Ding storms to Shanghai title

Ding won his first ranking event title since the 2005 China Open, beating his compatriot Xiao Guodong 10-6 in the first ever all-Chinese ranking event final. Both players played really well all week, but Ding was particularly outstanding and his experience on the big stage showed in this one today.

Ding Junhui 10-6 Xiao Guodong - The match got off to a fairly nervy start, but once Ding got that frame he got stronger and took the second as well with a nice break of 83 to lead 2-0. Xiao Guodong fought back with a break of 62  in the third and 67 in the fourth to square the score at 2-2 at the mid-session interval. A run of 66 helped Ding along to the next frame, before Xiao levelled once more at 3-3 with the help of 52 break. Soon, Ding took control of the contest with a magnificent 126 break to put him 4-3 in front, before a 58 in the eighth helped him along to a 5-3 advantage. The final frame of the session was very nervy as both players knew the importance and difference between 6-3 and 5-4. The frame was very close and the scores were even, before Ding cleared from the final red to the blue for a 6-3 end of session lead.

The final session started brightly for Xiao with a 78 break reducing the gap to 2 frames at 6-4. However, it only got worse from there as Ding continued to dominate the match, with breaks of 58, 78 and 81 dominating the next 3 frames, putting him 1 away from the title at 9-4. Surely there was no way back for Xiao Guodong?  Well he thought hard after the mid-session break taking the next 2 frames to start the comeback that was surely impossible, at 9-6. However, Xiao's time was up in the next as a break of 71 was the catalyst for him winning the match 10-6, a fantastic performance by Ding Junhui.


All things considered, both men played really well in the tournament and the tournament overall was a great one with a lot of good matches. It was nice to see an all Chinese ranking final in a Chinese ranking event, and that will surely help snooker in China progress at a time that it needed a bit of a boost, after a lot of let downs from the home favourites in the recent past.

The next tournament on the calendar is the Asian Tour event 2 and it should be a good event, despite the absence of many top players. The season starts here and the next few months are sure to provide some classic snooker.

Interview with David Morris

I'm really pleased to have done this interview, with one of the rising stars of the season, David Morris of Ireland, who has regained his place on the tour via Q School and gone onto reach the Wuxi Classic quarter-finals, the last 16 of the Paul Hunter Classic and qualify for the Indian Open. In this interview David talks, snooker at home in Ireland, globally and at an amateur level, as well as talking about his start to the season and his aims for the future amongst other things.

 

 

Hi David, I’d like to start by asking you, after regaining your place on tour, what have you learned since your first stint on the pro Snooker circuit?

Not a whole lot really, I'm a bit more experienced but the main thing is I believe in myself more and that has more to do with off the table than on it. Just a more confident person than before.

You earned your new two year tour card after coming through the Q School so, what do you make of the system, and what would be your advice to any amateur looking at entering Q School in the future?

I think the q school has been a great success.  You have 3 chances to prove you deserve a place on the main tour. As a bonus if you qualify then you are match sharp for the start of the season. You also get to play on a match table which is important, you can qualify playing on club tables all year and then be lost on the pro tour in match table conditions.

What do you think of the Flat 128 structure, and does it help players lower down the rankings more than the old system in your opinion?

I think the flat draw is another step forward for the sport, it's a much fair system but also quite cut throat. You can draw the world number 1 in the first round or the draw could be kinder to you.  With the ranking list been based on prize money then it's obviously the fairest system.

Who were your snooker idols when you were growing up, and who inspired you the most as a child?

When I started playing snooker as a kid, Stephen Hendry was my favourite, mainly because he seemed to win all the time. But as time went on I admired John Higgins and Ronnie o Sullivan the most. These 3 guys have improved the standard for everyone else and have proved time after time to be the best.

You’ve made a fantastic start to your second stint on the snooker tour; reaching the Wuxi Classic Quarter-finals, the last 16 of the Paul Hunter Classic and qualifying for the Indian Open, so how pleased are you with your start to the season?

Yes I am pleased with the start to my season, reaching last 8 in Wuxi has a big step for me but I was disappointed not to play well again Matthew Stevens in the last 8. I believed I could win the whole event which I suppose is a good thing. I didn't feel out of place. I qualified for India by beating Matthew 4-0, I get on great with him but that day I was very determined to prove to myself I could beat top players like Matt.

Reaching the Wuxi Classic quarter-finals so early on into your return must have been very pleasing, and a big breakthrough for you. How did it feel to achieve that, and beat some well-established players on the way as well?

Yes it was new ground for me but I felt I was capable of getting there and even further. I don't mind who I play, I enjoy the challenge of playing top players. It's a test where you are now and where you want to be.

Some players complain about the travelling involved in Snooker, but as a relatively young player does it mean you can enjoy the travelling much more and see the sights of the cities that the snooker tour takes you to?

I don't mind the travelling too much, sometimes it can get frustrating though. I like to see new cities so I enjoyed Wuxi and Shanghai this year and looking forward to going to Delhi. New experiences are to be had if you look at it the correct way.

What players do you most enjoy playing and why?

I enjoy playing all players. Quick or slow because either way it's a challenge. If I had to pick I would say playing John Higgins, I won 4-2 against him but I really enjoyed playing shot for shot with him because I respect him and his game so much. It was an honour playing him.

Are there any players that you don’t like playing, and why?

