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NKELLY · 27-09-2021 9:50pm #1

Any going to Belfast? Some great matches on 10th Dec for a day trip from Dublin. Thinking of driving up for both sessions.

Arthur Daley · 08-10-2021 11:53am

Would normally go, but have to leave it out this year. Maybe next year. I would have headed this Sunday 10th, loads of matches and just the start of the tournament. Good value tickets and a nice centrally located venue.

Genghis · 09-10-2021 12:39pm

Up next Sat for both semi finals. Really looking forward to it now.

10-10-2021 8:53pm

Trump just mopping up here in frame 5.. On the verge of beating Carrington 4-1,,

The Rocket up next 😊 On Eurosport1

EDIT Andrew Pagett - not Stuart Carrington, that Trump just beat....

10-10-2021 10:17pm

Ronnie finishes off with a 120 break in frame 4 to demolish Stuart Carrington 4 - 0. I guess the guys that don't have their own tables at home would be majorly disadvantaged nowadays... I think Carrington only scored about 30 points, or even less; and it wasn't as if he was completely devoid of opportunities... A good marker put down by the Rocket there anyhow.

zuutroy · 11-10-2021 12:06pm

Brining my 7 year old to the final on Sunday. Hope he can keep still/quiet!

11-10-2021 1:36pm

With a bit of luck all the posters going to Belfaast will get to see Ronnie, or Mark Allen, or Willo in the Saturday semis... Should be great atmosphere if the enigmatic piston reaches the latter stages.. If i'm not asleep or watching the racing, I'll be keeping an eye out on the audience; for to see if I can spot anyone I don't know 😂

Spud might get there too! Took him a couple of chances but he's a frame up, and his opponent is in early in frame 2. He's on about 27, but the bunch is tightly packed here..

zuutroy · 11-10-2021 2:51pm

We'll be in row 2 behind the brown spot on Sunday! I hope one of the few players the young lad knows makes it to the final. Unsurprisingly Ronnie and Judd are top of his list.

11-10-2021 3:03pm

Bai Langning (sp?) is pretty decent... A very good potter, and not afraid to go for them either! Doesn't hang about either. Has just narrowed the deficit to 3-2 courtesy of a 73 break. Can count himself a bit unlucky, as Murphy hasn't exactly been firing, and he hasn't had a decent break as of yet, has Shaun. A few loose positional shots from the 19yr old Chinese probably the only difference between the two so far. And a great pot from Bai after Murphy's breakoff in frame 6 gives the Chinese cueist control early on in frame 6, after reaping the rewards of a good snooker behind yellow, following on from his opening red. Breaks down on 23, but only a safety available for Murph..

11-10-2021 3:07pm

Murphy looks favourite now.. About 4 reds left, but they are mostly all available; although a couple are close to the side and black cushions.

11-10-2021 3:09pm

Not over yet!

11-10-2021 3:15pm

It is now,,, 4-2.... Spud marches on,,, Hope to see the youngster back soon,,, He's a talent, no doubt, but then again, many before him have had potential too!

11-10-2021 3:48pm

A lovely ton (117) from Cao Yupeng in the op'ner to go a frame up against the jester... No harm if Selby gets beat here imo.... There'll be folk on here wanting to catch buses/trains on Saturday and Sunday 😂

11-10-2021 4:00pm

Have to say, going back to the last match; that spud was fairly magnanimous in victory.. He admitted that he was relatively lucky to win the first two frames (then again, he's big on self-deprecation is Mr Murphy).

The telling thing about his post-match interview was; that the reason he gave for 'being in the wilderness' [just paraphrasing there] for a few years, was that he was trying to play more 'proper snooker' , and that he was "willing to take a 'step back' to move 2 forward" .... He eventually consigned himself to the fact, he said, that he was 'better off going back to the way he was playing at the start of his career' - ie taking plenty on, and "entertaining the crowd" ....

He'll 'be forty next year' will Shaun... "Seems like no time ago I was only 22" 😀 ... Fair play to him... He was always pretty likeable, yet annoying too, with all his preaching etc.. A bit less 'Prime Ministerial' nowadays methinks..

11-10-2021 4:43pm

Bingtao comes from 3-1 down to prevail against Duane Jones on the other (one of the other? - don't know how many tables are on the go there) table... Selby level at 1 apiece here, thanks in no small part to his opponent being among the balls, and played a positional shot from the baulk area; whereupon the white lands in just about the only spot where there was no easy red... He then plays a kamikaze low percentage shot (about 4 from 10) on a red and misses, to let Selby back in... He didn't win direct from that opportunity, but his opponent needed snookers, and, in a dragged out conclusion, eventually Selby gains parity..

