It's turning out to be the tournament for the underdog at the Wuxi Classic as some different faces, both old and new, have made it through to Last 16 stages of the seasons first ranking event.
David Morris, who got back on the tour through the 3rd Q School in May, beat Gerard Greene 5-2 with top breaks of 103, 77 and 51 to set up a Last 16 encounter with Ali Carter. This is a fantastic start to the season for Morris and is just one example of what this new Flat 128 structure could bring this season.
Scott Donaldson also continued his start to the season by beating Jimmy Robertson 5-4, and will now play Robert Milkins for a place in the quarters. Donaldson is really starting to fulfil his potential after a slow start in his first year as a pro, following a quarter-final in the Bulgarian Open and a run into the semi-finals of the APTC1, with his best ranking event performance to date.
There were also some of the older guard getting through as Anthony Hamilton put in a fine display to see of last years runner-up Stuart Bingham 5-2, with highs of 64, 72, 73 and 80. Hamilton's reward for that great performance is a match-up with Mark Williams who battled back hard to beat Jack Lisowski 5-4 having been 3-1 and 4-3 down. Hopefully this could be the start of better things for Williams who struggled for form last season, and has been working hard to improve during the summer. After today's win I can see Mark going far in this tournament and maybe even winning it with how it's opened up.
A special mention must also go to Peter Lines who followed up victory yesterday over Mark Allen with another good win today against Andrew Higginson 5-2. It seems that Higginson was once again punished for missed opportunities something he is all to guilty of. If Higginson is ever going to break through he must sort this part of his game out, losing matches that he's had enough opportunities to win. Lines will now meet Stevens who has gone under the radar a bit in this event so far, just as he always seems to do when he reaches the latter stages of an event. However, Stevens has as good as chance as any of walking away with the win, especially the way that the draw has opened up with only 5 top 16 players left standing.
Last 32 Results:
Robert Milkins 5-3 Jimmy White
Scott Donaldson 5-4 Jimmy Robertson
Mark Williams 5-4 Jack Lisowski
Anthony Hamilton 5-2 Stuart Bingham
Ben Woollaston 5-2 Joel Walker
Cao Yupeng 5-4 Barry Hawkins
Mark King 5-4 Marco Fu
Neil Robertson 5-2 Martin Gould
David Gilbert 5-2 Alan McManus
Joe Perry 5-1 Ding Junhui
John Higgins 5-1 Dechawat Poomjaeng
Xiao Guodong 5-4 Li Hang
Peter Lines 5-2 Andrew Higginson
Matthew Stevens 5-3 Liang Wenbo
Ali Carter 5-0 Lu Haotian
David Morris 5-2 Gerard Greene
Last 16 Draw and Predictions:
7.30am UK Time:
Robert Milkins Vs Scott Donaldson - Hard to say on Donaldson's form, tough to go against him but I fancy that Milkins will break into the top 16 this season, so Milkins win for me
Mark Williams Vs Anthony Hamilton - Tipping good things after today for Williams so I fancy him for victory here.
Ben Woollaston Vs Cao Yupeng - Both are great players, but Cao whitewashed Woollaston in the APTC1 he may have a slight edge
Mark King Vs Neil Robertson - Robertson playing well and when he's scoring well he takes some stopping, King can cause a shock but have to go for Neil Robertson
12.30pm UK Time:
David Gilbert Vs Joe Perry - Perry is in great form at the moment and can go far here, Gilbert is scoring well but Perry will take some stopping.
John Higgins Vs Xiao Guodong- if Xiao isn't careful here Higgins could have this won before it has started the way he is playing.
Peter Lines Vs Matthew Stevens - Mentioned earlier that Stevens could go under the radar and could prove a bit too much for Lines on this occasion, who may not have another big performance in him this week.
Ali Carter Vs David Morris - Morris has played well this week, but Carter's big match experience might prove this to be a step too far for young Morris this week. Make no mistake though, Morris is definetly one to watch this season and will have a lot more runs and results like this in him.
Will return tomorrow for Last 16 round-up and Quarters preview.
Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Tuesday, 18 June 2013
Allen and Trump Crash out, Higgins and Robertson through to last 32
Judd Trump and Mark Allen were both beaten at the Last 64 stage on the second day of the Wuxi Classic. Trump was well below his best and his safety play was below par and he soon found himself 3-0 down to his Chinese opponent Li Hang. Trump looked like making the comeback when he restricted his deficit to 3-2, but his struggles continued and Li Hang scored well when he had to secure the 5-2 victory which is the best of Hang's career so far.
Peter Lines pulled out an excellent performance to send Mark Allen packing in a deciding frame 5-4. Lines found himself 2-1 after Allen made breaks of 55 and 69, but Lines was equal to it making a century to square the match at 2-2 as the pair headed into the mid-session break. It was lines that came out stronger once again, and took the next 2 frames to lead 4-2. Allen fought back well making a break of 79 to make it 4-3 and eventually took the next to force the deciding frame. Lines took an early lead in the decider and managed to hold onto it to grab a fantastic 5-4 victory.
Neil Robertson battled back from 2-0 down against Zhu Yinghui, winning 5 frames in a row, to seal his Last 32 berth 5-2, including top breaks of 58, 69 and 83. John Higgins also reeled off 5 frames in a row to beat Australian Vinnie Calabrese 5-1, with a top run of 116. Meanwhile, Mark Williams came through a real battle to beat Liam Highfield 5-4.
Today's other results:
Robert Milkins 5-0 John Astley
Scott Donaldson 5-3 Gareth Green
Jack Lisowski 5-0 Tian Pengfei
Ben Woollaston 5-2 Chen Zhe
Gerard Greene 5-1 Michael Wasley
Barry Hawkins 5-3 Fergal O'Brien
Xiao Guodong 5-3 Peter Ebdon
Andrew Higginson 5-1 Steve Davis
David Morris 5-4 Gary Wilson
Jimmy Robertson 5-0 Graeme Dott
Matthew Stevens 5-1 Lu Ning
Liang Wenbo 5-4 Jamie Jones
Ali Carter 5-2 Alfie Burden
Tomorrows Last 32 matches (with predictions):
3am UK Time:
Anthony Hamilton Vs Stuart Bingham - Comfortable win for Stuart Bingham
Jimmy White Vs Robert Milkins - It could be a close one but should be a Milkins win
Joel Walker Vs Ben Woollaston - Comfortable win for Woollaston
Barry Hawkins Vs Cao Yupeng - This will be a battle for Hawkins but he should get through
Andrew Higginson Vs Peter Lines - Higginson could have a good run here now and I expect him to get through
Liang Wenbo Vs Matthew Stevens- Stevens will need to be on form and if he is he'll be in the Last 16.
7.30am UK Time:
Marco Fu Vs Mark King- This should be one hell of a FuKing last 32 match (couldn't resist), Fu will need to play better than on Monday but I think that Fu will be through.
John Higgins Vs Dechawat Poomjaeng- Higgins will easily survive the Poomjaeng antics for victory.
Martin Gould Vs Neil Robertson - This could well be a classic heavy scoring match, but I think that Robertson will make at least the semi-finals and will come through this close encounter
Mark Williams Vs Jack Lisowski - This could well be an upset with a Lisowski win
David Morris Vs Gerard Greene - This is a great opportunity for whoever wins this, therefore it will be a close tussle, and if it is I think Greene will win.
12.30pm UK Time:
David Gilbert Vs Alan McManus - Will again be very close but think it will be a Gilbert win.
Ali Carter Vs Lu Haotian- The experience of Carter will see him easily through this one for me.
Joe Perry Vs Ding Junhui- Perry is in good form but I think Ding will win the whole thing on his home turf.
Scott Donaldson Vs Jimmy Robertson- Both guys are playing really well and this is a very tough match to call, but I think Robertson will edge this in a decider
Xiao Guodong Vs Li Hang- Both players had good wins today and played well, but I just think that Xiao will edge this one by the odd frame or two.
Well that was the story of Day 2 in Wuxi, and I will have another blog tomorrow to summarise the Last 32 action.
Peter Lines pulled out an excellent performance to send Mark Allen packing in a deciding frame 5-4. Lines found himself 2-1 after Allen made breaks of 55 and 69, but Lines was equal to it making a century to square the match at 2-2 as the pair headed into the mid-session break. It was lines that came out stronger once again, and took the next 2 frames to lead 4-2. Allen fought back well making a break of 79 to make it 4-3 and eventually took the next to force the deciding frame. Lines took an early lead in the decider and managed to hold onto it to grab a fantastic 5-4 victory.
Neil Robertson battled back from 2-0 down against Zhu Yinghui, winning 5 frames in a row, to seal his Last 32 berth 5-2, including top breaks of 58, 69 and 83. John Higgins also reeled off 5 frames in a row to beat Australian Vinnie Calabrese 5-1, with a top run of 116. Meanwhile, Mark Williams came through a real battle to beat Liam Highfield 5-4.
Today's other results:
Robert Milkins 5-0 John Astley
Scott Donaldson 5-3 Gareth Green
Jack Lisowski 5-0 Tian Pengfei
Ben Woollaston 5-2 Chen Zhe
Gerard Greene 5-1 Michael Wasley
Barry Hawkins 5-3 Fergal O'Brien
Xiao Guodong 5-3 Peter Ebdon
Andrew Higginson 5-1 Steve Davis
David Morris 5-4 Gary Wilson
Jimmy Robertson 5-0 Graeme Dott
Matthew Stevens 5-1 Lu Ning
Liang Wenbo 5-4 Jamie Jones
Ali Carter 5-2 Alfie Burden
Tomorrows Last 32 matches (with predictions):
3am UK Time:
Anthony Hamilton Vs Stuart Bingham - Comfortable win for Stuart Bingham
Jimmy White Vs Robert Milkins - It could be a close one but should be a Milkins win
Joel Walker Vs Ben Woollaston - Comfortable win for Woollaston
Barry Hawkins Vs Cao Yupeng - This will be a battle for Hawkins but he should get through
Andrew Higginson Vs Peter Lines - Higginson could have a good run here now and I expect him to get through
Liang Wenbo Vs Matthew Stevens- Stevens will need to be on form and if he is he'll be in the Last 16.
