Aussie favourite and World No.1 Neil Robertson made it through to the final of his home event, with another good victory over Mark Selby. Meanwhile, Marco Fu won the first semi-final, to keep his great run going with a good victory over Robert Milkins to set-up another final, after losing to Ali Carter in the German Masters final back in February. If Robertson were to win it would be back to back ranking events, and would put him even further ahead at the top of the rankings, further proving that he is by far the best player in the world right now.
Semi-Final Results:
Marco Fu 6-4 Robert Milkins - Marco Fu kept his great run going to reach the final of the Australian Open. Fu started off nicely with a 57 break to take the opener and took the next to open up an early 2-0 advantage. Robert hit back with a 52 to in the next, before Fu made a nice 66 to regain the 2 frame lead at the interval. Fu won the next as well to go 4-1 ahead, before Milkins won all of the next 3 to level the match at 4 all, with a top break of 54 in that period. Fu took back control of the match with a 60 break to go 5-4 up and he took a very tight 10th frame and a 6-4 victory to secure his final place.
Neil Robertson 6-3 Mark Selby - Neil Robertson once again found the extra gear when necessary, to take victory in his match against World No.2 Mark Selby. The current World No.1 Robertson started well by taking the opener, before Selby took the next to with breaks of 68 and 63 to take a 2-1 advantage. However, Robertson took the next quite convincingly to square the match at mid-session. A 76 straight after the interval for Selby regained him the 1 frame lead before Robertson exploded. Neil levelled the scores with a 76 and took the next fairly convincingly to take a 4-3 advantage. That was before a 50 put the Aussie one away from his home final. Robertson got there in the next, in style as he always seems to, with a 138 (the highest break of the week so far) to thrill his home fans and win a thrilling contest.
Final Preview:
Neil Robertson Vs Marco Fu - This should be a really entertaining final, with both players in fantastic form (as you would expect in a final) and the pair scoring really heavily when they get in. I expect Fu to start well and I think Robertson will be under huge pressure to start with, but will play well and show form as soon as he settles into the session. Towards the end of the match I think Fu might struggle having not won a ranking event for quite a while now, and Robertson has bags of winning experience and always seems to improve when he sees the winning post rather than running for the hills. Over the long format I just feel Robertson will have more time to gain control of the final and put space between him and Marco, therefore i'd back Robbo to win by 2 or 3 frames tomorrow. Whoever does win tomorrow though will thoroughly deserve it after their performances this week, and I wish the best of luck to both for the final.
Should be a fantastic final to end what has been a good week of snooker in Bendigo with some gripping matches, and I'm sure the Aussie fans won't mind another as long as Neil Robertson wins. I will be back tomorrow to review the whole event and to argue whether or not the contract for the Australian Open should be renewed.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
Friday, 12 July 2013
Favourites make storm through to Australia semi-finals
The 4 favourites in each of the quarter-finals, and the plays I expected would make the semi-finals did so in winning their respective quarter-final matches on Friday in Bendigo. This included the continuation of Aussie favourite Neil Robertson's good run on home soil.
Friday's Results:
Marco Fu 5-1 Dominic Dale - Marco Fu cruised into the semi-finals in Australia with some fantastic break building to see off Dominic Dale. Fu had top breaks of 50, 60, 94, 130 and 131 in another very impressive performance, while Dale made a 112 century in the only frame that he won. Very good from Marco and thoroughly deserving of his semi-final place.
Robert Milkins 5-3 Tom Ford - This one wasn't as high scoring as I expected, with Ford's top break was 51 and Milkins 66 as the pair only made 2 50+ breaks between them. As it turned out it was a much tighter tactical affair, and I knew if that happened Milkins was the better safety player and so it proved, as he held his nerve to set-up a meeting with Fu in the semi's.
Mark Selby 5-3 Mark Davis - Mark Selby survived a scare as he saw off Mark Davis 5-3, having been 3-0 up early on to find himself at 3-3 with Davis, before Selby held his nerve with a 65 break in what turned out to be the final frame. Davis' high break was 66 to level the scores at 3-3. Selby also made a 60 in taking a 2-0 lead, but Selby did control large amounts of the match and deserved the victory
Neil Robertson 5-2 Joe Perry - Neil Robertson pulled out his best performance of the tournament so far in beating his practice partner Joe Perry 5-2. Robertson started magnificently making 2 centuries, a 102 and a 111 to take an early 2-0 advantage. Perry took the next with a 51 break, before Robertson took a tight fourth to lead 3-1 at the interval. Perry got back into the match with a 50 after mid-session to make it 3-2. However, Robertson finished with breaks of 81 and his highest break of a 125 to seal the victory. He has to be the favourite of the remaining 4 to take his the win in his home event.
Semi- Final matches and previews:
Robert Milkins Vs Marco Fu - Both of the semi-finals will be very close, and both of these two guys are playing very well. Milkins is going for his first ranking event win, while Fu is going for his first for many a year. Marco will be very tough to beat if on the same form of his last 2 matches. Meanwhile, Milkins will need to keep it tight, while also having to turn on his own scoring form. It will be really close but I fancy that Fu may just make it through.
Mark Selby Vs Neil Robertson - These two seem to be playing all the time at the moment and every game is close between the two. Robertson is in much better form in my opinion, but he'll be under a lot more pressure than Selby understandably. I still expect him to take that in his stride. If Selby can try and grind the result out and keep the match tight he has a good chance but he will need to take his chances when they come along. I expect Selby to make it scrappy and as tough as possible for Robertson, but Robbo will score heavy and get a tight win.
Despite all of the big names missing from this tournament I don't think anyone could argue with this semi-final line-up and we are now heading for an exciting weekend of snooker, where a new Australian Open champion will be crowned.
Friday's Results:
Marco Fu 5-1 Dominic Dale - Marco Fu cruised into the semi-finals in Australia with some fantastic break building to see off Dominic Dale. Fu had top breaks of 50, 60, 94, 130 and 131 in another very impressive performance, while Dale made a 112 century in the only frame that he won. Very good from Marco and thoroughly deserving of his semi-final place.
Robert Milkins 5-3 Tom Ford - This one wasn't as high scoring as I expected, with Ford's top break was 51 and Milkins 66 as the pair only made 2 50+ breaks between them. As it turned out it was a much tighter tactical affair, and I knew if that happened Milkins was the better safety player and so it proved, as he held his nerve to set-up a meeting with Fu in the semi's.