Joe_ Public · 11-10-2021 4:45pm

Nice stuff from smurph. Really taken to him last few years, think he just learned to relax a bit and stop trying to change the world. Will win a few more titles, maybe starting this week!

Joe_ Public · 11-10-2021 6:47pm

Man, did not fancy cao for that black at all, playing it the way he did you're sticking it up if you miss. Selby off the hook big time there.

waynescales1 · 11-10-2021 6:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118006002#Comment_118006002

Wasted his earlier chance with some very poor positional play.

Joe_ Public · 11-10-2021 7:32pm

Though he lost, continue to be quite impressed with Cao the more i see of him. No superstar but definite top 16 material anyway, assuming he can stay on the straight and narrow!

Arthur Daley · 11-10-2021 9:01pm

I find that new scoreboard at the bottom on Eurosport very hard to read. Too much red in it. Need a clearer display.

suspiciousMind · 11-10-2021 10:37pm

jees Higgins looking great. looks like he lost about 2 stone. fair play to him. Only caught few glimpses of the match. Every time i stuck it on the other half would give me the death stare. I only get away with it for major tournaments :)

12-10-2021 4:41am

Don't think there's many that would have went for that black that Cao missed - maybe Neil Robertson (out of the bigger names).. I thought for a moment that Selby was going to 'do a Dennis Taylor' on it 😀, the way he seemed (when he leaned across the table for a look at the sitter - he could have had a look at the black from the opposite side of the table if he considered it a tougher proposition than it looked) to be about to be overly deliberate lining up the shot etc.. Didn't make a lot of it in the end though - maybe he really was trying to see if it was a trickier snick to the corner bag than it looked (giving him the benefit).. Comms, I recall, didn't make much of his 'deliberations'... I reckon for a second, that Selby was trying to make a 'meal of it' for entertainment purposes.. Thankfully, he thought better of it.. Would have been bad form imo.. Pity Cao lost though - he's definitely one of the best non-top 16 players by the looks of his efforts last night..

Joe_ Public · 12-10-2021 8:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118007380#Comment_118007380

Yeah, definitely one player you want to avoid in first round draw. I think a few players would go for that black but with more pace so if (when?) you miss it, it rattles and goes clear of pocket. You maybe leave it to middle but tough pot with white on top cushion. 3 in 10 chance you pot it if you catch it flush too, but it was the % call imo.

AldilaMan · 12-10-2021 11:29am

Does anybody know which quarters meet in the evening semi on Saturday at 7pm. Going up for that semi so looking at the permutations

12-10-2021 11:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118007627#Comment_118007627

True enough Joe... It was clear straight away for all of us watching though that it was always going to be high as soon as he hit the black; was a very poor shot, and there wasn't much doubt that the black was ever going to threaten the pocket - let alone drop ... Why he played it that slow will remain a mystery.

12-10-2021 9:46pm

A very open match here between Murphy and Allan Taylor - one apiece at the minute... "Both very attacking players" is the refrain from Joe and Phil Yates; but the amount of misses (from both players) is something to see, and a lot of them easy ones too.. If Murphy wins, and I don't know who he'll be up against, but if it's against anyone half-decent, I'll definitely be having a few pounds on his opponent 😊

12-10-2021 10:05pm

That were a great red from Taylor down cushion just there now in frame 4! He's refusing nowt.. He's gone 3-1 up... Who'd a thunk it? 😂

12-10-2021 10:12pm

Jackpot match just after starting according to comms.. Playing Fan Zhengyi.. A later than half ten start is a bit unusual.. Must be a bigger field in this comp than what I thought!

zuutroy · 12-10-2021 10:12pm

Jesus the place is like a morgue. Taylor played a fantastic shot just now and was greeted with total silence.

12-10-2021 10:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118008377#Comment_118008377

Haven't a clue 😐️ Looked at a few sites, and all I'm seeing is a sea of "to be decided" . Maybe more knowledgeable folk will know more... FWIW , it'll probably be well established who's playing who come Thursday/Friday.. Not much addition to you now though 😛

Joe_ Public · 12-10-2021 10:25pm

Aaron Hill been practising with this guy a lot lately and was saying he [Taylor] was shooting the lights out. Will he be able to get the job done here though?