7.30am UK Time:
Marco Fu Vs Mark King- This should be one hell of a FuKing last 32 match (couldn't resist), Fu will need to play better than on Monday but I think that Fu will be through.
John Higgins Vs Dechawat Poomjaeng- Higgins will easily survive the Poomjaeng antics for victory.
Martin Gould Vs Neil Robertson - This could well be a classic heavy scoring match, but I think that Robertson will make at least the semi-finals and will come through this close encounter
Mark Williams Vs Jack Lisowski - This could well be an upset with a Lisowski win
David Morris Vs Gerard Greene - This is a great opportunity for whoever wins this, therefore it will be a close tussle, and if it is I think Greene will win.
12.30pm UK Time:
David Gilbert Vs Alan McManus - Will again be very close but think it will be a Gilbert win.
Ali Carter Vs Lu Haotian- The experience of Carter will see him easily through this one for me.
Joe Perry Vs Ding Junhui- Perry is in good form but I think Ding will win the whole thing on his home turf.
Scott Donaldson Vs Jimmy Robertson- Both guys are playing really well and this is a very tough match to call, but I think Robertson will edge this in a decider
Xiao Guodong Vs Li Hang- Both players had good wins today and played well, but I just think that Xiao will edge this one by the odd frame or two.
Well that was the story of Day 2 in Wuxi, and I will have another blog tomorrow to summarise the Last 32 action.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Wuxi Classic Preview
Well folks it's time for the first ranking event of the season: the Wuxi Classic. This is our first opportunity to see how the new format with all players playing from the first round, will pan out at the venue. With the Last 128 being played as qualifiers in Gloucester, we start from the round of 64 in Wuxi. This means that there are an extra 2 tables in operation for the event and an extra session. The extra session is particularly frustrating for UK and European viewers as it is at 4am European time and 3am UK time. That aside for now it's time to get on with the preview:
Quarter Winner: A very tough call but I think it will be Stuart Bingham after his success here last year.
Quarter winner: Has to be Neil Robertson
Quarter winner: In his home of Wuxi, a surprising call but Ding Junhui could well end his China woes.
Quarter winner: Mark Allen is my big favourite to win this quarter.
Tournament winner: As I mentioned earlier I think that this is Ding Junhui's time to end his poor run of form in Chinese events with a win in his home town.
Of course it is very difficult to judge the form at this stage of this season with only 2 small PTC events having been played and not all of the top players have entered those events, so the first ranking event of the season could go to anyone and will offer us a better indicator of player's form.
Quarter 1
The top quarter of the Wuxi Classic is probably in the toughest 2 in the draw. Here we saw a disappointing defence of the title by Ricky Walden, who suffered a 5-2 first round defeat to Jimmy White. That was one of White's best results for many years, and he now faces either Robert Milkins or John Astley. Robert has a particularly good record in Chinese events, getting to the quarter-finals last year losing a decider to Ricky Walden. Elsewhere in this section we have Graeme Dott, who will need a quick return to some form this season if he is to remain in the top 16 at the end of it. He will play Jimmy Robertson in the first round after his Wildcard round victory. This could lead to a possible all Scottish Last 32 clash if in form player Scott Donaldson can beat amateur Gareth Green. Scott made the semi-finals of the recent APTC1 and the quarter-finals of the Euro tour event in Bulgaria. Scott was unable to shine in his first year too much, but he has started this season magnificently, beating Tom Ford to reach the venue in Wuxi. He could be a very dangerous player in this section is all that I will say. In the other half of this quarter we have Mark Williams who has a tough draw. He has a tricky encounter with Liam Highfield for a place in the Last 32 against either Jack Lisowski or Tian Pengfei. Williams has been working very hard in the off season, but this is hardly a desirable section for the Welshmen to land in, but if he could get to the quarter-finals it would show how much his hard work has been paying off. In the other half of this section, Stuart Bingham, last year's runner-up, beat Yu De Lu 5-2 who made the quarter-finals of APTC1. Having past that early test, last seasons in form player now plays Anthony Hamilton. Hamilton beat Ryan Day 5-2, which was a slight surprise as I am expecting better things for day this season.Quarter Winner: A very tough call but I think it will be Stuart Bingham after his success here last year.
Quarter 2
This quarter at first glance would appear a little easier, with only Robertson and Hawkins as top 16 players in this section after Shaun Murphy was knocked out in qualifying by talented newbie Alex Davies. He was beaten 5-2 by Joel Walker in Wuxi, who beat Ian Burns in the first round. He now plays Chen Zhe or Ben Woollaston in the Last 32. Out of those 3 remaining players I would expect to see Ben in the Last 16, but that doesn't mean that any of the others could come through and cause upsets in this tournament. Many people will be expecting big things from Michael White this season after his great run at the Crucible last year, and his success this season will be determined by how he can deal with this added expectation. His Last 64 opponent Cao Yupeng, had the same kind of expectation on his shoulders a year ago and struggled slightly in the back end of last season, so he would have been hoping for a better run this season. Cao was the winner on this occasion 5-3, an impressive start making a century along the way. The last match in this little section sees Barry Hawkins play the Fergal O'Brien. I would predict that Barry Hawkins will be in the quarter-finals here, and people will no longer be estimating his ability after his brilliant season that was topped off by a run to the Crucible final in Early May. Elsewhere, Marco Fu had a last 64 tie with Nigel Bond, in a match that I fully expected to see Fu win. Bond like many of the players flying out to Wuxi, hadn't qualified for many venues in recent times and could be a player that may suffer in the new format as the season progresses. Fu was a 5-2 winner in that match and will now face Mark King in a Fu/King Last 32 match-up. That was after King beat McLeod 5-3 in quite a lengthy match. There was another tasty match in prospect as Martin Gould took on Kurt Mafllin. The big Norwegian is a class act, but Gould will be looking to regain his place in the top 16 this season and will be a player that will flourish in this new format in my opinion, showing signs of that. The final match in this section sees World No.1 Neil Robertson take on wildcard Zhu Yinghui, who beat Reanne Evans 5-2. I hoped to see Reanne come through that for the good of the game, but now another lengthy debate about wildcards could be on the cards. Neil Robertson is by far the form horse of this section at the seasons early stage, making a 147 in the Wuxi qualifier and reaching the final of the Bulgarian open.Quarter winner: Has to be Neil Robertson
Quarter 3
Even with the absence of Mark Selby, this quarter will probably turn out to be the toughest of the draw. We start of with Selby's victor Andrew Pagett who took on former Crucible Last 16 maker David Gilbert. Pagett is in fine form at the moment but couldn't cause another upset against Gilbert, who was the 5-2 winner including a top break of 100. He now has a last 32 tie with Alan McManus who had a Titanic match with Ken Doherty who he saw off 5-3. McManus has made a decent start to the season, reaching the semi-finals of the Asian Tour 1 and I think this is a great opportunity for him to make the last 16 of this event. There are some quite big names in the other part of this section including Ding Junhui in his home tournament who beat Jamie Burnett 5-3 for the right to play recent Asian tour 1 winner Joe Perry. Perry beat Jamie Cope 5-2 who's loss of form has been well documented along with the health problems that have caused it. I hope that he can have a good season to regain some confidence that has been badly hit by this as well. However it was always going to be tough for him to beat Perry. The bottom half of this quarter looks very tasty indeed. John Higgins heads it after his Bulgarian Open win and I don't expect him to have any problems against new Australian Vinnie Calabrese. The Scot would then face some Poomjaeng antics. This was after Dechawat beat Dominic Dale 5-1, reeling off 5 frames on the trot. Bet of the round for me has to be Xiao Guodong to beat Peter Ebdon, who if he struggles like he did last year will be in big trouble against the Chinamen. If Xiao were to get through he would play either Judd Trump or Li Hang. Li Hang is a dangerous young player who could cause Judd some trouble, but I'm still going to predict a comfortable win for the World No.3. I will be very interested to see how Judd goes in the early parts of this season as I expect him to have a much more consistent season this time around. A possible Last 16 match between Trump and Higgins could be match of the tournament if it happens, but there are a lot of people that will want to have a say in that.Quarter winner: In his home of Wuxi, a surprising call but Ding Junhui could well end his China woes.
Quarter 4
Quarter 4 doesn't look like the toughest for the top 16 players in it, but there are quite a few good young players that could have a say in proceedings this week. Mark Allen is the main attraction in this quarter. The newly wed has a first round date with Peter Lines who, with all due respect to Lines, should not cause the World No.6 a problem. Allen would then play either Steve Davis or Andrew Higginson. Davis has a decent record against Higginson, but Higginson is a very consistent pro who I still think will come through that encounter. Another Chinaman, Liang Wenbo faces Jamie Jones. That should be a very good match, especially if Jones can find his form that got him to the quarters of the World Championship in 2011. There could be a possible all Welsh Last 32 clash as Matthew Stevens faces wildcard Lu Ning, who won 5-3 against Adam Duffy. Stevens had quite an up and down year last year, and will be hoping for a more consistent and successful season this time around. Elsewhere in this section, Ali Carter plays Alfie Burden in the last 64 for the right to play Lu Haotian, who beat Craig Steadman 5-3 on the first day in Wuxi. Burden is an underestimated pro who can score very heavily when on form. He could cause an upset there, but as long as Carter is fighting fit and on form - I'm sure he'll be in the Last 32. Two good young talents meet in the Last 64 as David Morris (back through Q School) plays Gary Wilson who has had a very impressive start to the season, already notching up victories over Mark King and Peter Ebdon this season. That should be a good, open match and judging by Wilsons form he could well have a good run in this event. The eventual winner will play Michael Wasley or Gerard Greene. Wasley showed a lot of promise last year, while Greene had quite a bad campaign and will be looking to regain some form (starting with this match) to gain some much needed ranking points as he is one player who is in danger of dropping off of the tour, although it is very early days.Quarter winner: Mark Allen is my big favourite to win this quarter.
