Martin Gould wins the 2011 Power Snooker Masters Trophy by beating the defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan. The final delivered all aspects of Power Snooker with all the heightened tension up until the final minute.
Gould got the final under way and his consistent good break continued and potted the first Power Ball within the first minute of play. He made 54 before leaving the final fifty seconds of the Power Play to O'Sullivan. Ronnie took full advantage, quickly clearing the table to lead 86-54 with 25:39 remaining. O'Sullivan followed on with pots available from his first break of the final. But he unbelievably missed the Power Ball, allowing Gould to initiate the Power Play. Gould couldn't make much out of it and Ronnie began to take control before missing the yellow and a defensive duel took place. Gould found a fantastic pot on the yellow but unfortunately the cue ball rolled into the pocket. O'Sullivan then cleared up to the pink before Gould potted the pink before Ronnie rounded the frame off, the score standing at 181-74 with 18:50 to play. Gould potted the Power Ball with the first shot from the break in the third frame but missed the subsequent red. With O'Sullivan having the majority of the Power Play left, the lead some became over 100 before missing a red at the end of the double points. There was no damage done as Gould then left a red over a pocket for Ronnie to gobble up before O'Sullivan missed a double. Gould showed him how to do it and then went onto clear up to the black. Gould then length doubled the black to make it 234-138 after the third frame with 12:42 left on the clock. O'Sullivan had another decent break but again missed the Power Ball which Gould planted into the pocket. He used all the Power Play and the remaining balls to reduce the arrears and make it 258-249 with 7:48 remaining to decide the Champion. It was advantage Gould as he had the break in the fifth frame and his consistency continued but with only the blue in play. He missed the yellow and advantage switched to O'Sullivan who missed the shot on the red. Gould didn't make the same mistake twice and played safe behind the green after potting the red. The safety duel wore the clock down to five minutes before Gould found a pot. Gould then took the lead with 4:30 left and he went onto pot the Power Ball with three and a half left. Gould played safe on the green with a lead of 21 and two and a half minutes left. Gould then found another pot and again played safe with one and a half left. Gould finished O'Sullivan off with a snooker that forced a foul to win the game 286-258.
Showing posts with label Snooker. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Snooker. Show all posts
Sunday, 20 November 2011
2011 Power Snooker: Semi Finals
The first semi-final saw World Number One Mark Selby take on Martin Gould. Gould broke off and his consistency continued to get onto a red and followed to pot the Power Ball. He missed the blue to give 45 seconds of the Power Play to Selby. Selby took full advantage and wrapped up the remaining reds before playing safe on the green. The safety exchange left Selby to foul before hitting the green on the second attempt. But Selby fouled again after finding himself behind the black before again hitting it on the second attempt with the scores level at 46 apiece. Gould then fouled after potting the cue ball but nothing was made from it as the defending continued. Selby fouled for a third time in the frame and Gould was awarded a free ball, he potted the black before reverting to safety. Selby finally potted the green to level the score and was then able to up to the pink. Gould was able to pot the pink and black to make it 72-62 to Gould with 15:48 remaining. Selby broke in the second frame and was able to find a pot but then fouled whilst making a shot. Gould came to the table with the balls nicely spread and went onto pot the Power Ball and cleared up to the green. Selby had thirty seconds of the Power Play left and potted the green within the Power Zone but then missed the brown. Gould finished off the colours to stretch his lead to 176-76 with 10:04 left to play. But Gould had the break, which has been his best asset, and was amongst the balls again. Gould took full advantage of the Power Play and forced Selby into making another foul. Gould then cleared the colours to make it 253-84 with 3:22 minutes left of Selby's tournament. Selby spent the remaining time getting himself back into it and managed to pot the Power Ball for the final two minutes. Selby made a fantastic clearance of 162 to make the final score 253-246 to Martin Gould.