As I said there is not anyone I don't like playing but of course everyone has a couple of players they struggle with and in my case it would probably be Dominic Dale. He's beat me in 3 deciding frames but I enjoyed the matches, they were all free scoring games.

What do you most enjoy doing in your time away from the baize?

When I'm home I play football 3 nights a week and go to the gym daily. I go out almost every weekend I'm home because I love seeing everyone I’ve not seen in a while. If I sit in on a Saturday I feel I wasted it. It goes against my belief of trying to enjoy the most of every day you can.

Do you socialise with many of the other players away from the table?

No because I don't live near any of them. When I'm at tournaments I'd go for food and hang out with some players but nobody in particular. I get on with everyone on tour really so whoever is there at the time.

When in your life did you realise that you could be a professional snooker player, and was this always your dream?

I realised from the age of 10 or 11. I won the Irish under 18 when I was 13 and many other junior events. I reached the last 8 of world under 21 aged 13 in New Zealand so I was competing with players much older than me. I wouldn't say it was always my dream. I have always enjoyed competitive snooker but I like a lot of sports and it’s hard to say which I like the most.

How nervous and tense do you get when you’re in matches, and (sorry for bringing this up), but what were your feelings when you were going for a 147 attempt during the Q School event this year, and how did you feel after missing the final black?

I don't get very nervous at all. I've had a problem going back a few seasons of not getting any nerves and my game suffered because you need a slight edge to play at your optimum level. Now I try and focus and be 'up' for my matches. When I missed the black for 147 in q School it was disappointing. I did not line it up correct and I knew it. I thought 'get up and start again' but I didn't and then I missed. I was lazy mentally on the shot.

How do you feel that snooker in Ireland is doing right now, and would you say that it is on the rise or decline?

Going back 10/12 years ago we had 100 players in senior ranking events and now it ranges between 40/60 so I guess it's got worse but where it's really worrying is at junior level. I won an under 16 in 2002 and there was over 100 players in the event but some of the junior events now have only 12 players. I know the association are trying everything to revive it and I hope they are successful. It would be a shame if it was to fade away.

How do you believe snooker is progressing as a global sport, under the guidance of Barry Hearn and Jason Ferguson?

Yes it is growing at a rapid pace, all over Europe and Asia. WSA are doing a great job and the game is being shown on TV so much more than it used to be. I love travelling to the USA so I hope we can break into that market someday. No players would give out about a tournament in Las Vegas would they!!!!

Do you believe that you can win any of the main tour events this season, having already shown that you can beat some of the games top guys, in the year’s earlier events?

Definitely yes. I believe if you keep putting yourself in positions to win then you will get the experience of later stages of events. I think winning an event is a possibility for a lot of players on tour that don't realise how good they are. The courage and believe to go from a last 8 to winning an event is the difference between the top, top, top players and the usually last 16 and last 8 players. 

Do you think that the money list will be fairer list than the points list, and do you think that either one benefits you more?

I think the money list is best. You could have a player who is number 50 in the world and he needs a miracle to get into the top 32 on the points list but on a money list if he gets to a final he could jump 20 places. The truth is you can rise up like a rocket or crash down in no time.

Do you think that it is possible for all tour players to finance the game of snooker, given the expenses that the players have to pay, in comparison with the prize money that is given to a player that loses in the early rounds of a competition?

I think this is the biggest test for players to get to events is very expensive and a lot of prize money you earn go's on travelling. You have to look at it positively, you can win a life changing amount of money on any given week. Its high risk though as it can go wrong and it brings a lot of stress with playing on the tour.

How much do you think that the amateur game has progressed since you started out, and are there many more opportunities now than there used to be?

I think the amateur game has got worse. Mainly because the tour has expended and a lot of the top amateurs are now professional players. You have much more opportunity to get a pro card than you used too and the amateur game has suffered because of it.

Finally David, what are your aims now that you are back on the pro tour, and still at the young age of 24?

I'm just trying to enjoy the game to be honest. I'd like to win something which could take me to the next level but snooker is not the be all and end all in life so I just gotta see how things progress. I'm hopeful of doing good things in the sport but I will only play as long as I enjoy it.

 

I would like to thank David for taking part in this interview and giving his honest opinions on his game, and lots of big issues in the game.

I hope that you guys enjoyed the interview and are looking forward to lots of more interviews in the future and lots of other new features I've got planned for the future.

Ding Junhui and Xiao Guodong set up all Chinese Shanghai Final

Ding Junhui and Xiao Guodong, will create snooker history tomorrow by contesting the first ever all Chinese ranking event final. Both players got through with comfortable semi-final victories against their respective English opposition, and should contest a cracking final tomorrow.

Xiao Guodong 6-3 Michael Holt - Xiao Guodong won the first semi-final with what turned into a comfortable victory over Michael Holt. After the first 2 scrappy frames were shared, Xiao settled into the match, taking a 2-1 lead with a good break of 64. He then doubled this lead before the mid-session break with a break of 96 to punish a mistake by Holt and take the 3-1 lead. Holt fought back hard after the break, settling into the match with a magnificent break of 113 to reduce the deficit to 3-2, before squaring the scores once more with the help with an early 65 in frame 6. From here though Xiao took complete control of the match, firstly with a fantastic 111 to regain him the lead. He then won the next to move 5-3 ahead after Holt battled long and hard for snookers on the colours, but failed in his attempts to get them. Finally, Guodong finished the match in true style, with the highest break of the match, a 127 to book his lucrative place in the Shanghai Masters final.