Mark Selby 5-3 Mark Davis - Mark Selby survived a scare as he saw off Mark Davis 5-3, having been 3-0 up early on to find himself at 3-3 with Davis, before Selby held his nerve with a 65 break in what turned out to be the final frame. Davis' high break was 66 to level the scores at 3-3. Selby also made a 60 in taking a 2-0 lead, but Selby did control large amounts of the match and deserved the victory
Neil Robertson 5-2 Joe Perry - Neil Robertson pulled out his best performance of the tournament so far in beating his practice partner Joe Perry 5-2. Robertson started magnificently making 2 centuries, a 102 and a 111 to take an early 2-0 advantage. Perry took the next with a 51 break, before Robertson took a tight fourth to lead 3-1 at the interval. Perry got back into the match with a 50 after mid-session to make it 3-2. However, Robertson finished with breaks of 81 and his highest break of a 125 to seal the victory. He has to be the favourite of the remaining 4 to take his the win in his home event.
Semi- Final matches and previews:
Robert Milkins Vs Marco Fu - Both of the semi-finals will be very close, and both of these two guys are playing very well. Milkins is going for his first ranking event win, while Fu is going for his first for many a year. Marco will be very tough to beat if on the same form of his last 2 matches. Meanwhile, Milkins will need to keep it tight, while also having to turn on his own scoring form. It will be really close but I fancy that Fu may just make it through.
Mark Selby Vs Neil Robertson - These two seem to be playing all the time at the moment and every game is close between the two. Robertson is in much better form in my opinion, but he'll be under a lot more pressure than Selby understandably. I still expect him to take that in his stride. If Selby can try and grind the result out and keep the match tight he has a good chance but he will need to take his chances when they come along. I expect Selby to make it scrappy and as tough as possible for Robertson, but Robbo will score heavy and get a tight win.
Despite all of the big names missing from this tournament I don't think anyone could argue with this semi-final line-up and we are now heading for an exciting weekend of snooker, where a new Australian Open champion will be crowned.
Thursday, 11 July 2013
Selby improves to make Aussie Quarters
Mark Selby was much improved today in his second round match, beating Zhang Anda 5-1 in a much more comfortable win than his first round match which he scraped through against Ian Burns. Meanwhile, both of the former champions Barry Hawkins and Stuart Bingham exited to Tom Ford and Joe Perry respectively. My tip Shaun Murphy also exited, to a fantastic performance by Marco Fu who came from 2-0 down to win all of the next 5 frames for victory.
Thursday's 2nd Round results:
Tom Ford 5-4 Barry Hawkins - Tom Ford won an entertaining encounter against defending champions Barry Hawkins as there were 7 half century breaks in the 9 frames as the match went the distance. Hawkins made breaks of 67, 78 and 87 before a break of 74 forced the decider. Meanwhile Ford's top breaks were 57, 67 and 89. It was Ford that held his nerve for the victory though and a place in the quarter-finals.
Robert Milkins 5-2 Rory McLeod - Robert Milkins stormed to a comfortable victory against Rory McLeod to make himself favourite for the top half. Milkins raced into a 4-0 lead with breaks of 50, 75, 87 and 123. McLeod hit back with breaks of 52 and 137 to get a couple of frames back, but Robert won the next for a comfortable victory as expected.
Marco Fu 5-2 Shaun Murphy - Marco Fu pulled out a fantastic experience to send Shaun Murphy packing. Murphy started as he finished in Round 1, taking an early 2-0 lead including a break of 92. In the next Shaun missed a red on 56 and let Marco in as he took the frame with a break of 80. Fu never looked back after that, breaks of 61 and 70 putting him into the lead at 3-2. The win looked likely after Fu went 4-2 up and he finished I style with a lovely 115 century break, giving Marco a well deserved quarter-final place.
Joe Perry 5-3 Stuart Bingham - Joe Perry continued his fantastic run off form as he beat 2011 champion Stuart Bingham 5-3. Bingham had led 2-0 early on with breaks of 50, 53 and 56, but Perry fought back well to take the next 3, stealing the fourth with a 72 after Bingham made an earlier 71, to lead 3-2. Bingham hit back to level at 3-3 with a break of 70, but Perry took the next to go 1 away and a break of 51 was enough to give Perry the frame he needed for victory and a quarter-final place.
Mark Davis 5-3 Alfie Burden - Mark Davis survived a mini fight back from Alfie Burden to book his Last 8 place with a 5-3 victory. Last years semi-finalist Davis cruised into an early 4-1 lead against Burden as Burden only made 30 points in those 4 frames that Mark won. Davis scored nicely as well, making breaks of 82, 83 and 85 along the way. Alfie hit back though with breaks of 50 and 51 to reduce the deficit 4-3 and threatened a comeback. However, Davis held his nerve in the next to secure the victory.
Mark Selby 5-1 Zhang Anda - Mark Selby looked much improved on his poor first round performance as he thrashed Chinaman Zhang Anda. Leicester's Selby raced into a 4-0 interval lead with breaks of 69, 71, 76 and 90 with a whitewash well within his sights. But for an 87 from Zhang in the next it might well have been, but Mark won the next to seal a comfortable victory (the likes of which he needs more of) to set-up a Last 8 clash with fellow Mark, Davis.
Quarter-Final Draw and previews :
Tom Ford Vs Robert Milkins - This should be a really entertaining contest, as both of these are quick players who score fast and heavily when in full flow. Neither have ever won a ranking event but both have what it takes to do that this week. Robert has the better form behind him and looks the marginally better of the two so far in Bendigo, so I think he will take a tight tussle to make the last 4.
Marco Fu Vs Dominic Dale - Many will expect Fu to win this one after his performance against Shaun Murphy today. However, Dale has played just as well this week and could be a decent value each way bet for the tournament with the experience that he has. Both are similar players, great tactical players and great thinkers of the game, who can also score heavily when required. Fu definetly has the slight edge in this one, but you would be foolish to rule out Welshman Dale.