On paper, the second semi-final was the more anticipated between Neil Robertson and Ronnie O'Sullivan. The 'Thunder From Down Under' got us started and had plenty of options from the break. But Robertson failed to make anything from it and Ronnie wasn't in the mood to decline the gift. But O'Sullivan missed the Power Ball to give Robertson a reprieve. Robertson left the Power Ball till last and then missed it. After a few jousts, O'Sullivan finally managed to pot the Power Ball and cleared the colours to lead 84-41 after the first frame with 23:38 remaining. Ronnie had the break in the second frame and made an average spread. O'Sullivan bided his time to pot the Power Ball but he made it at the right time to clear up, accumulating 122 points up to the pink. Robertson was able to pot the pink after a couple of exchanges but couldn't sink the black. Even with over seventeen minutes left on the clock Ronnie was playing defensive but still potted the black to lead 213-47 with 17:24 left. Robertson broke in the third frame and potted the Power Ball with his first shot but he completely misjudged a shot on the red to allow O'Sullivan straight back in. The Rocket blasted himself over 200 points clear but got a little too ahead of himself and potted the cue ball with 288 points to his name. Robertson did clear the colours making the score 288-99 with 12:22 remaining. Ronnie then found a pot off his break shot and again waited for the right moment to pot the Power Ball. O'Sullivan snookered himself on the final red but managed to escape unharmed, although Robertson managed to pot it before missing the colour. Nothing would go the Aussie's way, potting the cue ball off the green after already potting the yellow. O'Sullivan cleared from brown to make it 407-105 with 6:32 minutes of Robertson's tournament remaining. With damage limitation the only thing possible for Robertson, he was able to pot off his break. He initiated the Power Play but missed the black with a minute left of the double points. Another clearance was imminent as O'Sullivan pulled out the exhibition shots but missed the final black. With the result all over Robertson tried an exhibition shot of his own but fouled and O'Sullivan made it 493-155 with 1:26 left of Robertson's torture. To make things worse, O'Sullivan potted the Power Ball with the first shot but missed the brown. Robertson, now sporting a cork hat, couldn't make anything more out of it and the final score was 519-157.
On paper, the second semi-final was the more anticipated between Neil Robertson and Ronnie O'Sullivan. The 'Thunder From Down Under' got us started and had plenty of options from the break. But Robertson failed to make anything from it and Ronnie wasn't in the mood to decline the gift. But O'Sullivan missed the Power Ball to give Robertson a reprieve. Robertson left the Power Ball till last and then missed it. After a few jousts, O'Sullivan finally managed to pot the Power Ball and cleared the colours to lead 84-41 after the first frame with 23:38 remaining. Ronnie had the break in the second frame and made an average spread. O'Sullivan bided his time to pot the Power Ball but he made it at the right time to clear up, accumulating 122 points up to the pink. Robertson was able to pot the pink after a couple of exchanges but couldn't sink the black. Even with over seventeen minutes left on the clock Ronnie was playing defensive but still potted the black to lead 213-47 with 17:24 left. Robertson broke in the third frame and potted the Power Ball with his first shot but he completely misjudged a shot on the red to allow O'Sullivan straight back in. The Rocket blasted himself over 200 points clear but got a little too ahead of himself and potted the cue ball with 288 points to his name. Robertson did clear the colours making the score 288-99 with 12:22 remaining. Ronnie then found a pot off his break shot and again waited for the right moment to pot the Power Ball. O'Sullivan snookered himself on the final red but managed to escape unharmed, although Robertson managed to pot it before missing the colour. Nothing would go the Aussie's way, potting the cue ball off the green after already potting the yellow. O'Sullivan cleared from brown to make it 407-105 with 6:32 minutes of Robertson's tournament remaining. With damage limitation the only thing possible for Robertson, he was able to pot off his break. He initiated the Power Play but missed the black with a minute left of the double points. Another clearance was imminent as O'Sullivan pulled out the exhibition shots but missed the final black. With the result all over Robertson tried an exhibition shot of his own but fouled and O'Sullivan made it 493-155 with 1:26 left of Robertson's torture. To make things worse, O'Sullivan potted the Power Ball with the first shot but missed the brown. Robertson, now sporting a cork hat, couldn't make anything more out of it and the final score was 519-157.
2011 Power Snooker: Quarter Finals
First to the table today were Mark Selby and Mark Allen. Selby broke off and quickly potted the first Power Ball of the day and quickly secured over fifty points during the Power Play. Selby missed a red at 65 to allow Allen his first pot of the match. Selby was back in control with Allen only managing to score eight and after clearing up to the black the score stood at 101-15 to Selby at the end of the first frame with 23:25 remaining. Allen made a brilliant recovery pot from his unfortunate break and was able to pot the Power Ball but missed the subsequent red to give control away. Selby took full advantage of the gift to lead 155-45 but he missed the final red at 162. Allen then also missed it and Selby wasn't going to miss twice but then potted the cue ball off the green. Fortunately for Selby, Allen couldn't take advantage and the pair became embroiled in a brown ball chess match. The clocked ticked down and Selby looked more and more like the victor as he kept refusing to pot the brown ball. The Jester From Leicester finally potted the brown but again allowed Allen to pot the black, the score 190-56 with 10:32 left as we entered a third frame. But Selby had the break and potted the Power Ball with his first shot and used the whole of the Power Play to almost put himself in the final four. Selby then missed the final red again but Allen couldn't pot it and another chess match ensued. The final nail in coffin was a foul from Allen and Selby was able to pot the red and clear the colours to make it 327-56 with 4:03 left of Allen's tournament. Allen couldn't restore any pride in the next frame and Selby was amongst the balls once again. He potted the Power Ball with just under a minute left of the match and the final score Selby 398 Allen 56.