Ding Junhui 6-2 Barry Hawkins - Ding Junhui book his place in tomorrows final, with a relatively simple win over Barry Hawkins. The first frame was quite long and tactical, but after Ding won it, it obviously boosted him, and helped him along to dominating the second for a 2-0 lead. Barry Hawkins had the best of the next frame and reduced Ding's advantage to 2-1. Ding soon regained that cushion though, take the fourth frame convincingly for a 3-1 interval advantage. Ding then came back out and took the fifth with the help of a 53 break to open up a 4-1 lead. Hawkins got back into in the next though, with the match high break of 90, clawing Ding back to 4-2. But, as was the pattern of the match, as soon as Hawkins came back at Ding, the Chinaman responded with a break of 68 break to go further in front, one away from the final at 5-2. In the eighth frame, Ding put the final nail in Barry's coffin, taking a drawn out frame to book his final place, with a comfortable 6-2 victory.

Final Predictions:

Ding Junhui Vs Xiao Guodong - Both players have been playing really well this week, to set up an all Chinese ranking final, and it should be a really good contest with both players making big breaks and scoring well. It very much has the feel of the Chinese master, and China's no.1 against one of China's up and coming apprentices. With Ding being the much more experienced campaigner, while Xiao is only in his first ranking final, you have to say that Ding will be much fancied for his maiden Shanghai Masters title. Of course though, Xiao has gone through against the odds many times already in this tournament though, and there's no reason why he couldn't do it once more to take the title, if he plays well once more. However, I still think that Ding will make a fairly comfortable win, having looked like he was up for the job all week.
Prediction: 10-6 win for Ding to take the title.

Whoever the winner is tomorrow, snooker is the real winner, with an all Chinese final surely creating ever more interest in China, with the country having another good player to cheer upon and pin their hopes to for tournament wins. After the week snooker has had, I don't think anyone could argue that this is a good final for the tournament, and one that snooker will benefit from and create some better headlines for the sport. Hopefully tomorrow i'll be reporting on a quality climax to the week's events.

Home favourites make Shanghai Semi's

Chinese favourites Ding Junhui and Xiao Guodong made the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters, with good victories over Neil Robertson and Mark Davis respectively. Michael Holt and Barry Hawkins make up the rest of the semi-final line-up, with wins over Kyren Wilson and Mark Selby.

Ding Junhui recorded a good 5-2 victory over Neil Robertson, ending the Aussies hopes of a 3rd successive ranking event win in China. The home favourite continued from where he left off against Murphy in the last 16, taking the opener with breaks of 58 and 62. Robertson hit back immediately though with a break of 70 to level up at 1-1. Ding took the next frame to go back in front, before a Robertson special of 104 squared the game once more at 2-2. Ding dominated the fifth frame to give him the advantage once more, before a break of 75 doubled his lead to 2, 1 away from victory at 4-2. As always, Ding showed his intent by finishing in style, with yet another century, a 109, saw that the Chinaman booked his last 4 spot with the highest break of the match. Ding will certainly be hard to stop this week.

He'll now play Barry Hawkins who beat Mark Selby 5-4, after coming from 4-2 down to win. Mark Selby dominated the early exchanges in the match, and made some fairly big breaks in establishing a big lead. After losing the opener, breaks of 101, 83 and 74 saw that Selby took a 3-1 advantage into the mid-session break, with things looking good for the "Jester". Hawkins dominated the next to reduce the deficit to 3-2, only for a break of 68 in the next giving Selby back his 2 frame cushion. The fight back began for Hawkins in the next as he dominated proceedings in the seventh to make the score 4-3. A 140 break, the highest of the week so far, in the eighth ensured that the match went into a decider. It took 2 or 3 chances for him in the decider, but it was Barry Hawkins that got home 5-4. He will certainly cause Ding problems tomorrow and won't be making it an easy ride.

Michael Holt reached his first ever ranking event semi-final with a 5-1 over Kyren Wilson, who was playing in his first venue. In the end I think it was a bit of experience that counted, as Wilson really struggled to get into the match. Holt made Wilson pay for his mistakes, with breaks of 85, 64 and an 80 to win the match in style. I would be really pleased to see him win it this week.

He will play Xiao Guodong in the semi-finals, after the Chinaman came from 4-2 down against in form Mark Davis to win 5-4. Davis started the match, in the same way he'd been playing all tournament, breaks of 63, 71 and 87 giving him an early 3-1 interval lead. A break of 67 gave Guodong the next to close to 3-2, before Davis won a highly tactical sixth frame to re-establish his 2 frame advantage. A break of 61 prolonged the match into an eighth frame, which Guodong dominated the key parts of to force a final frame shoot-out for a spot in the last 4. In the end Xiao took that spot with the help of a pressured 61 to give him a 5-4 victory.

Semi-Final Draw and Predictions:

Michael Holt Vs Xiao Guodong - Both players are in their first ever ranking event semi-finals, which should make this a very tense affair, the closer the game gets towards the end. I would really like to see Holt win this week, as he is one of the better players never to win a ranking event. I think that experience could again play a part here, and with Holt being the elder of the 2 players, this could make a difference when the game gets nervy towards the end.
Prediction: Holt to reach the final with a tight win.