Tournament winner: As I mentioned earlier I think that this is Ding Junhui's time to end his poor run of form in Chinese events with a win in his home town.
Of course it is very difficult to judge the form at this stage of this season with only 2 small PTC events having been played and not all of the top players have entered those events, so the first ranking event of the season could go to anyone and will offer us a better indicator of player's form.
Saturday, 11 May 2013
Ronnie runs off with 5th World Title
Ronnie O'Sullivan put in a fantastic 17 days at The Crucible to prove that he is still levels above the other top players in the game, as he came back from a year off to scoop his 5th Crucible crown. It's fair to say that the standard in the tournament was pretty low, especially in comparison to O'Sullivan who was only really tested on 2 occasions. When he was tested, he would just put in a spell of sublime break building and go further clear of his opponent. This is exactly what he did in the second round against Ali Carter who managed to draw level with him at 7-7, and then just watched as the Rocket fired in 2 quality breaks to take out a 9-7 lead going into their final session.
Then in the final, Barry Hawkins got an early 3-2 lead and looked like he may lead after the first session. Then all of a sudden Ronnie went through the gears taking all of the final 3 frames of the session to secure his own 5-3 lead. He was tested again by Hawkins as the pair were tied at 7-7 with 3 frames left of the second session. O'Sullivan found a period of spell-binding snooker knocking in 2 centuries and taking an important final frame on the black to secure a 10-7 lead going into the second day. Hawkins couldn't get as close again and was eventually beaten 18-12.
Much credit has to go to Barry Hawkins who has had by far his best season on the baize, winning his first ranking event and then making the World final. Before these Championships Hawkins had never made it further than the second round, and the snooker he produced was some of the best he has ever in his career. He took out up and coming Jack Lisowski in the first round who many thought would beat Barry. The Australian open champion then took out World No.1 Mark Selby, and another hot favourite Ding Junhui to reach the one table set-up for the first time. Here he found himself in big trouble underperforming and 12-8 down to Ricky Walden. 8 frames later, Hawkins had taken the lot and now led 16-12, one away from the Final, eventually getting over the line 17-14.
This World Championships were meant to be a big advert for snooker, the most open Championships yet and the standard supposedly never higher. Once again though we saw six elite Top 16 players knocked out in the opening round and 4 former World Champions. The truth is the standard was poor from many of the players except from Ronnie. As for it being the most open yet, most people were 99% sure O'Sullivan be World Champion before he broke off in his quarter-final.
Why such a poor standard. Burnout? Rubbish. If players are so tired from playing so much snooker, and travelling to China 5 times a season at least, then they should plan their season or as Shaun Murphy and Barry Hearn suggested - try being the man on the street. The fact is the players aren't really used to playing snooker every week yet and the travelling has increased this season, but why use that as an excuse when you have 3 weeks to prepare for the World Championships. Physically snooker takes very little out of any professional, but mentally it is a very gruelling sport. The truth is that many more players will be preparing their seasons better in preparation for the World Championships, and planning their calendars much better if they wish to succeed in Sheffield in 2014.
Out of the six Crucible debutants, 2 of them managed to make it past the first round. They were Michael White - who beat fellow Welshmen Mark Williams in the first round- and Dechawat Poomjaeng who entertained us all in his victory against Stephen Maguire. Dechawat was a breath of fresh air at the World Championships and was described by Maguire as "not a full shilling". The Thai player applauded his own good shots, waved to the crowd when going back to his seat and wore his heart on his sleeve. Michael White though, showed us some of his talents that will surely see him into the top 16 within 2-3 years. The youngster got through to the quarter-finals, winning his second round match with Poomjaeng with a session to spare 13-3. Even though he struggled a bit in the quarters this run will give him a heap of confidence, especially to beat someone he would have grown up watching in Mark Williams.
Surely the match of the tournament was the quarter-final between Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy that sent us all the way to a magnificent decider. Judd Trump was well below par in the first session, as Murphy capitalised with top breaks of 61, 68,76 and 82 in the opening 8 frames to open up a 6-2 lead. When Murphy took the first of the next session with a good 91, opening up a 7-2 lead, it wasn't looking good for Trump. An 8-3 lead was looking even more commanding and it was still looking great for Murphy at the interval with an 8-4 advantage. However, that turned out to be the start of Trump winning 5 frames in a row to level at 8-8 after the second session, the highlight a 118 from Trump in frame 14. The final session was of by far the best quality, both men were at the races this time and neither deserving to lose. After Trump won the first to go 9-8 ahead, Murphy found his form with a 128 break making it 9-9. When Trump missed a simple red in the next frame on 59, Murphy made a great 70 clearance under pressure to move 10-9 up. Judd put that behind him immediately, making 77 to square the match again at 10-10 at mid-session with 5 frames to go. Trump stole the next after a 62 break from Murphy to take a 11-10 advantage, but as the match swung again, the 2005 champion won a crucial 22nd frame on the black to level again at 11-11. A Murphy fist pump after winning that frame told us what it meant for him to win this match. A fabulous break of 90 put Judd Trump 12-11 ahead and one frame away from his second world championship semi-final as the excellent standard of the final session continued. Many people who watched this would agree that the match definetly deserved a decider and Shaun Murphy delivered under pressure to give the viewers what this match warranted from the outset of the final session. A high pressured break of 88 making it 12 all. The decider was the longest frame of the match lasting nearly an hour, but the action was so gripping and tense that felt like only 15 minutes. Murphy played a series of incredible long reds but each seemed to leave him on tough colours which he continued to refuse. However, Trump played a fantastic decider and in the end deserved the 13-12 victory after taking on the more attacking shots. The match was by far the best of the tournament and also one of the best of the season. Both players showed off great break-building skill, especially under pressure and it was a close tussle in the final session, with neither deserving to lose in such a tense encounter summing up what the World Championship is all about.
Ronnie O'Sullivan was by far the best player over the 17 days with no-one able to get close to his all-round. Of course his achievement was doubled by only playing 1 match all season since his win in 2012. It's hard enough to defend the World Championship without having a year off, outlining the pure genius of O'Sullivan.
It wasn't the best tournament in the Championships history but there were still some fun and classic moments and some matches and sessions of pure quality. I look forward greatly to next season and will look at the calendar shortly. Until then enjoy the 2 weeks we have off of the "close season". Not forgetting that we have Q School to enjoy and good luck to everyone chasing their dream of getting on the Pro Snooker tour.
Then in the final, Barry Hawkins got an early 3-2 lead and looked like he may lead after the first session. Then all of a sudden Ronnie went through the gears taking all of the final 3 frames of the session to secure his own 5-3 lead. He was tested again by Hawkins as the pair were tied at 7-7 with 3 frames left of the second session. O'Sullivan found a period of spell-binding snooker knocking in 2 centuries and taking an important final frame on the black to secure a 10-7 lead going into the second day. Hawkins couldn't get as close again and was eventually beaten 18-12.
Much credit has to go to Barry Hawkins who has had by far his best season on the baize, winning his first ranking event and then making the World final. Before these Championships Hawkins had never made it further than the second round, and the snooker he produced was some of the best he has ever in his career. He took out up and coming Jack Lisowski in the first round who many thought would beat Barry. The Australian open champion then took out World No.1 Mark Selby, and another hot favourite Ding Junhui to reach the one table set-up for the first time. Here he found himself in big trouble underperforming and 12-8 down to Ricky Walden. 8 frames later, Hawkins had taken the lot and now led 16-12, one away from the Final, eventually getting over the line 17-14.
This World Championships were meant to be a big advert for snooker, the most open Championships yet and the standard supposedly never higher. Once again though we saw six elite Top 16 players knocked out in the opening round and 4 former World Champions. The truth is the standard was poor from many of the players except from Ronnie. As for it being the most open yet, most people were 99% sure O'Sullivan be World Champion before he broke off in his quarter-final.
Why such a poor standard. Burnout? Rubbish. If players are so tired from playing so much snooker, and travelling to China 5 times a season at least, then they should plan their season or as Shaun Murphy and Barry Hearn suggested - try being the man on the street. The fact is the players aren't really used to playing snooker every week yet and the travelling has increased this season, but why use that as an excuse when you have 3 weeks to prepare for the World Championships. Physically snooker takes very little out of any professional, but mentally it is a very gruelling sport. The truth is that many more players will be preparing their seasons better in preparation for the World Championships, and planning their calendars much better if they wish to succeed in Sheffield in 2014.
Out of the six Crucible debutants, 2 of them managed to make it past the first round. They were Michael White - who beat fellow Welshmen Mark Williams in the first round- and Dechawat Poomjaeng who entertained us all in his victory against Stephen Maguire. Dechawat was a breath of fresh air at the World Championships and was described by Maguire as "not a full shilling". The Thai player applauded his own good shots, waved to the crowd when going back to his seat and wore his heart on his sleeve. Michael White though, showed us some of his talents that will surely see him into the top 16 within 2-3 years. The youngster got through to the quarter-finals, winning his second round match with Poomjaeng with a session to spare 13-3. Even though he struggled a bit in the quarters this run will give him a heap of confidence, especially to beat someone he would have grown up watching in Mark Williams.