Neil Robertson Vs Joe Perry - This should be a very intriguing match between two guys that will know a lot about each other's games being practice partners. They are also two of the games in form players at the moment and the winner of this match could well go and win the event. Robertson will be desperate to win his home event, especially if he wants it to take place again in 12 months time. The Aussie has the edge on this weeks form with 2 easy victories, but Perry won their last meeting 5-0 in Shanghai last year, and he is well capable of repeating that result again. If Perry can repeat the performance that saw him beat Stuart Bingham today he will make life tough for Neil, but I think that the home boy will take what should be a very close encounter.
Mark Selby Vs Mark Davis - In the battle of the Mark's, Selby has the edge on the head-to-head's with a crushing victory in the 2012 UK Championship quarter-finals. Although, Davis is a very tricky opponent for any player, and this should prove so again for the former World No.1. Selby will need to maintain his improved performance of today if he is to win, while Davis will need to get off to a good start if he is to have any chance of reaching the last 4. This should be another tight match, but one where the Jester's fans need to see him get off to a good start if he is to be the victor.
Looks like a good quarter-final line-up for the Australian Open, which will now have a new champion, but will the champion once again also be winning his first ranking event? We'll just have to see how the rest of the week pans out.
Thursday's 2nd Round results:
Tom Ford 5-4 Barry Hawkins - Tom Ford won an entertaining encounter against defending champions Barry Hawkins as there were 7 half century breaks in the 9 frames as the match went the distance. Hawkins made breaks of 67, 78 and 87 before a break of 74 forced the decider. Meanwhile Ford's top breaks were 57, 67 and 89. It was Ford that held his nerve for the victory though and a place in the quarter-finals.
Robert Milkins 5-2 Rory McLeod - Robert Milkins stormed to a comfortable victory against Rory McLeod to make himself favourite for the top half. Milkins raced into a 4-0 lead with breaks of 50, 75, 87 and 123. McLeod hit back with breaks of 52 and 137 to get a couple of frames back, but Robert won the next for a comfortable victory as expected.
Marco Fu 5-2 Shaun Murphy - Marco Fu pulled out a fantastic experience to send Shaun Murphy packing. Murphy started as he finished in Round 1, taking an early 2-0 lead including a break of 92. In the next Shaun missed a red on 56 and let Marco in as he took the frame with a break of 80. Fu never looked back after that, breaks of 61 and 70 putting him into the lead at 3-2. The win looked likely after Fu went 4-2 up and he finished I style with a lovely 115 century break, giving Marco a well deserved quarter-final place.
Joe Perry 5-3 Stuart Bingham - Joe Perry continued his fantastic run off form as he beat 2011 champion Stuart Bingham 5-3. Bingham had led 2-0 early on with breaks of 50, 53 and 56, but Perry fought back well to take the next 3, stealing the fourth with a 72 after Bingham made an earlier 71, to lead 3-2. Bingham hit back to level at 3-3 with a break of 70, but Perry took the next to go 1 away and a break of 51 was enough to give Perry the frame he needed for victory and a quarter-final place.
Mark Davis 5-3 Alfie Burden - Mark Davis survived a mini fight back from Alfie Burden to book his Last 8 place with a 5-3 victory. Last years semi-finalist Davis cruised into an early 4-1 lead against Burden as Burden only made 30 points in those 4 frames that Mark won. Davis scored nicely as well, making breaks of 82, 83 and 85 along the way. Alfie hit back though with breaks of 50 and 51 to reduce the deficit 4-3 and threatened a comeback. However, Davis held his nerve in the next to secure the victory.
Mark Selby 5-1 Zhang Anda - Mark Selby looked much improved on his poor first round performance as he thrashed Chinaman Zhang Anda. Leicester's Selby raced into a 4-0 interval lead with breaks of 69, 71, 76 and 90 with a whitewash well within his sights. But for an 87 from Zhang in the next it might well have been, but Mark won the next to seal a comfortable victory (the likes of which he needs more of) to set-up a Last 8 clash with fellow Mark, Davis.
Quarter-Final Draw and previews :
Tom Ford Vs Robert Milkins - This should be a really entertaining contest, as both of these are quick players who score fast and heavily when in full flow. Neither have ever won a ranking event but both have what it takes to do that this week. Robert has the better form behind him and looks the marginally better of the two so far in Bendigo, so I think he will take a tight tussle to make the last 4.
Marco Fu Vs Dominic Dale - Many will expect Fu to win this one after his performance against Shaun Murphy today. However, Dale has played just as well this week and could be a decent value each way bet for the tournament with the experience that he has. Both are similar players, great tactical players and great thinkers of the game, who can also score heavily when required. Fu definetly has the slight edge in this one, but you would be foolish to rule out Welshman Dale.
Neil Robertson Vs Joe Perry - This should be a very intriguing match between two guys that will know a lot about each other's games being practice partners. They are also two of the games in form players at the moment and the winner of this match could well go and win the event. Robertson will be desperate to win his home event, especially if he wants it to take place again in 12 months time. The Aussie has the edge on this weeks form with 2 easy victories, but Perry won their last meeting 5-0 in Shanghai last year, and he is well capable of repeating that result again. If Perry can repeat the performance that saw him beat Stuart Bingham today he will make life tough for Neil, but I think that the home boy will take what should be a very close encounter.
Mark Selby Vs Mark Davis - In the battle of the Mark's, Selby has the edge on the head-to-head's with a crushing victory in the 2012 UK Championship quarter-finals. Although, Davis is a very tricky opponent for any player, and this should prove so again for the former World No.1. Selby will need to maintain his improved performance of today if he is to win, while Davis will need to get off to a good start if he is to have any chance of reaching the last 4. This should be another tight match, but one where the Jester's fans need to see him get off to a good start if he is to be the victor.
Looks like a good quarter-final line-up for the Australian Open, which will now have a new champion, but will the champion once again also be winning his first ranking event? We'll just have to see how the rest of the week pans out.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Round 2 in Australia
The Australian Open is hotting up as we head into the Last 16 stage in Bendigo. Still plenty of top players hanging around and some good matches are in prospect as we hit the business end of the week.
There were two 2nd round matches today, seeing home favourite Neil Robertson and Dominic Dale book their quarter final spots.
Neil Robertson 5-3 Jamie Cope - A fantastic performance from Neil Robertson saw him get through to the Last 8 with victory over Jamie Cope. The Aussie looks really good at the moment, and the tournament really needs him to do well. Neil made top breaks of 68, 76, 82, 83 and 91 on his way to a good win while Cope made a 74 of his own in the opening frame. This just showed everyone once again that he is the best in the world right now and that he will be a serious contender this week, making at least the Last 4 for my money.