Ding Junhui Vs Barry Hawkins - On paper, and the way the week has gone for these 2 so far, you would expect Ding to win this one and he looks like he really means business this week. However, Barry Hawkins has never been one to go by the form book, as he showed at the 2013 World Championships, where he beat Ding Junhui on the way to the final. I do expect it to be a very close match, but I make Ding the slight favourite the way he has looked so far this week.
Prediction: A close match but a home final for Ding Junhui.


It should be a very good climax to the event, and one I look forward to watching right through to the conclusion on Sunday. I'll be back tomorrow looking ahead to the final. 

Ding wins classic to reach Shanghai Quarters

Ding Junhui won a magnificent second round match today, 5-4 against Shaun Murphy in a match that was a great advert for the sport, after what hasn't been the best week for Snooker away from the table. Meanwhile, Kyren Wilson, Mark Davis, Xiao Guodong, Michael Holt, Mark Selby, Barry Hawkins and Neil Robertson are the other quarter-finalists.

Shaun Murphy and Ding Junhui both played brilliantly and neither deserved to lose what was a thrilling contest. Murphy started brightly with a well made 86 to take the opening frame. But, as was the pattern of the match, they matched each other punch for punch, as Ding was soon 2-1 ahead, making breaks of 74 and 67 to give him those 2 frames. A break of 62 levelled the match at the mid-session break, in what was a match certain to go all the way. Ding regained the lead with a break of 84 to continue the high scoring play. One thing that the match deserved was a century, and Murphy provided it to level the match at 3-3 with a break of 102. Ding Junhui won a tighter seventh frame to go within 1 frame of the match at 4-3. But as ever, Shaun Murphy showed lots of gut and determination, pulling off gutsy pots to get in, and continue the break of 84 that sent it into the decider that the match warranted. The decider was much more tactical, and was played in a very good spirit by both players. Ding took a big early lead, but Murphy chipped away through the last few reds, until only 2 reds were left. Then Ding put Murphy into a very difficult snooker with no easy escape route. After failing at his first attempt, Shaun then came very close to one of the all-time greatest escapes, but missed the red by a matter of millimetres. The whole thing was handled very well by Murphy, and after Ding laid another snooker, it was the end for the courageous "Magician". Ding keeps his hopes of a home victory alive, while Murphy should be very proud of his professionalism and his efforts today, as always. For me, this is Ding's best chance of a victory in China for a long time.

Mark Davis continued his great form of the last few weeks, and against John Higgins, with a 5-1 win over the defending champion. Davis started really well with a break of 76 to give him the first frame, and he doubled that lead by dominating the next as well. All of a sudden Higgins was 3-0 down after Davis survived a scare after having a decent lead in the frame, only for Higgins to come back at him, but Davis survived the scare and took the 3-0 lead. A break of 50 in the next frame gave Higgins hope at 3-1, but after the interval this was soon extinguished as Davis made a break of 52, and then won a the sixth as well to take a 5-1 win. This may be Davis's best ever chance to win a ranking event.

Neil Robertson won the battle of the left-handers against Mark King 5-3. Robertson took a tight opener to gain the momentum, and then a break of 65 gave him the next, after King made an earlier 59, putting Robertson 2-0 in front. King recovered in the third with a run of 84 to reduce the deficit to 2-1. King won a tight frame before the interval, to level the scores at 2 each. A break of 82 from Robertson restored his lead at 3-2, before King levelled again, dominating the sixth to get it back to 3-3. Robertson dominated the seventh and eighth frames though and took out the match in the end, 5-3.

Kyren Wilson got another fantastic victory beating Marco Fu 5-3 to reach the quarter-finals. His top breaks of 59, 65 and 133 were another to give him another big victory and continue his fantastic start to the season.

Elsewhere Xiao Guodong came from 3-1 down to beat Peter Lines 5-3 with a top break of 62 in what seemed like quite a scrappy affair, but keeps the Chinaman's hopes of a home ranking win alive.

Michael Holt won a great contest against Martin Gould 5-4, despite Gould making 2 centuries in the match and Holt not making a half century break in the whole match. Looking at the way the top half has opened up, this could well be Holt's week.

Mark Selby came back from 4-2 down to beat Robert Milkins on the black 5-4 to book his last 8 spot. The UK and Masters champion made top runs of 52, 80 and 107 on his way to another good comeback win.

Finally, 2013 World Championship runner-up Barry Hawkins won his last 16 match very comfortably 5-2 against Welshmen Ryan Day. His high breaks were 59, 91 and 93 in a relatively easy win.

Quarter-Final Draw and Predictions

Mark Davis Vs Xiao Guodong - I expect Mark Davis to continue his good form in this one, and reach another ranking semi-final. Meanwhile, Xiao Guodong played well in round 1, but not so well in round 2 but still got the job done. However, i'm not sure he could get the job done again.
Prediction: Comfortable Davis win.