Surely the match of the tournament was the quarter-final between Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy that sent us all the way to a magnificent decider. Judd Trump was well below par in the first session, as Murphy capitalised with top breaks of 61, 68,76 and 82 in the opening 8 frames to open up a 6-2 lead. When Murphy took the first of the next session with a good 91, opening up a 7-2 lead, it wasn't looking good for Trump. An 8-3 lead was looking even more commanding and it was still looking great for Murphy at the interval with an 8-4 advantage. However, that turned out to be the start of Trump winning 5 frames in a row to level at 8-8 after the second session, the highlight a 118 from Trump in frame 14. The final session was of by far the best quality, both men were at the races this time and neither deserving to lose. After Trump won the first to go 9-8 ahead, Murphy found his form with a 128 break making it 9-9. When Trump missed a simple red in the next frame on 59, Murphy made a great 70 clearance under pressure to move 10-9 up. Judd put that behind him immediately, making 77 to square the match again at 10-10 at mid-session with 5 frames to go. Trump stole the next after a 62 break from Murphy to take a 11-10 advantage, but as the match swung again, the 2005 champion won a crucial 22nd frame on the black to level again at 11-11. A Murphy fist pump after winning that frame told us what it meant for him to win this match. A fabulous break of 90 put Judd Trump 12-11 ahead and one frame away from his second world championship semi-final as the excellent standard of the final session continued. Many people who watched this would agree that the match definetly deserved a decider and Shaun Murphy delivered under pressure to give the viewers what this match warranted from the outset of the final session. A high pressured break of 88 making it 12 all. The decider was the longest frame of the match lasting nearly an hour, but the action was so gripping and tense that felt like only 15 minutes. Murphy played a series of incredible long reds but each seemed to leave him on tough colours which he continued to refuse. However, Trump played a fantastic decider and in the end deserved the 13-12 victory after taking on the more attacking shots. The match was by far the best of the tournament and also one of the best of the season. Both players showed off great break-building skill, especially under pressure and it was a close tussle in the final session, with neither deserving to lose in such a tense encounter summing up what the World Championship is all about.
Ronnie O'Sullivan was by far the best player over the 17 days with no-one able to get close to his all-round. Of course his achievement was doubled by only playing 1 match all season since his win in 2012. It's hard enough to defend the World Championship without having a year off, outlining the pure genius of O'Sullivan.
It wasn't the best tournament in the Championships history but there were still some fun and classic moments and some matches and sessions of pure quality. I look forward greatly to next season and will look at the calendar shortly. Until then enjoy the 2 weeks we have off of the "close season". Not forgetting that we have Q School to enjoy and good luck to everyone chasing their dream of getting on the Pro Snooker tour.
Thursday, 18 April 2013
World Championship 2013 Preview
It's that time of the year again. Time for the gripping and tense 17 days at The Crucible for the World Championship. This promises to be one of the best World Championships ever, with there being 10 winners of the 10 ranking events so far this season. Having looked at the first round draw, I think there is the possibility of it being a strong year for the seeds, unlike last year where 8 went out in the first round.
Prediction: Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ali Carter Vs Ben Woollaston (22nd and 23rd April 7pm)- Ali Carter has a good record at The Crucible and has a good season so far, winning the German Masters and reaching the UK semi-finals. He will be a hot favourite against the debutant from Leicester and is a good outside bet for the title after being a losing finalist twice in his 5 previous campaigns. It's hard to know what to expect from Crucible debutants, but I think Ben will adapt well, already having a lot of experience on TV behind him, in a lot of PTC events. However, Ali should have the experience to get through.
Prediction: Ali Carter
Stuart Bingham Vs Sam Baird (24th and 25th April 7pm) - Stuart Bingham hasn't always played his best at The Crucible, but that doesn't mean this year won't be different. He was totally outplayed last year by Hendry in the first round last year, but Bingham has come on a lot more this season. At the Welsh Open he came very close to winning his first title in the UK and could well have a good run here. As for Baird, this is his Crucible debut but I don't see him adapting as well as someone like Woollaston. Baird is short of TV experience and doesn't really have any big results against top players to call upon.
Prediction: Comfortable Bingham win
John Higgins Vs Mark Davis (21st and 22nd April 2.30pm) - John Higgins hasn't had his greatest season ever, but that won't stopping winning a fifth world title. He has the Crucible experience and knows exactly how to win this title. He couldn't have had a much worse draw though, in Mark Davis. Davis is of course the top 16 player that had to go through the qualifiers, because of Ronnie being the top seed. Davis has had his best season yet and made the semi-finals in the UK Championships, beating Higgins in the second round. I still have to fancy Higgins for the job though.
Prediction: Tight win for John Higgins.
Shaun Murphy Vs Martin Gould (20th April 2.30pm and 21st April 7pm) - Shaun Murphy has had a consistent season, but as he said at the end of the China Open, he doesn't want quarter-finals and semi-finals - he wants titles. No ranking wins for 2 years doesn't really do him justice. He's a quality player who had good runs at the UK and Masters as well as the International Championship and China Open making at least the semi-finals in all four. As for Martin Gould, he has had a good year outside of the ranking events, winning the Shoot-out and the Championship League. On his day he's one of the best potters and break builders at the moment, and will be full of confidence. Gouldy has Crucible experience, but isn't a stranger to squandering leads in big games, as he did in the World Championship against Robertson in 2010 and in the UK's to Dott this season. Therefore a Murphy comeback might be how this one is determined.
Prediction: Very close, but Murphy win.
Graeme Dott Vs Peter Ebdon (21st and 22nd April 10am) - This one could be a very lengthy encounter and one where match play will definetly be a factor. These two have experience by the bucket full and this is in fact a repeat of the 2006 World Championship final where Dott was the victor. This year though it is a very different story. Both players have been badly struggling for form and first and second round loses for Dott especially have been no stranger. Ebdon's win against Maflin to qualify was his first of 2013 and he has struggled badly all season and has dropped down the rankings badly as a result. Due to the poor form of both, it's very difficult to tip a winner of this, however I just fancy Dott to win it and put behind him his "worst ever" match at the Crucible from last year.
Prediction: Dott win
Matthew Stevens Vs Marco Fu (23rd April 10am and 24th April 2.30pm) - This one is a repeat of last year's first round match that Stevens won comfortably on his way to a semi-final appearance. Since there fortunes have switched around completely. Stevens had a pretty good run last year and was in good nick, while Fu's form all year had been very patchy and he struggled to get results. This season though Stevens has struggled at times for results and threw in one he would want to forget at The Masters and was recently a first round loser to The Dentist in Beijing. As for Fu he has a good year that has included a quarter-final appearance in the PTC Finals, along with a great run to the German Masters final, where he beat Stevens in the quarters. Fu definetly has the edge on form, but that counts for nothing at The Crucible where Stevens has twice been a runner-up. I just don't fancy that this will be the Welshmen's year.
Prediction: A tight victory for Marco Fu.
Judd Trump Vs Dominic Dale (23rd April 2.30pm and 24th April 10am) - This is another repeat of a first round match from last year, where Trump was the winner and has been on all four occasions that these two have met. However, Dale could have won 3 of those matches at last years World Championships, the UK championship last season and at this years Welsh Open. Dominic has just never been able to get over the line, but every time they meet it appears that Dale is getting closer and was 3-1 up on Trump at the Welsh Open before losing 4-3. He will offer Trump a close match, who struggled himself in the other 2 Triple crown events this year, losing at the first round in the UK and only just avoiding the same fate at The Masters. This should be an intriguing contest but one that will probably go the way of the world No.3.
Prediction: Trump win 10-7.
Neil Robertson Vs Robert Milkins (24th and 25th April 2.30pm) - Neil Robertson is in fantastic form ahead of the World Championship. He won the China Open, was runner-up in the PTC Finals, The Masters and the International Championship this season. Neil also knows exactly what is needed to win the World Championship having done it 3 years ago and he will desperate to repeat that feat this year. Milkins meanwhile will probably be in the top 16 by this time next year, but hasn't played at the Crucible for a number of years. He has what it takes to beat Neil, but his temperament does occasionally let him down. Robertson though, has only lost in the first round twice since his World Championship in 2005, losing in that year and 2011 to Trump as defending champion.
Prediction: Neil Robertson 10-7 or 10-6 win.
Ricky Walden Vs Michael Holt (20th and 21st April 10am) - Ricky Walden has only ever played at the Crucible twice previously losing in the first round on both occasions. He has a reasonable season but couldn't really build on his victory in the Wuxi Classic, the years first ranking event. As for Michael, he hasn't really had his best season. He failed to qualify for the PTC Finals and whiling qualifying for a number of events he has been unlucky not to win more of his first round matches, coming close to beating Ding in Haikou and Maguire in Beijing. He did however, make the quarters of the German Masters and will offer a really test of Waldens ability who, up until now, has failed to produce the goods in UK events.
Prediction: Walden to steal it in a decider.
Mark Williams Vs Michael White (20th April 7pm and 21st April 2.30pm) - Mark Williams has really struggled this season and his best ranking performances this year were a semi-final appearance at the Shanghai and quarter-final appearances in the China Open and the Wuxi Classic. However, this is no time to write off the Welshmen but a series of first round exits this season suggest no reason why he could be World champions this year. Michael White is a real promising talent who really thrashed Andrew Higginson, who is one of the best players in that section of the qualifying draw in my opinion, 10-4 in a similar fashion to Jamie Jones' victory against Ricky Walden a year ago. I think that White has a great chance to cause an upset here and I think the youngster could be up to the job on his Crucible debut.
Prediction: Michael White win 10-8
Stephen Maguire Vs Dechawat Poomjaeng (22nd and 23rd April 2.30pm) - Stephen Maguire was a semi-finalist at the World Championships last year after being a losing finalist at the China Open. This year he arrives in Sheffield to face a Crucible debutant for the second successive year and he was a losing semi-finalist in Beijing, and but for an inspired Neil Robertson performance, i'm sure he would have won the whole thing. With renewed confidence from his Welsh Open win, there's no reason why he couldn't take the biggest title there is. I have to admit to never seeing Dechawat Poomjaeng before, but from what I've read, and from the victories he got in reaching the last 32 here and in the China Open qualifiers he seems like a good talent but I don't think he will be a match for Maguire.