Dominic Dale 5-2 Fergal O'Brien - A simple victory in the end really for Dale as he went through after losing the opener with highs of 54, 54, 69 and 84 as O'Brien failed to get a grip on the match in against a similar player to him, rather than frustrating Walden as in Round 1. Dale could be a surprise package this week if he continues to play similarly to this, interesting to see how things go for him.
Thursday's 2nd Round matches:
Barry Hawkins Vs Tom Ford - Will be a tricky game for the defending champion, and if Ford starts to score heavily this will be very close. I still think Hawkins will win if he can keep it tight but Ford could just as easily get through to the Last 8.
Robert Milkins Vs Rory McLeod - Robert is playing really well at the moment, and the only way I can see Rory winning is if he can frustrate Robert. However part of Robert's rise into the Top 16 provisionally (and well deserved) has also seen him mature quite a bit and become a little more patient so I shouldn't see it being a problem. No offence to Rory, but having not played this week so far either I fully expect a Milkins win.
Shaun Murphy Vs Marco Fu - I tipped Murphy up at the start of the week and he played well in the first round, making what could've been a close match a routine victory. As for Fu he is always a tough player to play and played ok against Ken today. I expect him to play a good tactical game and he will need to give Shaun as little as possible or Murphy will pounce. Could be a very close tussle but would go for a Murphy win.
Joe Perry Vs Stuart Bingham - Will be a close match and one that could well go the distance. Some places have Perry down as favourite and I would argue that to a certain extent. Both are quality players and Perry is in incredible form, while Bingham has won in Bendigo before and has come on masses in the last 2 years since winning. Personally I would still send Bingham off as favourite so there may be some value to be had if he is outsider with the bookies.
Mark Davis Vs Alfie Burden - Davis made heavy weather of his match against Paul Davison and I think that Burden has a chance if he can play like he did against Holt. Burden will need to score well when given the opportunity and need to be patient, while Mark will be after a big improvement on today's performance. A big problem in Australia is sleep and Burden appears to be one who is suffering, but if he is ready and fit for the match he'll be a handful for Davis. Still think Mark Davis will make it through to build on last year's semi-final.
Mark Selby Vs Zhang Anda - On paper this should be a simple Mark Selby win and it may turn out that way, but I think that Zhang will give Selby another tough match and the jester will need to improve big time. If Zhang can bring out the performance that saw off Higginson comfortably, he could easily pounce on Selby if he starts poorly again. Selby would win lots more tournaments for me, if he started matches better and made less hard work of matches early on in tournaments, rather than getting involved in unnecessary scraps which he may enjoy but ultimately waste energy. This is while someone like Neil Robertson makes easy work of matches early on in tournaments, and saves energy for the assault of the weekend semi-finals and finals. Therefore consistently getting to semi-finals and finals, and ultimately he will win more tournaments than Selby this season if this continues.
Hopefully it should unfold into an entertaining tournament as many hope that the Australian Open can remain on the calendar for future years and gain more support. More to come tomorrow hopefully ahead of the quarter-finals.
There were two 2nd round matches today, seeing home favourite Neil Robertson and Dominic Dale book their quarter final spots.
Neil Robertson 5-3 Jamie Cope - A fantastic performance from Neil Robertson saw him get through to the Last 8 with victory over Jamie Cope. The Aussie looks really good at the moment, and the tournament really needs him to do well. Neil made top breaks of 68, 76, 82, 83 and 91 on his way to a good win while Cope made a 74 of his own in the opening frame. This just showed everyone once again that he is the best in the world right now and that he will be a serious contender this week, making at least the Last 4 for my money.
Dominic Dale 5-2 Fergal O'Brien - A simple victory in the end really for Dale as he went through after losing the opener with highs of 54, 54, 69 and 84 as O'Brien failed to get a grip on the match in against a similar player to him, rather than frustrating Walden as in Round 1. Dale could be a surprise package this week if he continues to play similarly to this, interesting to see how things go for him.
Thursday's 2nd Round matches:
Barry Hawkins Vs Tom Ford - Will be a tricky game for the defending champion, and if Ford starts to score heavily this will be very close. I still think Hawkins will win if he can keep it tight but Ford could just as easily get through to the Last 8.
Robert Milkins Vs Rory McLeod - Robert is playing really well at the moment, and the only way I can see Rory winning is if he can frustrate Robert. However part of Robert's rise into the Top 16 provisionally (and well deserved) has also seen him mature quite a bit and become a little more patient so I shouldn't see it being a problem. No offence to Rory, but having not played this week so far either I fully expect a Milkins win.
Shaun Murphy Vs Marco Fu - I tipped Murphy up at the start of the week and he played well in the first round, making what could've been a close match a routine victory. As for Fu he is always a tough player to play and played ok against Ken today. I expect him to play a good tactical game and he will need to give Shaun as little as possible or Murphy will pounce. Could be a very close tussle but would go for a Murphy win.
Joe Perry Vs Stuart Bingham - Will be a close match and one that could well go the distance. Some places have Perry down as favourite and I would argue that to a certain extent. Both are quality players and Perry is in incredible form, while Bingham has won in Bendigo before and has come on masses in the last 2 years since winning. Personally I would still send Bingham off as favourite so there may be some value to be had if he is outsider with the bookies.
Mark Davis Vs Alfie Burden - Davis made heavy weather of his match against Paul Davison and I think that Burden has a chance if he can play like he did against Holt. Burden will need to score well when given the opportunity and need to be patient, while Mark will be after a big improvement on today's performance. A big problem in Australia is sleep and Burden appears to be one who is suffering, but if he is ready and fit for the match he'll be a handful for Davis. Still think Mark Davis will make it through to build on last year's semi-final.
Mark Selby Vs Zhang Anda - On paper this should be a simple Mark Selby win and it may turn out that way, but I think that Zhang will give Selby another tough match and the jester will need to improve big time. If Zhang can bring out the performance that saw off Higginson comfortably, he could easily pounce on Selby if he starts poorly again. Selby would win lots more tournaments for me, if he started matches better and made less hard work of matches early on in tournaments, rather than getting involved in unnecessary scraps which he may enjoy but ultimately waste energy. This is while someone like Neil Robertson makes easy work of matches early on in tournaments, and saves energy for the assault of the weekend semi-finals and finals. Therefore consistently getting to semi-finals and finals, and ultimately he will win more tournaments than Selby this season if this continues.
