by his mate Lisowski, but the turth is Trump had not beaten O'Sullivan for three years.

Trump seems to be a confidence player all the time, flashy shots poor positional play. The law of averages against a top player he is more likely to lose.

The other bit I noticed was the crowd are not used to snooker, they clap at the wrong times, don't clap at others. Movement in the crowd etc. There was one match where they went clapping when a player reached the score of 100 after two visits but had not scored the century.

Arthur Daley

So only only a few frames left in this now. Looks like it is Ronnie's big pay day. Safe to say the Golden Ball will be untroubled. It can rest on its little black cushion for another while, having done its job. It provoked a lot of interest, but they knew the chances of paying out on it were slim enough.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121858930#Comment_121858930

I still think if they were clever and practiced hitting a red into the "golden ball" at the right angle would lower the odds.

There has to be a way of doing it from the black end of the table. And hit the golden ball with the red to free it off the cushion while leaving the red reasonably safe.

--

Hopefully next years competition will have a longer length matches with more frames.

mickdw

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121858966#Comment_121858966

Aiming for a 147, you don't want reds up that end. That would be even worse than the golden ball on the cushion.

Knocking it out with the white in a safety battle would be useful though.

Heighway61

Everybody laying it on thicker than peanut butter all week.

Sandor Clegane

Saudi a great place alright, where else can ya go from a snooker match to a public beheading.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121858988#Comment_121858988

Fair point, but I was really surprised no player tried to free up the golden ball, closest I saw it move was a small bit off the cushion.

In O'Sullivan v Trump it was interesting that O'Sullivan asked the ref can he go for the golden ball when he was in the baulk. He didn't know it was only playable after the last black.

patrickc

well done Ronnie

now the Saudis are naming an academy after him, and the golden ball is worth €1mill next time.

Arthur Daley

1 million USD for the golden ball next time out

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121859000#Comment_121859000

Not surprised when they're chucking money about like that. Announcing live that the 167 is a million quid next year.

Arthur Daley

I'm sure players can kick the golden ball off the cushion during the initial safety exchanges in a frame. When they are trying to hit the baulk cushion anyway. With the pot doubled next time, you'll probably see them targeting it early in frames.

It is basically one strong season worth of prize money in 37 perfectly executed shots.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121859021#Comment_121859021

The sickening part is that Ronnie can turn it on to get a 147 when ever he wants, that golden ball is the incentive he needed.

I had to laugh when he was going on about the Golden Ball pre tournament. He said "147's we have all made one of them...."

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121859018#Comment_121859018

Murphy tried to free it up and got it off the cushion in his first frame against Trump.

tomhammer..

They can keep upping the prize money when they realise no one's getting it

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121859015#Comment_121859015

no fan of the Saudis but is it any worse than China?

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860171#Comment_121860171

Or the the UK? Who have committed one of the biggest act of war since WW2?

loyatemu

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860270#Comment_121860270

you'll have to narrow that one down, they've been in a lot of wars.

But in terms of Human Rights, I think most people and organisations who work in the area would have the UK well ahead of Saudi and China.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860281#Comment_121860281

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860270#Comment_121860270

The bit that occurred to me about those who would say snooker sold it’s soul is they are purely playing to the Gallery these electronic devises we use have parts made from Chinese and minerals mined from Africa (from companies formed during colonialists. The Chinese have many economic ties with African countries.

If people want to change a countries culture what do they do? That country invades ‘the savages” to enlighten like the way American and Britain did.

The snobby attitude to the Saudi’s from seems like that I have seen the throwaway comment “sportswashing” used that to me is just a sneer. As I doubt many using it understand Muslim culture and only know parts of it in a Xenophobic light.

Snooker will benefit financially from Saudi and as Barry Hearn said snooker has female referees. I noticed the female refs wore their usual attire.

To be honest I think a lot of the antipathy towards countries such as Qatar and Saudi is because they are ‘new money’.

The reality is from a geopolitical standpoint both Qatar and Saudi are integral allies to both the USA and Britain. The Americans have a massive base in Qatar for example.

Fair play to the Saudi’s they have shown up many other snooker tournaments in just a few days.

gormdubhgorm

A point I just realised at how smart the Saudi’s were I remember looking at Barry Hearn on Hendry’s cue tips channel.

Hearn said the Saudi’s wanted to have 1m for the winner. But Hearn did not want the prize money to be greater than the world championship.

So this Golden Ball idea was even more clever than I first realised by the Saudi’s- a good workaround

Arthur Daley

Then there is the ranking event coming at the end of August, into September. That will have a big pot and is a ten year deal.

Once some of that cash filters down the rankings and people realise tournaments in the Middle East are here to stay, most people will get used to it.

It was the same with the Qatar World Cup, once it started, most people just focussed on enjoying the sport.

Breaks up the journey to China etc as well. Maybe an Aussie ranking event will emerge again too.

The Nal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860623#Comment_121860623

Announcing the increase to 1m and that theyre naming a snooker academy after Ronnie was a balls out move.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860659#Comment_121860659

It was even the causal manner he did it sunglasses still on and beckoned for the mic. I wonder how much money Ronnie will get for the naming rights?