Kyren Wilson Vs Michael Holt - Both players have played well so far in the event, and beaten players ranked above them. Holt of course has a lot more experience than Wilson, and that could be the difference if the match goes to the wire. I expect this one to go close, and it could well come down to experience when a place in the semi-finals looms.
Prediction: Tight win for Michael Holt

Mark Selby Vs Barry Hawkins - Mark Selby has gone under the radar so far this week, and so has Hawkins. Hawkins has had 2 comfortable wins, but Selby has probably been the better of the 2 so far this and I think that if he needs to he can grind out the victory, like he did today.
Prediction: A close game but a Selby victory

Ding Junhui Vs Neil Robertson - These 2 always seem to play out some great matches, and I expect that tomorrow will be no different. Ding has played really well this week so far, and I think he is probably my new favourite to win the event. Robertson probably hasn't been at his best this week and he'll need to improve for a place in the semi-finals.
Prediction: A win for the home favourite Ding Junhui.

Looking like a great line-up for the rest of the event, and if it can live up to the snooker that was played today, we're going to be in for a great end to the week, and i'm really looking forward to watching it unfold.

 

 

Seeds fall on day 3 in Shanghai

5 of the 8 seeded players playing in the first round on Day 3 at the Shanghai Masters, were sent packing from the tournament with the likes of Mark Allen, Stephen Maguire, Stuart Bingham, Ricky Walden and Graeme Dott exiting at the first hurdle.

Kyren Wilson played an excellent hand to beat Stuart Bingham 5-1. Bingham had chances in the opening frame, but it was Wilson that took his for the 1-0 lead. He took his early chance in the next as well, and after a nervy period when Bingham recovered from needing snookers, Wilson held his nerve to double his lead. Wilson dominated the next as well, putting his lead to 3-0 and putting Stuart well under the cosh at this stage. Kyren turned up the heat in the next with a classy break of 97, to go into the interval one away from a place in the last 16. Bingham kept fighting though, and with a break of 56 reduced the deficit to 4-1, but still with a long way to go. Wilson sealed he deal in the next frame though with a break of 54 along the way, to give him a well earned 5-1 win and keep his great start to the season going.

Xiao Guodong also pulled out a brilliant performance to see off one of my favourites for the week Maguire 5-2. He opened up an early 3-0 lead with the help of breaks of 89 and 54 to put the Scotsman under pressure right from the off. A break of 69 in the fourth frame, gave Guodong a 4-0 interval lead and Maguire left with plenty to think about. He came out fighting, and took the next 3 frames, with a 75 break in the first of those to keep his hopes alive. Guodong took a tight seventh frame though to seal the match 5-2 and book a last 16 date with Peter Lines.

Ding Junhui, was one of the seeds that did make through though with a 5-2 victory over David Gilbert. Ding took the opener with the help of a 68 break, before Gilbert levelled at 1-1. Gilbert lost all of the next 3 though, as the home favourite made a 129 break before the interval and a 106 after it to take a 4-1 lead. Ding looked like closing out the deal in the next but a break of 58 wasn't enough, as an earlier 57 helped Gilbert reduce the gap to 4-2. Ding dominated the last however, to book his place in the last 16, to the delight of the home fans.

Mark King beat Graeme Dott 5-3 with top breaks of 106, 54 and 70 to send home a Graeme Dott who is still far from his best and has no consistency right now.

Martin Gould played well in beating Ricky Walden 5-3 with top runs of 58, 69 and 75, to send out the Bluebell Wood Open champion. Would be nice to see Gouldy have a good run this week.

Robert Milkins edged a very close encounter against Mark Joyce, coming from 4-2 to down to win 5-4 without making a break of above 50 in the entire match.

Ryan Day won 5 frames in a row from 1-0 down to beat Mark Allen 5-1, in what is quite a big result for Day on his form of the last couple of years. He had top breaks of 55, 72 and 73 later on in the match to see him home.

Finally, Mark Selby beat wildcard Lin Shuai 5-2, in what wasn't the most convincing performance by Selby but top breaks of 53 and a 120 in the final frame, were enough to see him through.

2nd Round Draw and Predictions

John Higgins Vs Mark Davis - This one could go either way and is sure to be close. Davis has beaten Higgins a couple of times in the last few months, and will have plenty of confidence after his last few weeks. However, you can never right off Higgins, and part of me still thinks that he will win.
Prediction: Higgins victory in a tight affair.

Peter Lines Vs Xiao Guodong - This should be another close affair, and both players played well in winning their first round games, but Guodong marginally better for me.
Prediction: Xiao Guodong win

Marco Fu Vs Kyren Wilson - Wilson has been a very dangerous player this season so far, but Fu is playing the best he has played in years right now, and is only getting stronger.
Prediction: Comfortable Fu win.

Martin Gould Vs Michael Holt - Both players played well in the opening round and would dearly love a ranking event win here this week. Both have the games and this will be a very attacking affair that could go either way, but I just about think that Gould will do the job here.
Prediction: Tight win for Gould.

Mark Selby Vs Robert Milkins - This has the look of a very close match, but the way Milkins played today, he will have to improve if he is to beat Selby.
Prediction: Selby to grind out a victory

Ryan Day Vs Barry Hawkins - Hawkins played well in the first round in beating David Grace, but Day did a similar job against Allen. Hawkins though has been far more consistent in the last 2 years than Day has.
Prediction: Hawkins victory

Shaun Murphy Vs Ding Junhui - Both players played very well in patches of their first round matches, but both will need to improve ahead of this one. Murphy has struggled this season a little with his new cue, while Ding doesn't have the greatest record in China but showed promising signs today.
Prediction: I think it will go to the wire, but Ding Junhui will snatch the victory.