Prediction: Stephen Maguire win 10-6 or better.
Mark Allen Vs Mark King (22ns April 10am and 7pm) - Mark Allen has played well most of the year, but has run into form players in most tournaments by the second round or quarter-final stage. He was unlucky in The Masters where his last shot in the decider was to snooker Neil Robertson. He came across eventual champion Robertson at the China Open, an on fire Barry Hawkins in Germany and 147 maker Ding Junhui in the PTC Finals. As for Mark King, this has not been his most sparkling year ever, but he did make the last 16 in both the UK Championships, Shanghai Masters and the German Masters. King can be a match for a most players when on form but he has struggled to show that this season and on Allen's form he may struggle to do so again.
Prediction: Comfortable Mark Allen win.
Ding Junhui Vs Alan McManus (23rd and 24th April 10am) - Ding Junhui hasn't had his greatest year ever, and has been quite inconsistent all season. His best runs came in winning the PTC Finals and as a losing semi-finalist in Newport. He had a disappointing defeat to Ryan Day last year having been 9-6 in their first round match, and he lost to Day again in York. His struggles in China continue, with his best in his home country coming in the World Open where he lost in the quarter-finals. He has recently admitted that he does struggle with the pressures of being China's No.1, but has also said he thinks he is ready to win the World Championships. The only reason why he might not this year is that he has landed in the quarter of death with Allen and Selby. Alan McManus will provide a good game for Ding, and has had to beat Tom Ford to get to The Crucible and he got to the Welsh Open quarter-finals so he could well shock Ding. Whether he still has enough to beat a top 16 player over the best of 19 frames is another story, and his best chance would be to frustrate Ding. As long as the Chinamen comes to Sheffield with a good temperament, he could well go far.
Prediction: Ding Junhui win by 10-7 or better.
Barry Hawkins Vs Jack Lisowski (20th April 2.30pm and 21st 7pm) - Barry Hawkins has had a great year, firstly winning his first ever ranking event (the Australian Open) and then breaking into the top 16. This has given him even more confidence than he had last year when he beat the injured Mark Selby in the first round. Hawkins however is the weakest seed in the quarter of death and it is hard to see him getting any further than the second round. He has also landed the toughest draw, the young man Jack Lisowski. Jack has had good wins in the last 2 ranking events. First he beat Selby in the PTC Finals which gave him the confidence to beat Judd Trump and Mark Davis on the way to the China Open quarter-finals. Even though this is his Crucible debut, that won't faze the confident young player who has finally found his feet on TV. Hawkins is going to have to keep it tight in this match and not leave Lisowski anything easy to go at, otherwise he will be in trouble with Lisowski's scoring power.
Prediction: Lisowski to win 10-8.
Mark Selby Vs Matthew Selt (23rd and 24th April 7pm) - Mark Selby is one of the favourites to win at Sheffield over the 17 day marathon. There are several things that point to him as this years World champion, like his great safety play, break building, his ability to grind out matches, his comeback ability and finally his great ability to win matches when he is nowhere near his best. Those last 2 have been a big factor in him winning The Masters and UK Championship this season. We only saw small glimpses of his best in the UK Championship as he came from 3-0 down to beat Ryan Day 6-4 and in beating Neil Robertson from 4-0 down in the round after. The best he played in either of those 2 tournaments was in the first session of the Masters final where I thought he was fantastic. His ability to stay in sessions when he isn't playing well will be key to his success in this Championship. He is probably my pick to win this year. That doesn't really give poor Matt Selt much hope and to be fair he had to play 2 very good and close matches to get through against Thirapongpaiboon and then surviving a Ken Doherty fight back from 9-4 down to 9-9, but Selt played a good decider. I don't think he will be a match for an in form Selby, so Selt will have to play flawlessly to win and that will probably be beyond him on his Crucible debut.
Prediction: Mark Selby win 10-5.
Ali Carter Vs John Higgins - Carter might just edge that as I don't think John is in the form he would need to be to win this year.
Shaun Murphy Vs Judd Trump - This could be a cracking encounter if it were to happen and one that I Murphy might take by the odd frame as his experience could show at the vital time.
Neil Robertson Vs Stephen Maguire - If this one were to happen, and be anything like there China semi-final then will be in for a feast of big breaks, with whoever makes the most going through and that would probably be Robbo.
Mark Selby Vs Ding Junhui - This one would be very tense if it took place as both players would want to go the extra step towards their first World title. They're both great scorers, but I think Selby might just edge the scrappy frames and that'll be all important in the end.
Semi-finals:
Ali Carter Vs Shaun Murphy - This would be very tense, but unfortunately Murphy has a poor record of losing in semi-finals, but he wouldn't underestimate Carter like some people do. Carter wouldn't give Murphy much to go at and that could be key.
Neil Robertson Vs Mark Selby - This would be so hard to call if it happened, never mind now. They've met a lot this season and I believe the wins have been shared 2 apiece in the big matches. The sheer determination of both players and the battling qualities make them hard to split and if I had to pick one name, it would be Selby because of his great comeback ability and record in close, big matches this season.
Tournament Prediction: Mark Selby win.
I have been looking forward to this event for a long time and now that we are within touching distance of it's start, it has the feeling like it will be the best tournament yet. I will be keeping you updated with my views and reviews throughout the 17 days and good luck to everyone involved in the 2013 World Snooker Championships.
First Round Preview
Ronnie O'Sullivan Vs Marcus Campbell (20th April 10am and 7pm) -
I like everyone else I would suspect, have no idea how Ronnie is going to play. He hasn't played in a ranking event since the last World Championship, but if he turns up he could turn everyone over and walk off with the title. Marcus Campbell will offer him a stern first round test and could well win the match quite easily too. Without seeing Ronnie, but knowing he's being practicing hard and will be fresh for this I have to go for him.Prediction: Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ali Carter Vs Ben Woollaston (22nd and 23rd April 7pm)- Ali Carter has a good record at The Crucible and has a good season so far, winning the German Masters and reaching the UK semi-finals. He will be a hot favourite against the debutant from Leicester and is a good outside bet for the title after being a losing finalist twice in his 5 previous campaigns. It's hard to know what to expect from Crucible debutants, but I think Ben will adapt well, already having a lot of experience on TV behind him, in a lot of PTC events. However, Ali should have the experience to get through.
Prediction: Ali Carter
Stuart Bingham Vs Sam Baird (24th and 25th April 7pm) - Stuart Bingham hasn't always played his best at The Crucible, but that doesn't mean this year won't be different. He was totally outplayed last year by Hendry in the first round last year, but Bingham has come on a lot more this season. At the Welsh Open he came very close to winning his first title in the UK and could well have a good run here. As for Baird, this is his Crucible debut but I don't see him adapting as well as someone like Woollaston. Baird is short of TV experience and doesn't really have any big results against top players to call upon.
Prediction: Comfortable Bingham win
John Higgins Vs Mark Davis (21st and 22nd April 2.30pm) - John Higgins hasn't had his greatest season ever, but that won't stopping winning a fifth world title. He has the Crucible experience and knows exactly how to win this title. He couldn't have had a much worse draw though, in Mark Davis. Davis is of course the top 16 player that had to go through the qualifiers, because of Ronnie being the top seed. Davis has had his best season yet and made the semi-finals in the UK Championships, beating Higgins in the second round. I still have to fancy Higgins for the job though.
Prediction: Tight win for John Higgins.
Shaun Murphy Vs Martin Gould (20th April 2.30pm and 21st April 7pm) - Shaun Murphy has had a consistent season, but as he said at the end of the China Open, he doesn't want quarter-finals and semi-finals - he wants titles. No ranking wins for 2 years doesn't really do him justice. He's a quality player who had good runs at the UK and Masters as well as the International Championship and China Open making at least the semi-finals in all four. As for Martin Gould, he has had a good year outside of the ranking events, winning the Shoot-out and the Championship League. On his day he's one of the best potters and break builders at the moment, and will be full of confidence. Gouldy has Crucible experience, but isn't a stranger to squandering leads in big games, as he did in the World Championship against Robertson in 2010 and in the UK's to Dott this season. Therefore a Murphy comeback might be how this one is determined.
Prediction: Very close, but Murphy win.
Graeme Dott Vs Peter Ebdon (21st and 22nd April 10am) - This one could be a very lengthy encounter and one where match play will definetly be a factor. These two have experience by the bucket full and this is in fact a repeat of the 2006 World Championship final where Dott was the victor. This year though it is a very different story. Both players have been badly struggling for form and first and second round loses for Dott especially have been no stranger. Ebdon's win against Maflin to qualify was his first of 2013 and he has struggled badly all season and has dropped down the rankings badly as a result. Due to the poor form of both, it's very difficult to tip a winner of this, however I just fancy Dott to win it and put behind him his "worst ever" match at the Crucible from last year.
Prediction: Dott win
Matthew Stevens Vs Marco Fu (23rd April 10am and 24th April 2.30pm) - This one is a repeat of last year's first round match that Stevens won comfortably on his way to a semi-final appearance. Since there fortunes have switched around completely. Stevens had a pretty good run last year and was in good nick, while Fu's form all year had been very patchy and he struggled to get results. This season though Stevens has struggled at times for results and threw in one he would want to forget at The Masters and was recently a first round loser to The Dentist in Beijing. As for Fu he has a good year that has included a quarter-final appearance in the PTC Finals, along with a great run to the German Masters final, where he beat Stevens in the quarters. Fu definetly has the edge on form, but that counts for nothing at The Crucible where Stevens has twice been a runner-up. I just don't fancy that this will be the Welshmen's year.