12-10-2021 10:26pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118008377#Comment_118008377

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011592#Comment_118011592

Just after finding this.. It looks to have the full draw marked out...

https://livescores.worldsnookerdata.com/Draw/FullDraw/14469/betvictor-northern-ireland-open-2021

Enjoy!

Joe_ Public · 12-10-2021 10:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011592#Comment_118011592

Not 100% either, not even sure they decide these things before the weekend. Ronnie been No.2 seed last 2 years, yet his sf last year against Carter was in the afternoon while year before v Perry they played in the evening.

12-10-2021 10:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011611#Comment_118011611

3 apiece!.. We'll find out what he's made of very shortly 😊

12-10-2021 10:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011561#Comment_118011561

Could be they're cognisant of the players on the other tables... Not much cheering going on at all in this comp.. Generally just a few ripples of applause here and there.. Might get less muted come the weekend - hopefully! The atmosphere is a big part of the viewing experience too ☺️

Joe_ Public · 12-10-2021 11:17pm

Taylor is 36!! I had him closer to mid to late 20s. Obviously can pot and got some cue power but there's a reason he hasn't achieved more in the game. Pushed the boat out there way too much for my liking.

12-10-2021 11:45pm

Pity Taylor lost... Only has himself to blame though,,,, Like Murphy, he had multiple chances, but Murphy never had the benefit of a two frame cushion.

Genghis · 13-10-2021 12:24am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011561#Comment_118011561

Had the same thought. Similar atmosphere it has to be said as Milton Keynes last year. I thought when Ronnie called he was doing his early round tactic of finding something minor to moan about / deflect pressure of expectation from himself but in this case he has had a point.

Maybe there is more to be said for walk-on music, Rob Walker MC etc ... Or maybe that is not practical when multi table set up.

Hoping to make a contribution myself on Saturday.

waynescales1 · 13-10-2021 2:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118011561#Comment_118011561

https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/northern-ireland-open/2021-2022/ronnie-o-sullivan-very-bored-in-win-over-andy-hicks-in-belfast-i-wasn-t-bothered-if-i-won-or-lost_sto8581373/story.shtml

Glenman · 13-10-2021 2:09pm

I see Higgins is playing now. When is O'Sullivan playing next?

13-10-2021 2:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118014021#Comment_118014021

Due off at 3 0'clock... Playing Alfie Burden - so I imagine it's up next after the Higgins-Brecel match which is on the TV table now... Higgins is 3-2 up, and frame 6 has just started,,

13-10-2021 3:09pm

Unsurprisingly, Higgins wins.. 4-2 to the Scotsman.... Didn't see much of it, but he got a nice 120 or so break in the last.. And Kyren Wilson beat 4-2 by Mitchell Mann - a surprise result that one.... The apparently disinterested Ronnie up next.... Difficult to see Ronnie get beat by Alfie Burden - I reckon if Ronnie tried to lose, he'd still win.. Going for 4-0 to the Rocket here..

13-10-2021 3:15pm

Ronnie match just after starting

13-10-2021 3:54pm

Ronnie's a genius! Magnificent green there..

13-10-2021 4:01pm

Burden might rue that tricky green that he could have taken on to the black pocket after that fortuitious last red, after he found himself knuckled on it. Would have been difficult to get on the yella, but, he should have tried to make hay when he was 17 points up, with just the colours left. His snooker came to nothing, and Ronnie was always favourite after that.. 2-0 to Ron...

13-10-2021 7:35pm

Poor miss by Wilson on the blue there... Balls very awkward here in frame 2... Selby not guaranteed to win in this visit... He plays safe.... Hope Gary wins this one. 1-0 Selby atm...

13-10-2021 7:49pm

He's laying some tidy snookers is Gary, and he's got a result.. Can win frame 2 now (on points at least😊)... It's wide open, but Selby fav as the black is safe on the cushion...

13-10-2021 7:54pm

A poor safety left Selby a reasonably easy green, and then Wilson goes in off. 2-0 to the Jester, as he pots brown and the concession from Gary..

13-10-2021 8:01pm

Lovely split there. Good chance for Wilson to take frame 3

Joe_ Public · 13-10-2021 8:29pm

Zero excuse for missing that red cabby. Probably the match gone now. A shocker.

13-10-2021 8:36pm

Twice in 2 frames Gary fluffed his lines on frame/effectively frame-ball(s)... Red wobbled in jaws (was always fav to drop) in frame 3 before going in... Doesn't get away with it in frame 4., with the poor miss to middle.. His fanclub must be tearing their hair out... Great clearance by Selby all the same though...

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