Hopefully it should unfold into an entertaining tournament as many hope that the Australian Open can remain on the calendar for future years and gain more support. More to come tomorrow hopefully ahead of the quarter-finals.
Tuesday, 9 July 2013
Opening days in Bendigo
There have been some interesting results in Round 1 of the Australian Open so far, with 3 more round 1 matches to come (after Ding Junhui pulled out giving Rory McLeod a bye through to the last 16).
Here are the round 1 results so far:
Barry Hawkins 5-1 Dechawat Poomjaeng - clinical performance by Hawkins scoring nicely with breaks of 52, 55, 61 and 80. He'll be a definite contender this week.
Tom Ford 5-3 Ryan Day - A good game by all accounts with both making centuries, fairly close until Ford broke away at the end for victory. Plays Hawkins next and that will be even tougher for Ford, scoring will need to be at it's best.
Fergal O'Brien 5-4 Ricky Walden - A good win for Fergal, not much to shout about in terms of breaks but O'Brien seemed to grind Ricky down for victory and further exposing Ricky's trouble against slower players.
Dominic Dale 5-4 Mike Dunn - Yet another decider in the Aussie Open for Dunn but this time he was on the wrong end. Dale came through a match that was close right up until the last.
Shaun Murphy 5-1 Michael White - Good performance from Shaun, expected this match to be slightly closer but Shaun scored well with his new cue. Top breaks of 129, 87 and 57 outlining that he will be there at the end of the week i'm sure.
Neil Robertson 5-1 Marcus Campbell - A good performance from the Aussie on home soil, continuing his great record against Campbell. He'll want to improve on his form in his home event. Something tells me he will.
Jamie Cope 5-4 Martin Gould - Good to see a Cope win here, will give him confidence to come from 4-3 to beat a class act like Gould. Top breaks of 53,53, 61, 73 and 96 suggest he could give Robertson a run for his money tomorrow.
Joe Perry 5-0 Xiao Guodong - No problem here for Perry. Guodong appearing below par at best and Perry keeping his good run going. He has a good chance for a run on his form at the moment.
Stuart Bingham 5-1 Noppon Saengkham - Simple victory for Bingham as I expected. Has form here winning it in 2011, but has a tough match against Perry next. He'll have his work cut out for him but it should be a good match.
Alfie Burden 5-2 Michael Holt - I thought Burden had a good chance if he scored well and he did so with 50+ breaks in all of the last 4 frames including a 136. His good form continues and he deserved another good victory after another good performance.
Zhang Anda 5-1 Andrew Higginson - Good performance from Zhang with top breaks of 62,63, 68 and 96 to see him to a his first last 16 berth. Seems like Higginson couldn't take his chances as is becoming too regular an occurrence for him.
Mark Selby 5-4 Ian Burns - Burns will be distraught to lose from 3-0 and 4-3 up but he will continue to improve, especially if he kills of the next match against a top player without any hassle to boost his confidence. As for Selby looks like he just dug in as usual when not at his best. He'll need to improve, but i'm sure he will after a rest, after only arriving a day before his match in Australia - which is a big mistake.
Looks like an interesting tournament is unfolding, will hopefully be back with a preview of the 6 remaining Last 16 matches for Thursday and review tomorrows 5 games.
Here are the round 1 results so far:
Barry Hawkins 5-1 Dechawat Poomjaeng - clinical performance by Hawkins scoring nicely with breaks of 52, 55, 61 and 80. He'll be a definite contender this week.
Tom Ford 5-3 Ryan Day - A good game by all accounts with both making centuries, fairly close until Ford broke away at the end for victory. Plays Hawkins next and that will be even tougher for Ford, scoring will need to be at it's best.
Fergal O'Brien 5-4 Ricky Walden - A good win for Fergal, not much to shout about in terms of breaks but O'Brien seemed to grind Ricky down for victory and further exposing Ricky's trouble against slower players.
Dominic Dale 5-4 Mike Dunn - Yet another decider in the Aussie Open for Dunn but this time he was on the wrong end. Dale came through a match that was close right up until the last.
Shaun Murphy 5-1 Michael White - Good performance from Shaun, expected this match to be slightly closer but Shaun scored well with his new cue. Top breaks of 129, 87 and 57 outlining that he will be there at the end of the week i'm sure.
Neil Robertson 5-1 Marcus Campbell - A good performance from the Aussie on home soil, continuing his great record against Campbell. He'll want to improve on his form in his home event. Something tells me he will.
Jamie Cope 5-4 Martin Gould - Good to see a Cope win here, will give him confidence to come from 4-3 to beat a class act like Gould. Top breaks of 53,53, 61, 73 and 96 suggest he could give Robertson a run for his money tomorrow.
Joe Perry 5-0 Xiao Guodong - No problem here for Perry. Guodong appearing below par at best and Perry keeping his good run going. He has a good chance for a run on his form at the moment.
Stuart Bingham 5-1 Noppon Saengkham - Simple victory for Bingham as I expected. Has form here winning it in 2011, but has a tough match against Perry next. He'll have his work cut out for him but it should be a good match.
Alfie Burden 5-2 Michael Holt - I thought Burden had a good chance if he scored well and he did so with 50+ breaks in all of the last 4 frames including a 136. His good form continues and he deserved another good victory after another good performance.
Zhang Anda 5-1 Andrew Higginson - Good performance from Zhang with top breaks of 62,63, 68 and 96 to see him to a his first last 16 berth. Seems like Higginson couldn't take his chances as is becoming too regular an occurrence for him.
Mark Selby 5-4 Ian Burns - Burns will be distraught to lose from 3-0 and 4-3 up but he will continue to improve, especially if he kills of the next match against a top player without any hassle to boost his confidence. As for Selby looks like he just dug in as usual when not at his best. He'll need to improve, but i'm sure he will after a rest, after only arriving a day before his match in Australia - which is a big mistake.
Looks like an interesting tournament is unfolding, will hopefully be back with a preview of the 6 remaining Last 16 matches for Thursday and review tomorrows 5 games.