Selby would take on the winner between Martin Gould and Stuart Bingham in the semi-finals. Gould got us under way and potted the Power Ball with his first shot after the break. But Gould missed a black with a minute of the Power Play remaining and the score was 30-28 to Gould at the end of the Power Play before Bingham missed a red with the following shot. Gould then snookered himself on the final red but was able to get out of it unscathed but Bingham did pot the red however. Bingham cleared the table to take a 64-50 lead at the end of the first frame with 24:29 remaining. Bingham broke off in the second frame and found a pot to get him going before being able to pot the Power Ball. Bingham was forced to play safe with a minute of the Power Play remaining but Gould still found a pot, making the score 102-82 to Bingham at the end of the Power Play with Gould still at the table. The match hit a scrappy patch with two reds left on the table and the score 102-90. Bingham surrendered one of the reds and Gould re-took the lead, clearing up to blue. Gould was able to pot the blue after a safety exchange and he was able to pot the black with 13:30 left on the clock and the score 131-102 to Gould. Gould had the break in the third frame and immediately potted the Power Ball. Gould missed a black at the end of the Power Play but Bingham rushed the red before Gould returned the favour. Bingham couldn't capitalise however and Gould was straight back into the potting game. Gould played strategically by keeping the final black on the table before finally potting it to lead 238-108 with 6:05 minutes to play. Bingham had the break but couldn't stay on the table courtesy of a misjudgement on a red. Gould was eventually back among the reds after a defensive exchange but still kept his defensive head on to force a foul from Bingham, almost finishing him off. Bingham played the last minute and half without pressure and made the Power Ball to accumulate as much as possible. The final score 247-180 to leave Gould facing Selby in the semis.
The third quarter-final saw Trowbridge lad Stephen Lee take on Australian Neil Robertson. Robertson started the match but quickly allowed Lee to the table, facing a snooker. Both players missed tough shots on the Power Ball before Lee played a carom shot to pot a red, then finally potting the Power Ball. But Lee could only manage 37 and Robertson had a portion of the Power Play left. Robertson couldn't find a pot and the game remained a little scrappy. Robertson finally found his feet but was still forced to play safe and Lee ended up fouling, conceding eight points. Robertson did take the lead but missed the yellow and another safety duel took place. Lee finally dispatched the colours and ended the lengthy first frame, Lee lead 65-46 with only 16:16 left. Lee squandered his break and Robertson could finally get some rhythm in the match. Robertson potted the Power Ball a little while later with four other reds on the table, he managed a century break before Lee left the brown and then found himself snookered. Robertson missed the pink and Lee finally potted the two remaining balls to make it 160-86 in Robertson's favour with 7:15 remaining. Robertson couldn't make anything off his break but Lee left a red in the Power Zone to get Robertson started and the Aussie potted the Power Ball. The balls were kind and Robertson used the full two minutes of the Power Play before missing a blue with three minutes remaining. Lee fluked a black into the right baulk pocket after aiming into the bottom left pocket. Lee again potted the final pink and black to make it 251-125 with 1:15 left, surely not enough time to change the result. Lee didn't have a good break and Robertson potted the Power Ball to end the match in a Power Play. Final score 269-125 to Neil Robertson.
Graeme Dott and Ronnie O'Sullivan battled it out for the chance to play Robertson in the semi-final. The first to potted in the match was the Power Ball, courtesy of O'Sullivan and made 54 from it. Dott was left to clear up and the score was 54-37 at the end of the first frame with 21:39 left. Ronnie then potted from the break shot but wasn't left on a colour. Dott potted the second Power Ball of the match but missed the pink to give Ronnie the opportunity but he missed a black. It was a very sloppy Power Play with very few points being scored before Dott found a little rhythm after the Power Play to take the lead. He made a carom pot, potting the red after clipping the blue but couldn't carry the momentum forward and then potted the cue ball to allow Ronnie in with a chance of a coloured clear-up. O'Sullivan uncharacteristically missed the green and Dott did the job to make it 107-66 in the Sctosman's favour with 13:58 left on the clock. Dott made the break and potted the Power Ball immediately. Dott used the full two minutes to extend a decent lead, making it 182-66 before playing a safety shot on the final red. But Ronnie made a snooker of his own and Dott couldn't hit it, allowing Ronnie to pot. O'Sullivan stood 100 points behind with colours remaining. The score at the end of the third frame: 182-109 with 6:22 remaining. But O'Sullivan fought all the way back to win 185-182 to face Robertson in the semi-finals.