Neil Robertson Vs Mark King - King played very well in today against Dott, but will have his work cut out against the best player in the world at the moment in my opinion. I think Robertson will go far again in this event.
Prediction: Robertson to make it to the Quarter-Finals

The line-up for the rest of the tournament looks good, and I look forward to watching the rest of the event pan out. I'll be back tomorrow to look back on the Last 16 and ahead to the quarter's.

Trump thumped by Holt on day 2 of Shanghai Masters

Judd Trump was thrashed by Michael Holt 5-1 in the first round of the Shanghai Masters. Elsewhere Peter Lines beat Matthew Stevens 5-4 and their were also wins for Mark Davis, Marco Fu, Barry Hawkins and Neil Robertson on the second day, while Shaun Murphy and John Higgins made it through to the last 16 on the opening day in China.

Trump was well below par in his match against Holt, as his poor form continued, while Michael played really well to take out last seasons runner-up. Holt dominated the opening frame, before Trump equalised at 1-1. An excellent 115 from Holt meant that he regained the advantage, and he doubled his lead by taking the next to lead 3-1 at the interval. Michael didn't let up after the break, with a good break of 97 to put himself 1 frame away from the last 16, and a 60 in the next sealed the deal and the 5-1 win, to cap off an excellent win for Michael Holt and a thoroughly deserved win.

Meanwhile, Peter Lines pulled off a magnificent comeback to beat Matthew Stevens, whose inconsistent season continued. After Lines won the opening frame with a break of 61, before Stevens won the next four with a top break of 50. Peter fought back though taking a tight 6th frame and dominating the 7th, before winning a lower scoring 8th to take the match in to the decider. Both players had chances in the decider, but it was Lines who held his nerve, grabbing his spot in the 2nd round with a 5-4 win.

On the opening day, Shaun Murphy battled through 5-4 against Yu De Lu after being heavily tested by the Chinaman. The standard was very high throughout the match, but particularly at the start as Murphy took a 2-0 lead with breaks of 116 and 77. However, De Lu showed that he could do the same levelling at the interval with breaks of 80 and 72. Murphy won a tight 5th frame before De Lu levelled at 3-3 with a break of 55. Murphy regained the lead once more, before a break of 54 by De Lu forced the decider. The decider was a fairly tense affair, but a break of 60 from Murphy ensured that he didn't suffer an early exit and is through to the next round.

Also on day 1, John Higgins made top breaks of 100 and 107 in his 5-1 win over Mike Dunn, who had his chances, but failed to take them as the class of Higgins was too much for Dunn.

Mark Davis beat Ali Carter 5-2 earlier today to keep his superb running going. He made 2 centuries, a 122 and a 102 on the way to an early 3-0 advantage. Carter fought back though with breaks of 67 and 65 to reduce the deficit to just 3-2. Davis went 4-2 ahead in the next and took a tight seventh frame and booked his 2nd round spot against John Higgins with a 5-2 win.

Marco Fu whitewashed Cao Yupeng 5-0, and was on fine form with top breaks of 72, 74, 78 and 78 on the way to a very comfortable win. He is certainly one to watch again this week, as I said in my preview.

Barry Hawkins also had a whitewash of his own, thumping David Grace 5-0 with top breaks of 55, 70 and 107 to ensure that Grace's first ranking venue appearance wasn't a dream one.

Finally, Neil Robertson beat wildcard Wang Yuchen, who overcame Joe Perry in the wildcard round, 5-1 dominating the majority of the match, with highs of 122 and 73 to ensure his last 16 berth.

That's all from the first 2 days of the Shanghai Masters, with the 8 remaining first round matches being played tomorrow. (See my preview to view the opening round draw).

It's been a decent tournament so far, but has been overshadowed by, firstly Stephen Lee's guilty verdict in his match fixing case, being found guilty of fixing matches or part of 7 matches in total. I will blog on the whole case and decision after the Shanghai Masters has completed.

Meanwhile, the snooker world has also stopped today to hear Ronnie O'Sullivan steal the limelight by tweeting that many other players are involved in fixing, but refusing to name who. He later backtracked, but it was all too late by then, after World Snooker announced they would be investigating O'Sullivan's tweets.

Not a classic couple of days of Snooker, but hopefully action on the table can do the talking as the Shanghai Masters continues throughout the week. Hoping for some more quality snooker as in the rest of the event now. I'll be back tomorrow looking ahead to the Last 16.

Shanghai Masters Preview

Time for the first proper snooker for about a month, since the Paul Hunter Classic and I've been looking forward to this for a while. This event works on the old system, where the top 16 didn't have to qualify, so all of the elite players (except for Ronnie O'Sullivan who didn't enter) will be in attendance. This event is always a good one, and is one of the longer standing Chinese ranking events.

So this is how the draw shapes up in Shanghai:

Quarter 1

The top quarter sees the likes of John Higgins, Stephen Maguire, Ali Carter and Mark Davis amongst others and after a little break in the schedule, it's fair to say that form shouldn't really come into it here. However, the form man in that break has been Mark Davis, who won both the 6 Reds World Championship and the General Cup in Hong Kong. He faces Ali Carter in the first round, in what should be one of the matches of the first round, and a very even match. If i'm being brutally honest, even though Davis has the form behind him, I still think that Carter will win this particular match, and he has a decent record in China, having won this event before. John Higgins or Mike Dunn will face the winner of that match in round 2, and one look at the match tells you defending champion Higgins should win it. However, Dunn has been playing a lot better this season so far, and a shock win here is by no means beyond him, with Higgins in indifferent form of late. In the bottom half of the section, we have Matthew Stevens who hasn't been in the best form in the PTC events, playing Peter Lines. For me Lines could well get a surprise victory here, with Stevens far from his best of late and with Lines having some decent results in some of the recent PTC's. Meanwhile Stephen Maguire will play either Xiao Guodong or wildcard Yuan Siyun. I don't see Maguire having too much of a problem there, and I think he is one of the main contenders to win the event in my opinion or at the very least make the latter stages.