Prediction: A tight victory for Marco Fu.
Judd Trump Vs Dominic Dale (23rd April 2.30pm and 24th April 10am) - This is another repeat of a first round match from last year, where Trump was the winner and has been on all four occasions that these two have met. However, Dale could have won 3 of those matches at last years World Championships, the UK championship last season and at this years Welsh Open. Dominic has just never been able to get over the line, but every time they meet it appears that Dale is getting closer and was 3-1 up on Trump at the Welsh Open before losing 4-3. He will offer Trump a close match, who struggled himself in the other 2 Triple crown events this year, losing at the first round in the UK and only just avoiding the same fate at The Masters. This should be an intriguing contest but one that will probably go the way of the world No.3.
Prediction: Trump win 10-7.
Neil Robertson Vs Robert Milkins (24th and 25th April 2.30pm) - Neil Robertson is in fantastic form ahead of the World Championship. He won the China Open, was runner-up in the PTC Finals, The Masters and the International Championship this season. Neil also knows exactly what is needed to win the World Championship having done it 3 years ago and he will desperate to repeat that feat this year. Milkins meanwhile will probably be in the top 16 by this time next year, but hasn't played at the Crucible for a number of years. He has what it takes to beat Neil, but his temperament does occasionally let him down. Robertson though, has only lost in the first round twice since his World Championship in 2005, losing in that year and 2011 to Trump as defending champion.
Prediction: Neil Robertson 10-7 or 10-6 win.
Ricky Walden Vs Michael Holt (20th and 21st April 10am) - Ricky Walden has only ever played at the Crucible twice previously losing in the first round on both occasions. He has a reasonable season but couldn't really build on his victory in the Wuxi Classic, the years first ranking event. As for Michael, he hasn't really had his best season. He failed to qualify for the PTC Finals and whiling qualifying for a number of events he has been unlucky not to win more of his first round matches, coming close to beating Ding in Haikou and Maguire in Beijing. He did however, make the quarters of the German Masters and will offer a really test of Waldens ability who, up until now, has failed to produce the goods in UK events.
Prediction: Walden to steal it in a decider.
Mark Williams Vs Michael White (20th April 7pm and 21st April 2.30pm) - Mark Williams has really struggled this season and his best ranking performances this year were a semi-final appearance at the Shanghai and quarter-final appearances in the China Open and the Wuxi Classic. However, this is no time to write off the Welshmen but a series of first round exits this season suggest no reason why he could be World champions this year. Michael White is a real promising talent who really thrashed Andrew Higginson, who is one of the best players in that section of the qualifying draw in my opinion, 10-4 in a similar fashion to Jamie Jones' victory against Ricky Walden a year ago. I think that White has a great chance to cause an upset here and I think the youngster could be up to the job on his Crucible debut.
Prediction: Michael White win 10-8
Stephen Maguire Vs Dechawat Poomjaeng (22nd and 23rd April 2.30pm) - Stephen Maguire was a semi-finalist at the World Championships last year after being a losing finalist at the China Open. This year he arrives in Sheffield to face a Crucible debutant for the second successive year and he was a losing semi-finalist in Beijing, and but for an inspired Neil Robertson performance, i'm sure he would have won the whole thing. With renewed confidence from his Welsh Open win, there's no reason why he couldn't take the biggest title there is. I have to admit to never seeing Dechawat Poomjaeng before, but from what I've read, and from the victories he got in reaching the last 32 here and in the China Open qualifiers he seems like a good talent but I don't think he will be a match for Maguire.
Prediction: Stephen Maguire win 10-6 or better.
Mark Allen Vs Mark King (22ns April 10am and 7pm) - Mark Allen has played well most of the year, but has run into form players in most tournaments by the second round or quarter-final stage. He was unlucky in The Masters where his last shot in the decider was to snooker Neil Robertson. He came across eventual champion Robertson at the China Open, an on fire Barry Hawkins in Germany and 147 maker Ding Junhui in the PTC Finals. As for Mark King, this has not been his most sparkling year ever, but he did make the last 16 in both the UK Championships, Shanghai Masters and the German Masters. King can be a match for a most players when on form but he has struggled to show that this season and on Allen's form he may struggle to do so again.
Prediction: Comfortable Mark Allen win.
Ding Junhui Vs Alan McManus (23rd and 24th April 10am) - Ding Junhui hasn't had his greatest year ever, and has been quite inconsistent all season. His best runs came in winning the PTC Finals and as a losing semi-finalist in Newport. He had a disappointing defeat to Ryan Day last year having been 9-6 in their first round match, and he lost to Day again in York. His struggles in China continue, with his best in his home country coming in the World Open where he lost in the quarter-finals. He has recently admitted that he does struggle with the pressures of being China's No.1, but has also said he thinks he is ready to win the World Championships. The only reason why he might not this year is that he has landed in the quarter of death with Allen and Selby. Alan McManus will provide a good game for Ding, and has had to beat Tom Ford to get to The Crucible and he got to the Welsh Open quarter-finals so he could well shock Ding. Whether he still has enough to beat a top 16 player over the best of 19 frames is another story, and his best chance would be to frustrate Ding. As long as the Chinamen comes to Sheffield with a good temperament, he could well go far.
Prediction: Ding Junhui win by 10-7 or better.
Barry Hawkins Vs Jack Lisowski (20th April 2.30pm and 21st 7pm) - Barry Hawkins has had a great year, firstly winning his first ever ranking event (the Australian Open) and then breaking into the top 16. This has given him even more confidence than he had last year when he beat the injured Mark Selby in the first round. Hawkins however is the weakest seed in the quarter of death and it is hard to see him getting any further than the second round. He has also landed the toughest draw, the young man Jack Lisowski. Jack has had good wins in the last 2 ranking events. First he beat Selby in the PTC Finals which gave him the confidence to beat Judd Trump and Mark Davis on the way to the China Open quarter-finals. Even though this is his Crucible debut, that won't faze the confident young player who has finally found his feet on TV. Hawkins is going to have to keep it tight in this match and not leave Lisowski anything easy to go at, otherwise he will be in trouble with Lisowski's scoring power.
Prediction: Lisowski to win 10-8.
Mark Selby Vs Matthew Selt (23rd and 24th April 7pm) - Mark Selby is one of the favourites to win at Sheffield over the 17 day marathon. There are several things that point to him as this years World champion, like his great safety play, break building, his ability to grind out matches, his comeback ability and finally his great ability to win matches when he is nowhere near his best. Those last 2 have been a big factor in him winning The Masters and UK Championship this season. We only saw small glimpses of his best in the UK Championship as he came from 3-0 down to beat Ryan Day 6-4 and in beating Neil Robertson from 4-0 down in the round after. The best he played in either of those 2 tournaments was in the first session of the Masters final where I thought he was fantastic. His ability to stay in sessions when he isn't playing well will be key to his success in this Championship. He is probably my pick to win this year. That doesn't really give poor Matt Selt much hope and to be fair he had to play 2 very good and close matches to get through against Thirapongpaiboon and then surviving a Ken Doherty fight back from 9-4 down to 9-9, but Selt played a good decider. I don't think he will be a match for an in form Selby, so Selt will have to play flawlessly to win and that will probably be beyond him on his Crucible debut.
Prediction: Mark Selby win 10-5.
Predicted Final stages line-up
Quarter Finals:Ali Carter Vs John Higgins - Carter might just edge that as I don't think John is in the form he would need to be to win this year.
Shaun Murphy Vs Judd Trump - This could be a cracking encounter if it were to happen and one that I Murphy might take by the odd frame as his experience could show at the vital time.
Neil Robertson Vs Stephen Maguire - If this one were to happen, and be anything like there China semi-final then will be in for a feast of big breaks, with whoever makes the most going through and that would probably be Robbo.
Mark Selby Vs Ding Junhui - This one would be very tense if it took place as both players would want to go the extra step towards their first World title. They're both great scorers, but I think Selby might just edge the scrappy frames and that'll be all important in the end.
Semi-finals:
Ali Carter Vs Shaun Murphy - This would be very tense, but unfortunately Murphy has a poor record of losing in semi-finals, but he wouldn't underestimate Carter like some people do. Carter wouldn't give Murphy much to go at and that could be key.
Neil Robertson Vs Mark Selby - This would be so hard to call if it happened, never mind now. They've met a lot this season and I believe the wins have been shared 2 apiece in the big matches. The sheer determination of both players and the battling qualities make them hard to split and if I had to pick one name, it would be Selby because of his great comeback ability and record in close, big matches this season.
Predicted Final:
Ali Carter Vs Mark Selby - Both great players on there day, but unfortunately Carter has a already lost in 2 finals and won't want it to be third time unlucky. Selby has looked for me like a picture of a World Champion this season in his all round game and will be desperate to put this on his mantle. Another reason for him to do it this year is for him to complete the Triple Crown in the same season and I have thought since he in mind has been my pick for a while before this.Tournament Prediction: Mark Selby win.
I have been looking forward to this event for a long time and now that we are within touching distance of it's start, it has the feeling like it will be the best tournament yet. I will be keeping you updated with my views and reviews throughout the 17 days and good luck to everyone involved in the 2013 World Snooker Championships.
Saturday, 13 April 2013
Pressure hits at World Qualifiers
The pressure has been switched on as some real tense matches have taken place in the World Championship Qualifiers. There are 32 players left to battle out over the weekend for the 16 remaining spots at The Crucible.
Ryan Day is going to have a really tough match on his hands as he plays Ben Woollaston for a Last 32 spot. Ryan hasn't had the best season, but he did beat Ding Junhui to get to the Last 16 of the UK Championships, and was a quarter-finalist in this event last year. However, Ben scored a comfortable 10-3 win against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the last round, scoring quite heavily and that makes him my pick.