Selby would take on the winner between Martin Gould and Stuart Bingham in the semi-finals. Gould got us under way and potted the Power Ball with his first shot after the break. But Gould missed a black with a minute of the Power Play remaining and the score was 30-28 to Gould at the end of the Power Play before Bingham missed a red with the following shot. Gould then snookered himself on the final red but was able to get out of it unscathed but Bingham did pot the red however. Bingham cleared the table to take a 64-50 lead at the end of the first frame with 24:29 remaining. Bingham broke off in the second frame and found a pot to get him going before being able to pot the Power Ball. Bingham was forced to play safe with a minute of the Power Play remaining but Gould still found a pot, making the score 102-82 to Bingham at the end of the Power Play with Gould still at the table. The match hit a scrappy patch with two reds left on the table and the score 102-90. Bingham surrendered one of the reds and Gould re-took the lead, clearing up to blue. Gould was able to pot the blue after a safety exchange and he was able to pot the black with 13:30 left on the clock and the score 131-102 to Gould. Gould had the break in the third frame and immediately potted the Power Ball. Gould missed a black at the end of the Power Play but Bingham rushed the red before Gould returned the favour. Bingham couldn't capitalise however and Gould was straight back into the potting game. Gould played strategically by keeping the final black on the table before finally potting it to lead 238-108 with 6:05 minutes to play. Bingham had the break but couldn't stay on the table courtesy of a misjudgement on a red. Gould was eventually back among the reds after a defensive exchange but still kept his defensive head on to force a foul from Bingham, almost finishing him off. Bingham played the last minute and half without pressure and made the Power Ball to accumulate as much as possible. The final score 247-180 to leave Gould facing Selby in the semis.
The third quarter-final saw Trowbridge lad Stephen Lee take on Australian Neil Robertson. Robertson started the match but quickly allowed Lee to the table, facing a snooker. Both players missed tough shots on the Power Ball before Lee played a carom shot to pot a red, then finally potting the Power Ball. But Lee could only manage 37 and Robertson had a portion of the Power Play left. Robertson couldn't find a pot and the game remained a little scrappy. Robertson finally found his feet but was still forced to play safe and Lee ended up fouling, conceding eight points. Robertson did take the lead but missed the yellow and another safety duel took place. Lee finally dispatched the colours and ended the lengthy first frame, Lee lead 65-46 with only 16:16 left. Lee squandered his break and Robertson could finally get some rhythm in the match. Robertson potted the Power Ball a little while later with four other reds on the table, he managed a century break before Lee left the brown and then found himself snookered. Robertson missed the pink and Lee finally potted the two remaining balls to make it 160-86 in Robertson's favour with 7:15 remaining. Robertson couldn't make anything off his break but Lee left a red in the Power Zone to get Robertson started and the Aussie potted the Power Ball. The balls were kind and Robertson used the full two minutes of the Power Play before missing a blue with three minutes remaining. Lee fluked a black into the right baulk pocket after aiming into the bottom left pocket. Lee again potted the final pink and black to make it 251-125 with 1:15 left, surely not enough time to change the result. Lee didn't have a good break and Robertson potted the Power Ball to end the match in a Power Play. Final score 269-125 to Neil Robertson.
Graeme Dott and Ronnie O'Sullivan battled it out for the chance to play Robertson in the semi-final. The first to potted in the match was the Power Ball, courtesy of O'Sullivan and made 54 from it. Dott was left to clear up and the score was 54-37 at the end of the first frame with 21:39 left. Ronnie then potted from the break shot but wasn't left on a colour. Dott potted the second Power Ball of the match but missed the pink to give Ronnie the opportunity but he missed a black. It was a very sloppy Power Play with very few points being scored before Dott found a little rhythm after the Power Play to take the lead. He made a carom pot, potting the red after clipping the blue but couldn't carry the momentum forward and then potted the cue ball to allow Ronnie in with a chance of a coloured clear-up. O'Sullivan uncharacteristically missed the green and Dott did the job to make it 107-66 in the Sctosman's favour with 13:58 left on the clock. Dott made the break and potted the Power Ball immediately. Dott used the full two minutes to extend a decent lead, making it 182-66 before playing a safety shot on the final red. But Ronnie made a snooker of his own and Dott couldn't hit it, allowing Ronnie to pot. O'Sullivan stood 100 points behind with colours remaining. The score at the end of the third frame: 182-109 with 6:22 remaining. But O'Sullivan fought all the way back to win 185-182 to face Robertson in the semi-finals.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
2011 Power Snooker: 1st Round, Second Half Results
Mark Williams 211-228 Stephen Lee
Neil Robertson 238-174 Stephen Maguire
Ali Carter 245-335 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ding Junhui 182-288 Graeme Dott
Neil Robertson 238-174 Stephen Maguire
Ali Carter 245-335 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Ding Junhui 182-288 Graeme Dott
The Return of Power Snooker
The break neck speed of Power Snooker returns this weekend. The wayward sister of normal snooker allows a darting atmosphere with matches that will only last half an hour and players battle a twenty second shot clock.. In case you didn't watch it last year, there are nine reds instead of fifteen, the middle red looks like an eleven ball in American pool and is known as the Power Ball. When that is potted, there is a two minute Power Play where everything counts for double points. The baulk zone used to be the haven of safety, but now it is the Power Zone, anything potted from in there also counts double. So if you pot a black during a Power Play whilst in the Power Zone, it will earn a massive 28 points! Get your seatbelts on and enjoy the ride as the top sixteen players battle for the power.