Sunday, 7 July 2013
Australian Open Preview
It's time for the trip down under to Bendigo for the Australian Open tournament, which could well be the last as the contract for the tournament runs out after this one. Most of the top players have once again missed this tournament, presumably because of the long journey and quite small prize money, as they have in the last couple of years. The tournament is also not on TV in Europe until the final, which is being televised on Eurosport, making the tournament even less appealing to European snooker fans particularly.
Quarter Pick: Barry Hawkins
Quarter Winner: Shaun Murphy
Quarter winner: Neil Robertson
Quarter Winner: Mark Selby
Tournament Winner: This may be a biased view, but I have a very strong feeling that Shaun Murphy will play very well this week, and with the absence of some top players- this could be a great opportunity for him to win his first ranking event since 2011. If he gains some early confidence in the early stages with his new cue, he will be very dangerous in the latter parts of the tournament. This could well be his event.
Quarter 1
The big stars in this quarter are defending champion Barry Hawkins, Ding Junhui and Robert Milkins. Barry starts his campaign off with an intriguing match against Dechawat Poomjaeng. We have seen since his run at the Crucible that Poomjaeng can cause problems for the top players and he will give Hawkins a good game here. However, Hawkins also proved last season that he is a top player, and will want to try and defend his title here and I expect him to come through this early test. The winner will then play Tom Ford or Ryan Day. This is a tough match to call, both are great players and are actually quite closely ranked, even though Day is a qualifier and Ford a seed. It definetly wouldn't be an upset of Day won and I think this could be a useful outside bet in the first round. I have a feeling that Day needs a run in an event this year to regain some confidence and if he starts with a win here this could well be the one. Therefore I am going to go for a Ryan Day win. In the other half of this quarter Robert Milkins takes on Ben Woollaston. Milkins is playing great stuff right now and could be ranked inside the top 16 after this tournament. I and many others would have predicted this last season and had another good run to the semi-finals in Wuxi, and he should beat Woollaston, who is just as good a player but has landed a very tough draw. Should Milkins get through he would play either Ding Junhui or Rory McLeod. On paper this looks like a comfortable Ding win, but McLeod could quite easily grind Ding down if the Chinaman is not motivated and becomes frustrated. I expect to see a Ding win still, but won't rule out the upset by any meansQuarter Pick: Barry Hawkins
Quarter 2
This quarter features both of the wildcard round matches, although judging by previous Aussie wildcards, Michael White and Mike Dunn shouldn't have too much trouble making it through. Should Dunn beat Steve Mifsud as expected he will play Dominic Dale in the last 32. Dunn has seen a resurgence in form in recent weeks, with his new cue, but I don't think he will have enough to beat Dale, if the Welshmen is on form. They are playing for the right to play either Ricky Walden or Fergal O'Brien. Fergal is always a tough opponent and one who can beat anyone on his day, but Ricky has a knack for getting through these tough matches even when nowhere near his best. If Ricky is off form I think that Fergal would win, but I think that Ricky has had quite a long rest since his World Championship run and will be fresh for the task this week. Walden will make it through for me. Elsewhere in this section we see Shaun Murphy who will play either young hot shot Michael White or wildcard Shaun Dalitz. If my recent interview with Shaun told me anything it was that he should have a successful week in Australia. Playing with a new cue for the first time, which he feels good with in practice, practicing hard in preparation for this and a general love of playing Australia. White will provide a big test for Murphy and could easily go through. Shaun will need to be on his game from the start but if he is it could be a good indicator of things to come this week. The winner will face either Marco Fu or Ken Doherty. Both have had slower starts to the season and it could well be a scrappy encounter and a tough call. Fu should get through but don't rule out ken for the win here.Quarter Winner: Shaun Murphy
Quarter 3
This quarter is probably the strongest in the draw with Aussie hope Neil Robertson and former champion Stuart Bingham as well as Martin Gould and Asian Tour 1 champion Joe Perry. Neil Robertson plays Scot Marcus Campbell. Robertson has a brilliant record against Campbell and he is the best player on the tour right now. As long as he can deal with home expectations, the Wuxi Classic champion should march into the Last 16. He would then play either Martin Gould or Jamie Cope. Cope has struggled in the last year while Gould has actually prospered in some minor events. Gould could well be a contender to go under the radar and I think that he may well have a good run here to set up a return to the top 16 in the coming months. Meanwhile, Joe Perry plays Xiao Guodong who had some success at the Asian indoor games winning the Six-red event. Perry is in good form at the moment though and I think he will keep that momentum going with a victory here. Should Perry win he would play either Stuart Bingham or Noppon Saengkham in the Last 16. I haven't seen much of Saengkham yet and, although he has had some good results, I don't think he will cause 2011 champion Bingham any problems here.Quarter winner: Neil Robertson
Quarter 4
This quarter is one that I would say on paper should be one for the seeds to march through and could be short on upsets. Mark Davis plays Paul Davison in his first round match, and I think that the man in the peak of his career will have no problem getting through. I haven't seen much of Davison and whenever I do he isn't too impressive to be honest, but he seems like he can play a lot better than I have seen him play. Should be a comfortable Davis win though. Michael Holt faces "jack of all trades" Alfie Burden in the last 32 in Bendigo. Holt hasn't had the best start to the season and could be vulnerable against Burden, who is a heavy scorer when on form. This could well be an upset, depending on how well Burden plays - if scores well he has a great chance. In the bottom half Andrew Higginson play Zhang Anda in a match that he will be expected to win, but his inconsistent form is Zhang's best chance of a win. The Chinaman is a very useful player and will provide Higginson with food for thought. Higginson usually plays quite well against lower ranked players but struggles against the top guys, so in theory this match shouldn't trouble him. Finally Mark Selby plays Rookie of the year 2012 Ian Burns. Selby was knocked out at the Last 128 stage in the Wuxi Classic, but reached the AT1 final, and has recently lost his World No.1 ranking to Neil Robertson. He will be keen to earn that back and I think he will play well in this tournament, to try and win that back as he has done before. Burns is a very good player, but it will be interesting to see how his second season on tour goes, with added pressure and expectation. Selby should win on this occasion though.Quarter Winner: Mark Selby
Tournament Winner: This may be a biased view, but I have a very strong feeling that Shaun Murphy will play very well this week, and with the absence of some top players- this could be a great opportunity for him to win his first ranking event since 2011. If he gains some early confidence in the early stages with his new cue, he will be very dangerous in the latter parts of the tournament. This could well be his event.