Quarter Winner: Stephen Maguire as mentioned earlier for me.

Quarter 2

The second quarter starts with Stuart Bingham playing Kyren Wilson in round 1. Stuart has been a very consistent player in the last 2 years and shouldn't have a problem making it through this contest. However, Kyren has been one of the rising stars of the season so far, playing well in qualifying for this event, and beating Shaun Murphy in the Paul Hunter Classic. Marco Fu is also in this section and will be one of the favourites to make the semi-finals. He plays either Cao Yupeng or wildcard Zhou Yuelong in the first round and I don't see either of those causing Australian Open champion Fu a problem, in the magnificent form that Fu is in at the moment. In the bottom half of this section we have Bluebell Wood Open champion Ricky Walden who will play either Martin Gould or wildcard Zhao Xintong. Gould should make it through the wildcard round comfortably and will certainly give Walden a tough game. This is a match I could see going to the wire but, I think Walden will just pinch it. Finally, Judd Trump has a first round date with Michael Holt. Holt has a great chance to win this one for me, if he brings his best form. Judd has been struggling this season, and that was highlighted in his failure to qualify for the Indian Open. Even if Trump gets through this, I don't see him as one of the main contenders this time due to his poor form, despite being the runner-up in Shanghai last year.

Quarter Winner: Marco Fu is certainly one of my favourites for the semi-finals on his current form.

Quarter 3

Mark Selby heads this section of the draw, as we enter the bottom half of the draw. He will play either Andrew Higginson or wildcard Lin Shuai. I don't seeing him having a problem there with the decent form that he is in at the moment, and Selby is one of my main contenders for the event this week. Robert Milkins will offer him some stiff opposition though, if he can get past his first round match with Mark Joyce. I don't see Milkins having a problem, unless Joyce brings his best game and Robert really struggles. In the other half of this quarter, Mark Allen will play either Ryan Day or Lu Ning. Allen could certainly do with the points in this event, having slipped down the rankings a little bit after not entering a few earlier events, and a lot of UK Championship points coming off in the near future. Day could cause him a few problems, depending on which Ryan Day turns up and it certainly won't be a easy match for Mark. The winner of that will face either Barry Hawkins or David Grace. Barry should be a comfortable winner there, and I don't really see Grace getting a surprise win.

Quarter Winner: Mark Selby

Quarter 4

The bottom quarter is certainly the toughest in my opinion, beginning with Shaun Murphy playing Yu De Lu. Yu's form has been ok, but nothing special, so he shouldn't really cause Murphy too much of a scare in my book, although Murphy's form hasn't been great this season, failing to qualify for both Wuxi and India already. Murphy could well be a contender if he's at his best though. Home favourite Ding Junhui faces either David Gilbert or wildcard Fang Xiongman. Gilbert will certainly cause Ding some problems, as Ding always feels the pressure in his home events and plays pretty poorly in China all things considered. David Gilbert has also beaten quite recently, in the Paul Hunter Classic and Gilbert has been in great form this season so far, making the semi-finals of the Rotterdam Open. Elsewhere in this quarter, out of form Graeme Dott will play either Mark King or Zhu Yinghui. Dott has apparently been tinkering with aspects of his technique, and it will be interesting to see if that has an effect on his form in this event. Presuming that King comes through his wildcard match, he will certainly cause Dott some trouble, and I would make King bet of the first round based on Dott's present form. Finally, Neil Robertson, winner of the last 2 Chinese ranking events and runner-up in both the General Cup and 6 Reds, and my favourite to win this week, will face either Joe Perry or Wang Yuchen. Perry has also had a decent year so far, winning the first Asian Tour event, and he will certainly provide an early test for Robertson, especially having beaten Neil 5-0 in Shanghai a year ago. I still think Robertson will win though, and he is one of my main contenders for the tournament.

Quarter Winner: Neil Robertson

Tournament Winner: I'll stick my neck out and say Mark Selby

Runner-up: Stephen Maguire

First Round Draw:

John Higgins Vs Mike Dunn (Monday 16th 12.30pm UK Time)
Mark Davis Vs Ali Carter (Tuesday 17th 7.30am UK)
Matthew Stevens Vs Peter Lines (Tuesday 17th 12.30pm UK)
Stephen Maguire Vs Xiao Guodong or Yuan Siyun (Wednesday 18th 7.30am UK)
Stuart Bingham Vs Kyren Wilson (Wednesday 18th 7.30am UK)
Marco Fu Vs Cao Yupeng or Zhou Yuelong (Tuesday 17th 12.30pm UK)
Ricky Walden Vs Martin Gould or Zhao Xintong (Wednesday 18th 7.30am UK)
Judd Trump Vs Michael Holt (Tuesday 17th 12.30pm UK)
Mark Selby Vs Andrew Higginson or Lin Shuai (Tuesday 17th 12.30pm UK)
Robert Milkins Vs Mark Joyce (Wednesday 18th 12.30pm UK)
Mark Allen Vs Ryan Day or Lu Ning (Wednesday 18th 12.30pm UK)
Barry Hawkins Vs David Grace (Tuesday 17th 7.30am UK)
Shaun Murphy Vs Yu De Lu (Monday 16th 7.30am UK)
Ding Junhui Vs David Gilbert or Fang Xiongman (Wednesday 18th 12.30pm UK)
Graeme Dott Vs Mark King or Zhu Yinghui (Wednesday 18th 7.30am UK)
Neil Robertson Vs Joe Perry or Wang Yuchen (Tuesday 17th 7.30am UK)