The first match of the tournament saw Mark Selby take on Matt Stevens. Stevens took full advantage of the the Power Zone, making two reds and scoring four points. He took an 18-1 lead and that was soon extended after Selby fouled during a Power Play, which Stevens started, the score then stood at 47-1 at the end of the Power Play with 22 minutes remaining. The clock was stopped with eighteen minutes to go as Selby had brought it back to 47-41 and had potted the remaining balls. This meant a re-rack and the game continued to play out the remaining time. Stevens broke and made the mandatory two reds onto the cushion to continue but could only extend his lead to 55-41. Selby potted the second Power Ball and took full advantage of the Power Play, taking a massive 108-55 lead with fourteen minutes left at the end of the second Power Play. Stevens was able to come back to 109-90 at the end of the second frame, so they entered a third frame with 12:45 to play. Selby then potted the third Power Ball and took full advantage, leading 198-101 at the end of the Power Play with six minutes left. A foul from Stevens allowed Selby to pot the green and brown in the Power Zone, racking up a further fourteen points. The 'Jester From Leicester' then wrapped the third frame up with a 234-101 lead with a further 5:05 left on the clock. But Stevens wasn't done and after a decent break in the fourth frame, he potted the Power Ball but missed a red with over a minute remaining in the Power Play with score at 234-169. Selby couldn't convert anything and Stevens potted the first quadruple colour of the tournament before then missing another red. 234-195 at the end of the fourth Power Play going into the final minute of the match, the final score 243-196.
The second match of the first round saw newcomer, Scotland's John Higgins take on Northern Ireland's Mark Allen. Allen kicked it off and potted straight off the break, earning two points due to the cue ball being in the Power Zone. Allen took a 42-0 lead and forced Higgins into a foul and gave a free ball in the Power Zone which Allen potted green for six points. Allen again played defensive and forced another foul from Higgins, this time on the black and it happened again when he was forced to re-hit it. But Higgins then fluked a red on the third time of asking before then snookering Allen, Allen didn't foul however. Allen then went onto pot the Power Ball but gave away the final minute of the Power Play to Higgins. Higgins made it 85-45 to Allen at the end of the first frame with moments of the Power Play still remaining. Higgins then fouled from the break, gifting fourteen points to Allen. Higgins came back and potted the second Power Ball to initiate the second Power Play.This time Higgins gave away a minute of the Power Play and Allen was able to pot before playing safe. Allen then found a double just before the end of the Power Play and the score was 116-95 with just under sixteen minutes to play. Allen then fouled by potting the cue ball after potting the pink but Higgins couldn't instantly capitalise. The score at the end of the second frame: 128-122 to Allen with 13:02 left. Allen then potted the cue ball from the break to give Higgins the lead but Higgins left a red for Allen start another break. Allen swiftly potted the Power Ball and the third Power Play began, he used the full two minutes before missing with the score now 192-130 in his favour. The match looked to have been wrapped up when Allen secured another fourteen Power Zone points on his way to leading 219-151 at the end of the fourth frame with 3:47 left. Higgins made a legal break this time and was able to start potting until he missed a crucial black. Higgins came back though and potted the Power Ball along with a second red. The match ticked down and the result was confirmed when Higgins fouled by potting the cue ball and Allen scored a quadruple blue. The final score 255-177 to see Allen play Selby in tomorrow's quarter finals.
The penultimate first round match of the session saw Judd Trump take on Martin Gould.Gould potted the first Power Ball of the match before surrendering the final fifteen seconds of the Power Play, allowing Trump to put points on the board. The score after the first frame 72-52 to Trump with 24:14 left but Gould potted two reds off the break and went onto pot the Power Ball. The match was now closed to 108-106 at the end of the second Power Play before Gould extended his lead to 143-106 going into the third frame. Gould again potted the Power Ball and took his score to 204 before Trump reduced the arrears to 204-154 before the start of the fourth frame. Trump couldn't get himself back into it with numerous fouls and shots not going the way he'd have liked. Gould took a lead of 305-173 with 4:41 remaining and a fifth frame about to start. Trump unfortunately left it too little too late and the final score was 332-229 to Martin Gould.