Friday, 28 June 2013
EXCLUSIVE Interview with Shaun Murphy
In the first of a new "Life as a snooker player" feature that Shaun Murphy has kindly agreed to do for the blog, I talk to Shaun about: what he thinks of the new format, how he thinks the season will go, his favourite places to visit and what he likes to do away from the baize including the development of his website and the charity work that he partakes in.
Hi Shaun, I’d like to start by asking you, what do you think of the new Flat 128 structure for ranking events?
We know what you think of burnout, but will you plan your season to be fresh for the World Championship or will you play as much snooker as you can?
I don't feel that the tour is at the stage yet where players should be picking and choosing events to play in. In my book there are still lots of events that need the support of the higher ranked players as they are the ones primarily that the public pay to come and watch and without the support of these players these tournaments simply won't succeed. For me, I'm playing in as much as possible because I love it. I'm a snooker player, it's what i do.
On the other hand, does it please you that you have, at the same time, been very consistent in getting to the latter stages of events, and that if you continue to do so will it only be a matter of time before you win one?
Consistency is one of my least favourite words. Of course I'm pleased to be making the final stages of events regularly and challenging to win events but you know that isn't what I wanted to achieve from my snooker. I don't want to have to tell the grandkids that I was Mr consistent. They don't make cabinets for consistency; if they did mine would be bulging ha!
Where is your favourite area to visit on the snooker tour outside of the UK?
I really enjoy all the Euro Tour events wherever they may be and have grown to like going to Shanghai, but my favourite place so far would be Australia. I mean its Australia for crying out loud, what’s not to like? The way of life is fantastic and I guess if it wasn't a whole 24 hours of travel away i'd definitely spend more time there.
What is your favourite snooker venue outside of the UK?
Has to be the Tempodrome in Berlin. In the early days we did quite a few exhibitions there and around Germany trying to generate some interest in the sport together with the TV coverage given by Eurosport. It's amazing now to see that venue full and them all enjoying their own ranking event. My best performance there so far has been a Semi- final and the atmosphere was fantastic.
Who is your favourite player to play and why?
I think that would still have to be Steve Davis. He was my idol growing up and someone that as a professional I've looked up to as a role model. Whilst doing some of these exhibition tours around Europe I've been lucky enough to watch how he handles himself, sponsors and the public and he's simply first class.
It’s not just snooker your good at, it is a well-known fact that you and many other snooker players are a dab hand with a set of Golf clubs. So, what other sports do you enjoy playing or watching in your spare time and why do you think so many other snooker players play Golf?
As already mentioned I do play a lot of golf and I'm sure that it’s because it’s a still ball sport that many snooker players take to it. That in built hand eye coordination comes out, well most of the time anyway and helps. Other than golf I play quite a bit of tennis and I've also got quite into running after doing the Manchester 10k for the RMCH in May. I’m also a bit of a motor enthusiast and if not at home cutting the grass or playing the piano and annoying everyone I'm usually in the garage tinkering away or cleaning the cars.
And Finally Shaun, John Higgins and Neil Robertson have set the bar high at the start if this season but, who do you think will win the most tournaments this season or will they be shared fairly equally like last year?
The standard set so far has been very good, and i think it will only get better. I predicted a few years ago that with all these new tournaments and a sharper set of players the standards across the whole tour would rise and I think that’s happening. From a players point of view its put much more emphasis on the time between events now spent in the club working on my game as that is where the improvements are (hopefully) made. One things for sure, if things carry on this season the way they've begun, it'll be one hell of a year.
Once again I would like to thank Shaun for doing this interview and look forward to the other pieces that he will hopefully do for the blog over the course of the season.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and, like me, are looking forward to more exciting and fun features on the blog in the near future.
Hi Shaun, I’d like to start by asking you, what do you think of the new Flat 128 structure for ranking events?
We know what you think of burnout, but will you plan your season to be fresh for the World Championship or will you play as much snooker as you can?
I don't feel that the tour is at the stage yet where players should be picking and choosing events to play in. In my book there are still lots of events that need the support of the higher ranked players as they are the ones primarily that the public pay to come and watch and without the support of these players these tournaments simply won't succeed. For me, I'm playing in as much as possible because I love it. I'm a snooker player, it's what i do.
Do you think you can win another World Championship?
Absolutely. This is one of my
biggest goals now and one that I'm working towards on a daily basis. When I won
the World Title back in 2005 it was weird. By that I mean it was my first pro TV win and so there were so many
emotions running about, the fact that I'd become World Champion kind of got
lost in there somewhere. So I'd like to win it again so I could enjoy it for what it is.
Why do you think that you have gone so long without a
ranking event win, and do you think that the Flat 128 draw will offer up better
opportunities for you?
I've no idea why it’s been so
long. I hadn't really took any notice of it until I overheard Hazel Irvine
broadcasting at The Masters. I was in the practice room warming up for my semi-
final and heard them in the studio talking about how long it had been. I think
to be honest, somewhere between '09 and '11 I perhaps didn't work quite as hard
at my game as many others and certainly not as hard as i know I should've been.
On that basis I didn't really deserve to win much but now I'm back to a good
old fashioned six hours practise in the club every day, I'm convinced that more
trophies are just around the corner.On the other hand, does it please you that you have, at the same time, been very consistent in getting to the latter stages of events, and that if you continue to do so will it only be a matter of time before you win one?
Consistency is one of my least favourite words. Of course I'm pleased to be making the final stages of events regularly and challenging to win events but you know that isn't what I wanted to achieve from my snooker. I don't want to have to tell the grandkids that I was Mr consistent. They don't make cabinets for consistency; if they did mine would be bulging ha!
How much do you think your new cue will affect your game and
if so will the affects be a positive or negative on your game?
Well I've certainly been putting
the hours in with it. My new cue is yet to make its debut in competition,
that’s coming in Australia but i'd say it’s a keeper. I did use a John Parris
replica of my original that i'd had for five years or so in Bulgaria and was
quite happy with it but that’s taken second place to my new John Parris cue.
It's showing really well in practise so I can't wait to see how it performs out
there when it matters.
How much do you enjoy travelling around the world, and do
you take the opportunity to do some sightseeing when you can?
I always love going to new
places and seeing the culture wherever it may be. I'm always amazed at how many
players don't get into all that and just stay in the confines of the hotel. For
me it’s all about creating memories to share with my family and friends in the
future. They won't want to hear about shots and matches but about places and
people.
