Snooker Season 2021/22

Hah, i know how it is. I can vividly recall shots and entire matches from 30 years ago but ask me about last week and I'm already struggling!

On the reffing, i do remember an incident from 2-3 seasons back when Ronnie had snookered himself and his old pal, Terry Camilleri was in charge. As Ronnie is feathering the cue ball, nothing indicated, Terry, almost in half panic, rushes in saying, "Ronnie, Ronnie...you must nominate a colour." To which an irked Ronnie replies, cool the jets bro, I was only sizing up the shot. But i think that did highlight the modern mentality, the ref willing to help the player, not stand idly by and wait for him to foul up. And poor Terry! Saw an opportunity to possibly get in Ronnies good books and ended up merely irritating him more!

Aaron having a good scrap with the sheriff here, big frame there to tie it 2-2 at the interval. By far the best I've seen him cueing so far this season so a little bit of encouragement there.

Ah that's so frustrating, Ken 2 pots away from sowing up frame and match, one careless positional shot and suddenly wakelins clearing up to force the decider. Ken kick himself hard should he lose this.

Murphy scrapes home with the aid of a flukey snooker. Cao had his chances, especially early on and also in the last.

Yeah, if he doesn't qualify via top 64 or the one year list, or by reaching the crucible, he's off the main tour. In that eventuality, he'd be heading for Q School for one of the 12 available cards there and, failing that, he'd look to the secondary Q Tour which is being inaugurated this season. Basically trying to get back on tour asap with more experience to count on than this time.

Could hear Stevens at the end moaning about the cue ball, saying he couldn't control it through the match. Think he did actually have it replaced after the first frame. Ken did actually agree with him and did struggle himself a bit, overrunning on quite a few occasions. Still, same for both players at the end of the day, Ken handled it better and was the better player.

And Hossein finishes it, no fuss. Ronnie gave up in the end. Whitewashed in a bit over an hour. Check the records for the last time that happened!

Higgins did him 5-0 in 2017 Scottish Open, was the last time it happened. Ronnie definitely in weird mode last night, way he kept looking at his cue and animatedly chatting to person sitting directly behind him (minder/driver presumably) but for all that Vafaei was still excellent. Have seen Ronnie doing that countless times at this stage and still winning. Hossein still had to go and pot them and just didnt miss much. Shouldn't be down at No.60 where he is, top 16 player if he works out how to cope on the tv tables.

More qualifiers beginning this morning, back to Cannock for European masters. Ronnie can take a break as his tie v Nigel Bond is held over to the main arena in the new year. Ken plays Jak Jones tonight and Aaron up against Zhao Xintong tomorrow morning, interesting one that.

From next week the season will begin to take real shape I think: English Open, Champion of champions, UK Champs, Scots Open and World Grand Prix all within 6 weeks. Going to be hectic.

I see MJW out of both European Masters and English Open after returning positive covid test. Sam Craigie also withdrew this morning and his intended replacement James Cahill had to also withdraw when his test was positive. Might be seeing a bit more of this over next few weeks i fear. Though Craigie is listed as "injury" of some nature rather than covid.

Zhao blows big chance for the match and we have a decider. No more than Aaron deserves really.

You get ranking points for winning qualifiers. Every match Aaron plays is to earn money and points to try and stay on tour. I was encouraged how he was cueing v Anthony Hamilton last week and he showed a bit today too, albeit yes, with some help from opponent. A lot of facets of his game are there, but it's putting them all together when needed is the challenge and, being critical, his cue ball control needs to be a lot more precise. From there, most of the problems accrue.

But let's be real here. Aaron's still just 19, i know he has the talent but it will take a while to develop. I compare him to Jackson Page who was a couple of years ahead as a junior and is starting to put a few good eyecatching results together now after a couple of tough initial years on tour. So I'm not too surprised or disheartened by the way things are going so far and I hope Aaron isn't either. Even if he doesn't make the cut this season, a year or even two on the lower circuit mightnt be the worst thing for him, he'll come back an older and better player. I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that, but if it happens, it's just a setback, not a disaster. Still 7/8 tournaments left so will just root for him all the way.

Dangerous enough question in that anyone with a very basic bit snooker knowledge would know "Rocket" Ronnie and might be tempted to take the risk and blow it. For half a mill, would take some stones though!

First event of the inaugural Q Tour getting underway today in Brighton. Apart from Ronan Whyte and the indefatigable Dessie Sheehan, 72 years young, there's not a lot of Irish involvement. Thought Ross Bulman would be a contender but he's not entered for some reason.

Dessie is a legend, just loves the game and the buzz of competing. Long may he last!

Don't see any stream for this yet, but it's Q Tour as distinct from Q School which is held at the end of the season. It's 4 events (will be a lot more from next season) and a tour card for top ranked at the end with a play off for a second card. Plenty of names in it like James Cahill, Michael Georgiou, Michael White etc who will be among the favourites.

Live updates can be got here for anyone interested:

http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=21&event=1218