The final match of the session saw Shaun Murphy battle it out against Stuart Bingham. The Power Play was initiated within the first couple of minutes. It remained extremely close with Murphy leading 39-36 as Bingham tried potting the colours up until the brown. Bingham was able to take a 64-54 at the end of the first frame with 19:58 to go. Bingham then extended his lead during the second Power Play, leading 117-56 and forced Murphy to pot the brown illegally, conceding eight points. Bingham then made it 171-56 at the end of the second frame with 14:02 remaining. Bingham continued to dominate in the third frame, keeping Murphy from scoring and Bingham then converted the Power Ball. Bingham forced another foul during the Power Play and made Murphy retake the shot with the same outcome before conceding a further twenty points for three consecutive fouls. With the win now all but secured, Bingham started to play defensive to keep his over 200 point lead intact. The score at the end of the third frame, 319-61 with 6:17 minutes to play. Murphy started the fourth frame convincingly but conceded the Power Play to Bingham and the débutante stretched his lead to nearly 300 points. The final score 376-112.
Monday, 18 July 2011
2011 Snooker World Cup: Final
With the favourites England, Scotland and Wales all out of contention, China looked to be the favourites against the kings of the decider, Northern Ireland. China wasted no time in taking full control of the match with Ding beating Allen and Liang beating Greene to go 2-0 ahead. China then increased it to 3-0 with a 77-36 win in the doubles to only require one more frame. But Northern Ireland weren't finished and Allen beat Liang 69-55 before Greene beat Ding to make it 3-2 and force the second doubles frame. China took the frame 89-0 to be crowned the 2011 Snooker World Champions.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
2011 Snooker World Cup: Quarter & Semi-Finals
The knock-out rounds of the 2011 Snooker World Cup were slightly different to the group matches. The matches were now a best of seven, the first five frames went like the group phase but this time the sixth frame was a second doubles frame and (if required) the seventh frame was between whoever the two captains decided.
China eased into the semi-finals with a 4-1 victory over Republic Ireland, Ireland only managed to win the first doubles frame. They would meet Wales in today's semi-final as they beat Australia. Australia won the first doubles frame before Matt Stevens lost to Robertson to make it 3-2 Wales and force the second doubles frame. Wales won it to win the match 4-2.
England were edged out by Hong Kong in the first of two quarter finals to go the distance. Fu beat Selby in the opening frame and won the first doubles match to lead 2-1. Hong Kong then won the second doubles frame to make it to force the deciding frame. Selby and Fu then did battle again but it was Fu who again won to give Hong Kong the place in the semi-finals. They will face Northern Ireland who went the distance with Scotland. Mark Allen beat Higgins in the opener and Greene made it 2-0 with a win over Maguire. Scotland won the doubles and Higgins beat Greene to make it 2-2. Allen beat Maguire and Scotland then won the second doubles frame to force it to the decider. Higgins took on Allen and Allen again beat the world number one to see them progress.
China wasted no time against Wales in the first semi-final. Stevens was able to beat Liang Wenbo to equalise at 1-1, but China went onto win 4-1 to put themselves into the final. China will meet Northern Ireland who again went the distance with Hong Kong. Hong Kong won the initial doubles frame to make it 2-1 in Northern Ireland's favour. Fung Kwok Wai then beat Allen before Hong Kong again won the doubles to make it 3-3 and force the decider yet again. But Allen was able to get the better of Fu to see the Northern Irish into the final.
China eased into the semi-finals with a 4-1 victory over Republic Ireland, Ireland only managed to win the first doubles frame. They would meet Wales in today's semi-final as they beat Australia. Australia won the first doubles frame before Matt Stevens lost to Robertson to make it 3-2 Wales and force the second doubles frame. Wales won it to win the match 4-2.
England were edged out by Hong Kong in the first of two quarter finals to go the distance. Fu beat Selby in the opening frame and won the first doubles match to lead 2-1. Hong Kong then won the second doubles frame to make it to force the deciding frame. Selby and Fu then did battle again but it was Fu who again won to give Hong Kong the place in the semi-finals. They will face Northern Ireland who went the distance with Scotland. Mark Allen beat Higgins in the opener and Greene made it 2-0 with a win over Maguire. Scotland won the doubles and Higgins beat Greene to make it 2-2. Allen beat Maguire and Scotland then won the second doubles frame to force it to the decider. Higgins took on Allen and Allen again beat the world number one to see them progress.