Do many other players take on some sightseeing when on tour?
Some do and i hope with the new
younger breed coming through there will be a few more takers for sightseeing
and travelling to these faraway places. I was quite disappointed more top
players didn't go to Brazil a few years ago and I think that is a very big part
of why that tournament hasn't happened again. I hope the same isn't said about
the Australian Masters in
a year’s time. Where is your favourite area to visit on the snooker tour outside of the UK?
I really enjoy all the Euro Tour events wherever they may be and have grown to like going to Shanghai, but my favourite place so far would be Australia. I mean its Australia for crying out loud, what’s not to like? The way of life is fantastic and I guess if it wasn't a whole 24 hours of travel away i'd definitely spend more time there.
What is your favourite snooker venue outside of the UK?
Has to be the Tempodrome in Berlin. In the early days we did quite a few exhibitions there and around Germany trying to generate some interest in the sport together with the TV coverage given by Eurosport. It's amazing now to see that venue full and them all enjoying their own ranking event. My best performance there so far has been a Semi- final and the atmosphere was fantastic.
Who is your favourite player to play and why?
I think that would still have to be Steve Davis. He was my idol growing up and someone that as a professional I've looked up to as a role model. Whilst doing some of these exhibition tours around Europe I've been lucky enough to watch how he handles himself, sponsors and the public and he's simply first class.
Do you have a least
favourite player to play against and why?
Not really no. A few years ago
on the UK tour I could never beat Mark Gray for some reason. He quickly became
my bogey player and then in my early years on tour Matt Couch gave me similar
problems.
How many players
socialise around events, and are there many cliques in the snooker world?
Most players are very sociable
on tour and get on with everyone. I'm not really sure that cliques exist; I
just think that certain groups of players have either known each other longer
or come from the same area and sometimes even practise at the same clubs so
they are bound to stick together. In my case there is a group of players that
I’ve grown up with through the junior and amateur game so we would all tend to
have dinners and travel together when possible and try to make our trips away
as comfortable as possible.
Which players do you spend most time with away from the
baize?
Well nowadays we don't get too
much time away from the baize so when we do it’s nice to be able to share some
other hobbies with some of the other lads. I'm a very keen golfer and so any
chance I get I'm out on the course. Fortunately there are quite a few keen and
very good golfers among the snooker players so finding a partner isn't too
difficult usually. Matt Selt and I have become good mates and have donated a
small fortune to each other in golfing bets in the last 24 months or so. It's
hard though playing golf with Matt because he is such a funny guy that it
becomes very hard to concentrate on what you're trying to do and before you
know it you're handing over the dough. Away from the golf I'm good friends with
Selby, Carter, Walden and Higginson and many others. I've been friends with
Nigel Bond for many years too and hope that will always be the case. When I was
a kid he was one of the only pro's that took the time to practise with me and
show me the ropes and I will always owe him a huge thanks for that.
What difference has Barry Hearn made to snooker and how much
does snooker owe to him?
Quite simply, Barry Hearn and
his new team at World Snooker are the best things to happen to the game in my
lifetime. When you look back to the pre Hearn years of just a few years ago
snooker was going nowhere, and fast. Now look at it. We've got a full diary,
lots of events and more money to play for. How can anyone moan about that?
What advice would you give to a young player thinking of
turning professional?
My best advice would be two
fold. Firstly, make sure that being a snooker placer is absolutely the number
one priority in your life. If it’s something that you quite like and are
thinking of having a crack at don't bother. There are too many out there who
want it more and you'll end up wasting the best years of your life. It has to
be your passion. Secondly, don't make the mistake of thinking that practise
makes perfect. It doesn't. Practise makes permanent, so only proper structured,
goal orientated practise is worth it.
You do a lot of charity work for the Royal Manchester
Children’s Hospital. What sort of work do you do to raise money and awareness
for the charity, how much do the children there inspire you, and why did you
choose to help the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital?
I'd reached that point in my
life where i thought it was time to start trying to do some good for others as
well as myself. I started looking for a local charity to get involved with and
because one of my relatives has spent much of her young life there, the RMCH
seems the right place to start. 18 months ago now I started my £100 for 100
breaks initiative and that’s something I'm committed to long term, donating
£100 for every century break I make. It really puts the pressure on when I get
to 70 - 90 now! I also ran the Manchester 10k in May for them too and loved it.
You have a website of your own (ShaunMurphy.net) that you
are also working on. What are you doing to develop the site and what
information do you put on there for your fans?
With www.shaunmurphy.net we are
constantly looking for ways to make it better and in the future we hope to have
a much more interactive site with tuition and back stage footage to try and
show a different side to life as a snooker player. I try to keep it up to date
with regular match reports and previews and i guess together with my Twitter
@magician147 it’s my chance to give my side of any story without the interference
of a journalist’s opinion.It’s not just snooker your good at, it is a well-known fact that you and many other snooker players are a dab hand with a set of Golf clubs. So, what other sports do you enjoy playing or watching in your spare time and why do you think so many other snooker players play Golf?
As already mentioned I do play a lot of golf and I'm sure that it’s because it’s a still ball sport that many snooker players take to it. That in built hand eye coordination comes out, well most of the time anyway and helps. Other than golf I play quite a bit of tennis and I've also got quite into running after doing the Manchester 10k for the RMCH in May. I’m also a bit of a motor enthusiast and if not at home cutting the grass or playing the piano and annoying everyone I'm usually in the garage tinkering away or cleaning the cars.
And Finally Shaun, John Higgins and Neil Robertson have set the bar high at the start if this season but, who do you think will win the most tournaments this season or will they be shared fairly equally like last year?
The standard set so far has been very good, and i think it will only get better. I predicted a few years ago that with all these new tournaments and a sharper set of players the standards across the whole tour would rise and I think that’s happening. From a players point of view its put much more emphasis on the time between events now spent in the club working on my game as that is where the improvements are (hopefully) made. One things for sure, if things carry on this season the way they've begun, it'll be one hell of a year.
Once again I would like to thank Shaun for doing this interview and look forward to the other pieces that he will hopefully do for the blog over the course of the season.
I hope you enjoyed reading this and, like me, are looking forward to more exciting and fun features on the blog in the near future.
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