Prediction: Ben Woollaston win, 10-7.
Andrew Higginson Vs Michael White - Saturday morning/evening
This has been a really tough match for me to call. I'm a big fan of Andrew Higginson and often find myself disappointed as he loses big matches from winning positions. Michael White is a talented youngster and beat Zhang Anda comfortably in the last round, making 2 centuries and scoring generally well. He qualified for the UK Championship earlier this season and was unlucky to meet Mark Selby in the first round. Experience could tell here though and I have to go with Higginson
Prediction: 10-8 to Higginson
Ken Doherty Vs Matthew Selt - Saturday afternoon/ Sunday afternoon
At first glance, it's fair to say that there's only one winner: Ken Doherty. He has the experience of the long matches and loves the big matches. Selt though is a good player and played well against Thirapongpaiboon in the last round. He could really give Ken a run for his money here but I still only see one winner.
Prediction: Doherty to win 10-7
Fergal O'Brien Vs Jack Lisowski - Saturday morning/evening
Can Fergal stop the runaway Lisowski train? Probably not. Will he give it a go? Absolutely. O'Brien has experience of these matches, and that is the only thing that could send this match his way. Lisowski is fearless and beat Wattana in the last round, and is scoring for fun and that should be enough for him to qualify.
Prediction: Lisowski to win 10-6 or better
Jamie Cope Vs Dechawat Poomjaeng - Saturday morning/evening
Poor old Jamie Cope is really struggling for form at the moment, and he's on such a poor run that I can't see him winning a match. This for me is a great chance for Dechawat who has already beaten Michael Leslie, Liu Chuang and Anthony Hamilton and is playing quite nicely. I can only see one winner here unfortunately.
Prediction: 10-8 to Poomjaeng
Michael Holt Vs Mark Joyce - Saturday morning/evening
This is an intriguing match, and one that I make Holty a big favourite for. Joyce has played well at times this season, especially against Trump in the UK's. However, Holt has come close to some big victories this season, and I fancy him to cause a shock at The Crucible - should he make it. Which for my money he will do.
Prediction: 10-7 to Holt
Marco Fu Vs David Gilbert - Saturday morning/evening
Fu is in the best form of all the qualifiers this season. He's upset a lot of top 16 players in the first round, as well as getting to the German Masters final, and he appears to have found his form he showed a couple of years ago. Gilbert meanwhile is a player I enjoyed watching last year when he beat Martin Gould, and if he could upset Fu here it wouldn't be surprising. He came through a tough test in the last round, and ended Tony Drago's good run. It should be close, but the Hong Kong man should take it.
Prediction: 10-7 to Fu
Tom Ford Vs Alan McManus - Saturday afternoon/Sunday afternoon
Ford will be a hot favourite over Angles here, but there's no reason why McManus couldn't win it. The scot has so far come through scrappy affairs against Mehta and Bond. Tom Ford will be full of confidence after his semi-final appearance in the PTC Finals, and as long he doesn't get bogged down by Angles he should comfortably head through.
Prediction: Ford to win 10-7 or better
Martin Gould Vs Rod Lawler - Saturday afternoon/Sunday afternoon
Gould will have lots of confidence after Championship League and Shoot-out titles going to him so far in 2013 and could easily cause some damage at The Crucible. Don't underestimate Lawler though, who has had an incredible comeback season. After coming through Q School, he has won a PTC event and is already in the top 64. Lawler's best chance of victory will have to be by keeping it tight and frustrating Gould, who i'm sure will score big given the chance. I can't see that happening and Gould should be the winner on this occasion.
Prediction: 10-6 win for Martin Gould
Mark Davis Vs Liang Wenbo - Saturday afternoon/Sunday afternoon
Mark Davis is the unfortunate, world No.16 who has to qualify because of Ronnie O'Sullivan being the No.1 seed. He hasn't been given an easy ride through qualifying either, and could have hard work ahead of him in Liang Wenbo. Wenbo showed fantastic form, hitting 9 50's and a century break against Jimmy Robertson. On his day he could beat anyone and will hand a tough match to Mark, but I still think he'll go on through to the World Championships.
Prediction: 10-8 to Davis
This should be a very close match, and Yu has played very well so far making 3 centuries in his last match. King will have a tough match here and I think that DeLu will do enough to win
Prediction: 10-8 to Yu DeLu
Marcus Campbell Vs Liam Highfield
This could be a tougher match than Marcus may have expected here, Highfield is playing well and has showed some fantastic fighting qualities from 4-0 down against Simon Bedford and 8-5 down against Jamie Jones. However, Highfield has had some long matches this week and if it goes close again, I don't think he would come through.
Prediction: Campbell to win 10-9
Joe Perry Vs Sam Baird
Perry is a big favourite for me to win his one, despite the good form shown in Baird's victories over Chen Zhe, Lines and McLeod so far. Perry has had a decent season and will want to end it by getting to The Crucible and getting to the Last 16 as he did last year. Experience could be a big factor in this one as Baird has never qualified for the World Championships before.
Prediction: A Perry victory, 10-6.
Dominic Dale Vs Alfie Burden
Dominic Dale hasn't really shone in any tournament this season, qualifying for events without really causing any upsets and he'll want to put that right. Alfie will be no walkover, as he has showed against Paul Davison and Dave Harold, coming from 4-0 down against Davison. The Welshmen should be the stronger on this occasion though and will fancy his chances of qualifying.
Prediction: 10-8 win for The Spaceman.
Peter Ebdon Vs Kurt Maflin
This time last year, Peter Ebdon came into the World Championship qualifiers having won the China Open, and then whitewashed Alfie Burden 10-0. This year, he hasn't won a single match in 2013. As much as he can practice for this, his form isn't there. Kurt Maflin on the other hand is in fantastic form. In the last round he beat Steve Davis 10-7, making 3 centuries in the process and he's made 4 centuries in total, in this years qualifiers. If Peter Ebdon plays how he has done in the back half of this season, he's in trouble.
Prediction: 10-7 to Maflin
Robert Milkins Vs Jimmy White
Jimmy White is one match away from the Crucible and i'm sure everyone will be cheering him on. He's looked good so far and has scored reasonably well in winning his first 2 matches. However, Robert Milkins has the quality of a top 16 player, and i'm sure he'll climb the few places he needs to next season to get there. Milkins has beaten quite a few players this season, most recently John Higgins at the China Open. Therefore, Jimmy unfortunately should be no match for him, but don't write him off yet.
Prediction: Milkins to win 10-7
Final Qualifying Round Preview
Ryan Day Vs Ben Woollaston - Saturday morning (completion in evening)Ryan Day is going to have a really tough match on his hands as he plays Ben Woollaston for a Last 32 spot. Ryan hasn't had the best season, but he did beat Ding Junhui to get to the Last 16 of the UK Championships, and was a quarter-finalist in this event last year. However, Ben scored a comfortable 10-3 win against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the last round, scoring quite heavily and that makes him my pick.
Prediction: Ben Woollaston win, 10-7.
Andrew Higginson Vs Michael White - Saturday morning/evening
This has been a really tough match for me to call. I'm a big fan of Andrew Higginson and often find myself disappointed as he loses big matches from winning positions. Michael White is a talented youngster and beat Zhang Anda comfortably in the last round, making 2 centuries and scoring generally well. He qualified for the UK Championship earlier this season and was unlucky to meet Mark Selby in the first round. Experience could tell here though and I have to go with Higginson
Prediction: 10-8 to Higginson
Ken Doherty Vs Matthew Selt - Saturday afternoon/ Sunday afternoon
At first glance, it's fair to say that there's only one winner: Ken Doherty. He has the experience of the long matches and loves the big matches. Selt though is a good player and played well against Thirapongpaiboon in the last round. He could really give Ken a run for his money here but I still only see one winner.
Prediction: Doherty to win 10-7
Fergal O'Brien Vs Jack Lisowski - Saturday morning/evening
Can Fergal stop the runaway Lisowski train? Probably not. Will he give it a go? Absolutely. O'Brien has experience of these matches, and that is the only thing that could send this match his way. Lisowski is fearless and beat Wattana in the last round, and is scoring for fun and that should be enough for him to qualify.
Prediction: Lisowski to win 10-6 or better
Jamie Cope Vs Dechawat Poomjaeng - Saturday morning/evening
Poor old Jamie Cope is really struggling for form at the moment, and he's on such a poor run that I can't see him winning a match. This for me is a great chance for Dechawat who has already beaten Michael Leslie, Liu Chuang and Anthony Hamilton and is playing quite nicely. I can only see one winner here unfortunately.
Prediction: 10-8 to Poomjaeng
Michael Holt Vs Mark Joyce - Saturday morning/evening
This is an intriguing match, and one that I make Holty a big favourite for. Joyce has played well at times this season, especially against Trump in the UK's. However, Holt has come close to some big victories this season, and I fancy him to cause a shock at The Crucible - should he make it. Which for my money he will do.
Prediction: 10-7 to Holt
Marco Fu Vs David Gilbert - Saturday morning/evening
Fu is in the best form of all the qualifiers this season. He's upset a lot of top 16 players in the first round, as well as getting to the German Masters final, and he appears to have found his form he showed a couple of years ago. Gilbert meanwhile is a player I enjoyed watching last year when he beat Martin Gould, and if he could upset Fu here it wouldn't be surprising. He came through a tough test in the last round, and ended Tony Drago's good run. It should be close, but the Hong Kong man should take it.
Prediction: 10-7 to Fu
Tom Ford Vs Alan McManus - Saturday afternoon/Sunday afternoon
Ford will be a hot favourite over Angles here, but there's no reason why McManus couldn't win it. The scot has so far come through scrappy affairs against Mehta and Bond. Tom Ford will be full of confidence after his semi-final appearance in the PTC Finals, and as long he doesn't get bogged down by Angles he should comfortably head through.