Whoever wins this event, it should be a week of very entertaining snooker, with plenty of big breaks and surprises and plenty of  twists and turns along the way. I just hope that the verdict in the Stephen Lee case, which is expected early next week, overshadows the good snooker that is sure to be played this week and the tournament as a whole in the minds of everyone involved in snooker. I'll be bringing you updates after every day or round on what's been happening and what we can expect as each round goes. I hope you enjoyed reading my preview, and enjoy watching this, the third full ranking event of the season. 

Cue Action Blog Snooker Debate: Technology in snooker, a good thing or bad thing?

The latest edition of the Cue Action Blog twitter snooker debate, saw the panel debate whether technology in snooker was actually a good thing or not, and whether it was improving the game. This saw the panel debating things such as: the new SightRight cue, the new balls, superfine cloths, extensions and whether eventually players would use different cues in different conditions. This is what the panel made of it all:

James Kilmartin, armchair snooker fan: “Some work for some. Some may be a placebo. But if something helps a player then great. With regards to tips, think it's great for players of all standards that there is much more choice than just elks and bd, but also think it's telling that lots of pro's tried many modern layered tips, but most have gone back to elks and bd.”

Ron Florax, runs statistics website CueTracker.net: “Two things which aren't fair and at least the stream thing is cheaply fixed if WS want to. Hope for the future!”

Steff Coyle, snooker fan: “Well in my honest opinion the technology that we have nowadays is brilliant. It has really helped snooker develop. I prefer to use layered tips you get a better reaction from the cue ball. The extensions are great tools as well.”

Shaun Murphy, World No.4: “There will come a time when players use different cues for different conditions. When I tell other sports people that we only have the one cue they think we're from mars. To expect the one cue to perform the same in all conditions is madness. I promise, in 50 years snooker players will look back at us and think we were mad to use just the one cue.”

Johnny May, fan of snooker: “All sports have improved/been revolutionized at some point. If it can improve the sport + make the players better than they already are, so be it. Change is part of sport, always has been. I will say that kicks are bad part of snooker. Change is always part of any sport, new things are always going to come along, and that’ll help improve the game. Better than being stuck in the same place.”

Paul Rinaldi, snooker coach: “Yes agree anything that helps or improves the game can't be a bad thing. No like, no buy? The choice is yours. Some are worth trying what suits one person does not suit others. Simple game for complicated people?”

Chris Vear, snooker fan:  “Certainly a good move, in my book. The game needs to keep up with the other "high-tech" sports to maintain a fan-base. The players however should use Hawkeye as a last resort. We should still maintain play-ref trust. That is a very extreme measure, for me. I'm up for new tech, but changing cues for conditions seems excessive.”

Paul Collier, World Snooker referee: “Technology is good for the game but is it fair to have Hawkeye on one table and not on another in the same round?”

E Jones, fan of snooker: “You can take technology too far by trying to solve a problem that's not there. In snooker refs are becoming glorified ball boys hardly nothing is a judgement call anymore. Let the referees ref the match because in snooker unlike other sports the players are helpful.”

Mark King, World No.24: “Hawkeye I think ain't 100% accurate. Finer cloth means better splits and not to have to hit the balls hard.”

Vikki, Bulgarian snooker fan: “In my opinion the new technology is a good improvement to the game...a lot of other sports use technology. We want snooker to be global but if it doesn’t move up it won’t be, technology needed.”

Gary, runs snooker Blog OnCue:  “Some say it's same for everyone so doesn't matter but if technology is available to improve the game, use it. Technology probably plays two key roles: 1. Erasing wrongs and 2. Added to entertainment value.”

Igor, Brazilian snooker fan: “Very useful in "foul and a miss", in the positioning of the balls. If you do not have the honesty, the technology exists. Technology only needs to be used when necessary for the ref, or the player.”

Andy, fan of snooker: “The way I see it, it's good because every sport needs to modernise itself. You don't want to be playing on old cloths with iron balls do you? Can you imagine todays snooker without extensions, referees without screens?”

My opinion is that technology in snooker is a great thing as it helps the standard of the game improve. With things like Hawkeye it makes the job of the referee much easier as well. However, some of the new technologies in the game could be behind Kick's, which is a bad thing for the game, with it being made harder for players to play at their best standard.

Most panellists agreed that technology in snooker was a good thing, as long as it benefits the game, and said that players would have to develop to even more technology as time and the game moves forward, in order to stay at the top.

It was another very good debate, and probably my favourite one so far, I'm looking forward to the next debate as well, should be another good, fun debate. I'll be back soon for the best bits of the next debate.