It did make me laugh when he said Suillivan instead of O’Sullivan. Maybe they should just call it Ronnie’s Academy.

tomhammer..

I thought it it was the thin end of the edge when hearn took over

Tables are easier

Now there's the Saudis and the golden ball

Could be the long slow decline

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860712#Comment_121860712

Do you remember what snooker was like before Hearn took over?

Top players were struggling to earn a living considering retirement and there were very few tournaments snooker was in real danger. Wasn’t there just around 5/6 tournaments at one stage?

Edit- correct 2002/2003 season:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/sports_talk/2300085.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/2267461.stm

But players can pick and chose now.

It really files in the face of your “long slow decline” comment. The future of snooker will not be in the UK/Ireland China will be the driving force simply through pure numbers.

Sandor Clegane

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860171#Comment_121860171

I just find it hard to stomach people fawning over a country that still stones people to death for adultery, executes people for apostasy, blasphemy, homosexuality, witchcraft I mean the list goes on and on.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860968#Comment_121860968

You really need to educate yourself a bit more of the reality of living in the country. They have a very low crime rate family friendly. Mark Allen said he would bring his family next time.

The last “stoning” in Saudi was 1992. I view it like when capital punishment death penalty was legal in Ireland - it was rarely used. It was only removed from Irish law in 2001!

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4338747#:~:text=On%20the%207th%20June%2C%202001,via%20insertion%20of%20Article%2015.5.

I have played snooker in some dodgy places in Ireland as a young fella. Jayus these days walking down O’Connell Street in Dublin is an “adventure”. I would view Saudi as a much safer place. To be honest.

I hope Mark Allen’s family have a great time next time.

Sandor Clegane

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121861026#Comment_121861026

Allen should take his family to see chop chop square when he brings them over, its not too far away actually its in Riyadh too.

In 2022 they executed 81 people, the biggest mass execution in the history of the country...that was only two years ago so maybe you need to educate yourself a bit more on living in Saudi.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121861106#Comment_121861106

I think it is just xenophobic. I assume you have no problem with the American death penalty and no doubt watched with interest as Judd Trump tried his hand at pool over there.

I think it is just a new form of colonialism. Except this is of the mind, they don’t look like “us” sound like “us” dress like “us”.

I did not hear one single snooker player say they would not return to Saudi. Barry Hearn left it open for players not to go if they wished they all showed up.

If you are so concerned with the Western Superpower invention of Human Rights -you would have the same concerns about China.

But I never heard you once criticised the China Open or Chinese players coming over to the game etc.

Why? because it is not the trendy thing to do.

The reality is you want to attack the newest trendy media “other” in today’s world that “other” is the Middle Eastern Islam in your mind. Even countries which are open to western foreign investment, trade etc.

The reality is your own government deal with Saudi. Irish farmers see it as a good market for beef for example

Yet when Barry Hearn sets up a snooker tournament in Saudi. This makes you uncomfortable???

Sandor Clegane

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121861244#Comment_121861244

Personally I don't agree with any death penalty due to the likelihood of someone innocent getting killed.

I never said I didn't have the same concerns about China, China are running modern day concentration camps and are one of the most Orwellian countries in the world so Id be critical of them too.

I don't think its in any way trendy to be critical of Saudi Arabia, I mean people have been critical of Saudi Arabia long before they ever got into sports.

No country is perfect but some are still a lot worse than others and I just can't put all the horrible **** they do and believe in to the back of my mind, a lot of people can and do but that's up to them.

Brian?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860827#Comment_121860827

Bang on.Pro Snooker is now healthier than its every been.

Amateur snooker is a shambles though.

mrunsure

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121860602#Comment_121860602

Tatiana Woollaston looked to be wearing unusually baggy trousers, maybe to avoid showing any ankle which might be considered indecent.

ArmaniJeanss

World Open from Yushan China is on this week. Eurosport doing live coverage, albeit not a great time zone for us.

2024 World Open (snooker) - Wikipedia

All the big names seem to be there. Aaron Hill the only Irish survivor to the last 64, and headed for a likely televised L32 match v Ronnie if he beats Lyu Haotian in his first match.

The Nal

147 from Zak Surety vs Ding

The Nal

Ronnie playing in a few mins

Pockets playing like a pool table

Arthur Daley

Vafaei pips Ronnie at the post. From 26 behind with 27 on.

Arthur Daley

Ding beats Robertson to reach the final against Trump in China. Monster viewing figures for that tomorrow no doubt.

Robertson will now have to go through the qualifiers in Sheffield. If he thought the Crucible was slumming it before now, he's just found himself back in the Ponds Forge Cubicles.

Arthur Daley

Trump fairly demolishing Ding this morning. He's having a great season, close to regaining the World number 1 in the rankings if he wins this.

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121930948#Comment_121930948

He'll be a dangerous non-seed at Sheffield if he gets through his 2 games at Ponds Forge.

Also in qualifying are Jack Lisowski, Ryan Day, Antony McGill who seems to thrive under the longer format, Hoss Vafaei and last years semi-finalist Si Jiahui.

Full list. 2024 World Snooker Championship - Wikipedia