Prediction: Ford to win 10-7 or better
Martin Gould Vs Rod Lawler - Saturday afternoon/Sunday afternoon
Gould will have lots of confidence after Championship League and Shoot-out titles going to him so far in 2013 and could easily cause some damage at The Crucible. Don't underestimate Lawler though, who has had an incredible comeback season. After coming through Q School, he has won a PTC event and is already in the top 64. Lawler's best chance of victory will have to be by keeping it tight and frustrating Gould, who i'm sure will score big given the chance. I can't see that happening and Gould should be the winner on this occasion.
Prediction: 10-6 win for Martin Gould
Mark Davis Vs Liang Wenbo - Saturday afternoon/Sunday afternoon
Mark Davis is the unfortunate, world No.16 who has to qualify because of Ronnie O'Sullivan being the No.1 seed. He hasn't been given an easy ride through qualifying either, and could have hard work ahead of him in Liang Wenbo. Wenbo showed fantastic form, hitting 9 50's and a century break against Jimmy Robertson. On his day he could beat anyone and will hand a tough match to Mark, but I still think he'll go on through to the World Championships.
Prediction: 10-8 to Davis
Sunday Matches
Mark King Vs Yu DeLuThis should be a very close match, and Yu has played very well so far making 3 centuries in his last match. King will have a tough match here and I think that DeLu will do enough to win
Prediction: 10-8 to Yu DeLu
Marcus Campbell Vs Liam Highfield
This could be a tougher match than Marcus may have expected here, Highfield is playing well and has showed some fantastic fighting qualities from 4-0 down against Simon Bedford and 8-5 down against Jamie Jones. However, Highfield has had some long matches this week and if it goes close again, I don't think he would come through.
Prediction: Campbell to win 10-9
Joe Perry Vs Sam Baird
Perry is a big favourite for me to win his one, despite the good form shown in Baird's victories over Chen Zhe, Lines and McLeod so far. Perry has had a decent season and will want to end it by getting to The Crucible and getting to the Last 16 as he did last year. Experience could be a big factor in this one as Baird has never qualified for the World Championships before.
Prediction: A Perry victory, 10-6.
Dominic Dale Vs Alfie Burden
Dominic Dale hasn't really shone in any tournament this season, qualifying for events without really causing any upsets and he'll want to put that right. Alfie will be no walkover, as he has showed against Paul Davison and Dave Harold, coming from 4-0 down against Davison. The Welshmen should be the stronger on this occasion though and will fancy his chances of qualifying.
Prediction: 10-8 win for The Spaceman.
Peter Ebdon Vs Kurt Maflin
This time last year, Peter Ebdon came into the World Championship qualifiers having won the China Open, and then whitewashed Alfie Burden 10-0. This year, he hasn't won a single match in 2013. As much as he can practice for this, his form isn't there. Kurt Maflin on the other hand is in fantastic form. In the last round he beat Steve Davis 10-7, making 3 centuries in the process and he's made 4 centuries in total, in this years qualifiers. If Peter Ebdon plays how he has done in the back half of this season, he's in trouble.
Prediction: 10-7 to Maflin
Robert Milkins Vs Jimmy White
Jimmy White is one match away from the Crucible and i'm sure everyone will be cheering him on. He's looked good so far and has scored reasonably well in winning his first 2 matches. However, Robert Milkins has the quality of a top 16 player, and i'm sure he'll climb the few places he needs to next season to get there. Milkins has beaten quite a few players this season, most recently John Higgins at the China Open. Therefore, Jimmy unfortunately should be no match for him, but don't write him off yet.
Prediction: Milkins to win 10-7
Friday, 5 April 2013
World Championship Qualifiers Round 1
Time for the qualifiers for the biggest event on the calendar, the World Championship. After the members not on tour qualifiers the two players that have come into the main draw are Joe Swail and Justin Astley.
There are 16 matches in the first round of qualifying which are played across two days at the English institute of sport in Sheffield. In this blog I'm going to be picking out some matches to look out for and trying to predict the winners of all 16 matches.
Luca Brecel Vs Fraser Patrick - This particular match could be a lot closer than a lot of people may think. Of course Luca will be fancied by many to go on another run, but the draw hasn't been kind to him overall and I don't think the feat of last year will be repeated. Fraser Patrick may not be on the tour, but he has still played in plenty of qualifiers this year and has notable scalps to his name, such as young Michael White and even Martin Gould. I still think that Brecel will be too strong for Fraser and that he does prefer the longer format, as he showed in the UK Championship this season, and last seasons World Championship qualifiers. Therefore I think Brecel will take a 10-6 or 10-5 victory.
Pankaj Advani Vs Joe Swail - This is probably the tie of the round and will be a quality encounter which could also produce a shock result. World Billiards champion Advani will be the favourite for this one, and I think that if he can get through this match he could go on a run here. I was incredibly impressed with how Advani played in the Welsh Open to get to the quarter-finals, especially in his victory over Shaun Murphy. However, Joe Swail looked good in the amateur qualifiers and in some of the PTC events, so he will give Advani a challenge. My prediction though, is for a 10-7 Pankaj Advani win.
Zhang Anda Vs Passakorn Suwannawat - Zhang Anda 10-6 win
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon Vs Jamie O'Neill - Easy enough win for Thira
Michael Wasley Vs Sean O'Sullivan - Close but I think Wasley will edge it
Dechawat Poomjeang Vs Michael Leslie - A win for Poomjaeng
Pankaj Advani Vs Joe Swail - Advani win
Tony Drago Vs Mohamed Khairy - Easy win for Drago, 10-3 or 10-4
Aditya Mehta Vs Daniel Wells - Close but Mehta edges it 10-8
Luca Brecel Vs Fraser Patrick - Luca Brecel victory
Robbie Williams Vs Li Yan - Going for a 10-6 Williams win
Ian Burns Vs Joel Walker - Burns is in decent form so 10-6 to him
Liam Highfield Vs Simon Bedford - Going for Highfield to get a run going, starting with a 10-7 win
Chen Zhe Vs Sam Baird - Close match and one for a decider. Baird edges it.
Paul Davison Vs Justin Astley - Astley to cause a possible upset as he likes this format
Craig Steadman Vs David Grace - Have to go for 10-8 to David Grace
Tian Pengfei Vs Martin O'Donnell - Will be going down to the wire, but 10-8 to Pengfei is my prediction
Best bet: Zhang Anda (No value in Brecel or Drago)
Well I have been looking forward to this as we're now full steam ahead as we will find out in the next 10 days, the qualifiers for The Crucible.
There are 16 matches in the first round of qualifying which are played across two days at the English institute of sport in Sheffield. In this blog I'm going to be picking out some matches to look out for and trying to predict the winners of all 16 matches.
The long(ish) road to The Crucible
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Vs Scott Donaldson - This should be a close match this one and the best of 19 matches give the opportunity for the talented guys down the rankings to show more of their potential. Un-Nooh from Thailand has showed us glimpses of his potential already this season and he has a good chance of being an outside qualifier. As for the Scot Scott Donaldson, he hasn't gone as well as Un-Nooh this season, but may shine over the longer format. However I just see this one going the way of Thepchaiya, but it will be close so should be around 10-7.Luca Brecel Vs Fraser Patrick - This particular match could be a lot closer than a lot of people may think. Of course Luca will be fancied by many to go on another run, but the draw hasn't been kind to him overall and I don't think the feat of last year will be repeated. Fraser Patrick may not be on the tour, but he has still played in plenty of qualifiers this year and has notable scalps to his name, such as young Michael White and even Martin Gould. I still think that Brecel will be too strong for Fraser and that he does prefer the longer format, as he showed in the UK Championship this season, and last seasons World Championship qualifiers. Therefore I think Brecel will take a 10-6 or 10-5 victory.
Pankaj Advani Vs Joe Swail - This is probably the tie of the round and will be a quality encounter which could also produce a shock result. World Billiards champion Advani will be the favourite for this one, and I think that if he can get through this match he could go on a run here. I was incredibly impressed with how Advani played in the Welsh Open to get to the quarter-finals, especially in his victory over Shaun Murphy. However, Joe Swail looked good in the amateur qualifiers and in some of the PTC events, so he will give Advani a challenge. My prediction though, is for a 10-7 Pankaj Advani win.
Qualifying Round 1 draw
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh Vs Scott Donaldson - Un-Nooh winZhang Anda Vs Passakorn Suwannawat - Zhang Anda 10-6 win
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon Vs Jamie O'Neill - Easy enough win for Thira
Michael Wasley Vs Sean O'Sullivan - Close but I think Wasley will edge it
Dechawat Poomjeang Vs Michael Leslie - A win for Poomjaeng
Pankaj Advani Vs Joe Swail - Advani win
Tony Drago Vs Mohamed Khairy - Easy win for Drago, 10-3 or 10-4
Aditya Mehta Vs Daniel Wells - Close but Mehta edges it 10-8
Luca Brecel Vs Fraser Patrick - Luca Brecel victory
Robbie Williams Vs Li Yan - Going for a 10-6 Williams win
Ian Burns Vs Joel Walker - Burns is in decent form so 10-6 to him
Liam Highfield Vs Simon Bedford - Going for Highfield to get a run going, starting with a 10-7 win
Chen Zhe Vs Sam Baird - Close match and one for a decider. Baird edges it.
Paul Davison Vs Justin Astley - Astley to cause a possible upset as he likes this format
Craig Steadman Vs David Grace - Have to go for 10-8 to David Grace
Tian Pengfei Vs Martin O'Donnell - Will be going down to the wire, but 10-8 to Pengfei is my prediction
Best bet: Zhang Anda (No value in Brecel or Drago)
Well I have been looking forward to this as we're now full steam ahead as we will find out in the next 10 days, the qualifiers for The Crucible.
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