China wasted no time against Wales in the first semi-final. Stevens was able to beat Liang Wenbo to equalise at 1-1, but China went onto win 4-1 to put themselves into the final. China will meet Northern Ireland who again went the distance with Hong Kong. Hong Kong won the initial doubles frame to make it 2-1 in Northern Ireland's favour. Fung Kwok Wai then beat Allen before Hong Kong again won the doubles to make it 3-3 and force the decider yet again. But Allen was able to get the better of Fu to see the Northern Irish into the final.
Friday, 15 July 2011
2011 Snooker World Cup: Day 5
The fifth day of the Snooker World Cup brought an end to group phase as we now know which eight teams will participate in tomorrow's quarter finals. Day five's results and final tables:
Group A: Egypt 2-3 Pakistan: Egypt won the doubles to lead 2-1 but Pakistan won the reverse singles, but they miss out on the quarter finals by a point.
Wales 3-2 Republic Ireland: Doherty beat Stevens in the final singles match to ensure Ireland's progression by a solitary point.
Wales 14
Republic Ireland 11
Pakistan 10
Germany 9
Egypt 6
Group B: UAE 1-4 Australia: Shehab beats Mifsud to avoid the whitewash as Australia win group B.
Thailand A 1-4 China: Wattana beat Ding in the opener but China powered through as Malta miss out on knock-out phase by a single point.
Australia 13
China 13
Malta 12
Thailand A 8
UAE 4
Group C: Brazil 1-4 India: Rodrigues beat Mehta to avoid whitewash as India clinch third place.
England 3-2 Northern Ireland: England win first/second play-off as Carter beat Allen to clinch it after losing to Greene earlier on.
England 14
Northern Ireland 13
India 9
Belgium 8
Brazil 6
Group D: Thailand B 4-1 Poland: Another shock result as Poland win the doubles to avoid the whitewash. But Thailand B miss out of progression by a point.
Scotland 3-2 Hong Kong: Fu beat Maguire in the final singles match to ensure their progression after winning the doubles.
Scotland 13
Hong Kong 11
Thailand B 10
Afghanistan 9
Poland 7
Group A: Egypt 2-3 Pakistan: Egypt won the doubles to lead 2-1 but Pakistan won the reverse singles, but they miss out on the quarter finals by a point.
Wales 3-2 Republic Ireland: Doherty beat Stevens in the final singles match to ensure Ireland's progression by a solitary point.
Wales 14
Republic Ireland 11
Pakistan 10
Germany 9
Egypt 6
Group B: UAE 1-4 Australia: Shehab beats Mifsud to avoid the whitewash as Australia win group B.
Thailand A 1-4 China: Wattana beat Ding in the opener but China powered through as Malta miss out on knock-out phase by a single point.
Australia 13
China 13
Malta 12
Thailand A 8
UAE 4
Group C: Brazil 1-4 India: Rodrigues beat Mehta to avoid whitewash as India clinch third place.
England 3-2 Northern Ireland: England win first/second play-off as Carter beat Allen to clinch it after losing to Greene earlier on.
England 14
Northern Ireland 13
India 9
Belgium 8
Brazil 6
Group D: Thailand B 4-1 Poland: Another shock result as Poland win the doubles to avoid the whitewash. But Thailand B miss out of progression by a point.
Scotland 3-2 Hong Kong: Fu beat Maguire in the final singles match to ensure their progression after winning the doubles.
Scotland 13
Hong Kong 11
Thailand B 10
Afghanistan 9
Poland 7
Thursday, 14 July 2011
2011 Snooker World Cup: Day 4
Results and tables from the penultimate day of group games in the Snooker World Cup:
Group A: Wales 3-2 Pakistan: The Welsh pairing lost both of the reverse singles matches as Pakistan earn two more points
Germany 2-3 Republic Ireland: Ireland are now level on points with Germany in the battle for second place.
Wales 11
Germany 9
Republic Ireland 9
Pakistan 7
Egypt 4
Group B: UAE 0-5 Malta: Malta secure only the second whitewash as they finish the group stage as UAE crash out of the tournament.
China 3-2 Australia: China edge possibly the most arduous game so far. Robertson won both of his singles to secure two points for Australia
Malta 12
Australia 9
China 9
Thailand A 7
UAE 3
Group C: Belgium 2-3 Northern Ireland: Greene won both his singles while Brecel beat Allen in the final singles match to earn Belgium another two points, but it won't be enough to progress.
England 4-1 India: India win the doubles to avoid the whitewash as England are through with Northern Ireland
England 11
Northern Ireland 11
Belgium 8
Brazil 5
India 5
Group D: Poland 1-4 Afghanistan: Filipiak won opener against Rais before Afghanistan secure the shock result of the tournament so far.
Scotland 3-2 Thailand B: Higgins lost opener to Sanwannawat but Maguire won both of his singles. Thailand B earned their second point via the doubles.
Scotland 10
Hong Kong 9
Afghanistan 9
Poland 6
Thailand B 6
Group A: Wales 3-2 Pakistan: The Welsh pairing lost both of the reverse singles matches as Pakistan earn two more points
Germany 2-3 Republic Ireland: Ireland are now level on points with Germany in the battle for second place.
Wales 11
Germany 9
Republic Ireland 9
Pakistan 7
Egypt 4
Group B: UAE 0-5 Malta: Malta secure only the second whitewash as they finish the group stage as UAE crash out of the tournament.
China 3-2 Australia: China edge possibly the most arduous game so far. Robertson won both of his singles to secure two points for Australia
Malta 12
Australia 9
China 9
Thailand A 7
UAE 3
Group C: Belgium 2-3 Northern Ireland: Greene won both his singles while Brecel beat Allen in the final singles match to earn Belgium another two points, but it won't be enough to progress.
England 4-1 India: India win the doubles to avoid the whitewash as England are through with Northern Ireland
England 11
Northern Ireland 11
Belgium 8
Brazil 5
India 5
Group D: Poland 1-4 Afghanistan: Filipiak won opener against Rais before Afghanistan secure the shock result of the tournament so far.
Scotland 3-2 Thailand B: Higgins lost opener to Sanwannawat but Maguire won both of his singles. Thailand B earned their second point via the doubles.
Scotland 10
Hong Kong 9
Afghanistan 9
Poland 6
Thailand B 6
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
2011 Snooker World Cup: Day 3
Day Three's results and tables:
Group A: Egypt 1-4 Republic Ireland
Wales 3-2 Germany: Matt Stevens didn't have a great day at the office as he lost 21-74 to Munstermann after Williams had beaten Einsle 56-43. After winning the doubles 90-0, Williams ensured Wales' win with a 74-0 win over Munstermann before Stevens lost again 14-58 to Einsle.
Wales 8
Germany 7
Republic Ireland 6
Pakistan 5
Egypt 4
Group B: China 3-2 UAE
Malta 3-2 Thailand A: Tony Drago lost both of his singles frames on the final black ball but the amateur Borg beat both Wattana and Poomjaeng with the Maltese pair also winning the doubles.
Australia 7
Malta 7
Thailand A 7
China 6
UAE 3
Group C: Brazil 1-4 Northern Ireland
England 3-2 Belgium: Mark Selby carried the English through as Ali Carter lost both of his singles frames. Selby beat Haneveer 79-7 before Carter lost 69-4 to young prospect Brecel. England won the doubles 78-0 before Selby reached 102 to beat Brecel. Carter then lost 67-7 to Haneveer to keep Belgium in the hunt.
Northern Ireland 8
England 7
Belgium 6
Brazil 5
India 4
Group D: Hong Kong 4-1 Thailand B
Scotland 4-1 Afghanistan
Hong Kong 9
Scotland 7
Poland 5
Afghanistan 5
Thailand B 4
Group A: Egypt 1-4 Republic Ireland
Wales 3-2 Germany: Matt Stevens didn't have a great day at the office as he lost 21-74 to Munstermann after Williams had beaten Einsle 56-43. After winning the doubles 90-0, Williams ensured Wales' win with a 74-0 win over Munstermann before Stevens lost again 14-58 to Einsle.
Wales 8
Germany 7
Republic Ireland 6
Pakistan 5
Egypt 4
Group B: China 3-2 UAE
Malta 3-2 Thailand A: Tony Drago lost both of his singles frames on the final black ball but the amateur Borg beat both Wattana and Poomjaeng with the Maltese pair also winning the doubles.
Australia 7
Malta 7
Thailand A 7
China 6
UAE 3
Group C: Brazil 1-4 Northern Ireland
England 3-2 Belgium: Mark Selby carried the English through as Ali Carter lost both of his singles frames. Selby beat Haneveer 79-7 before Carter lost 69-4 to young prospect Brecel. England won the doubles 78-0 before Selby reached 102 to beat Brecel. Carter then lost 67-7 to Haneveer to keep Belgium in the hunt.
Northern Ireland 8
England 7
Belgium 6
Brazil 5
India 4
Group D: Hong Kong 4-1 Thailand B
Scotland 4-1 Afghanistan
Hong Kong 9
Scotland 7
Poland 5
Afghanistan 5
Thailand B 4
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
2011 Snooker World Cup: Day 2
Day two's results and tables (frame difference in brackets):
Group A: Pakistan 2-3 Germany
Wales 5-0 Egypt
Wales 5 (5-0)
Pakistan 5 (5-5)
Germany 5 (5-5)
Egypt 3
Republic Ireland 2
Group B: Malta 2-3 Australia
Thailand A 4-1 UAE
Australia 7
Thailand A 5
Malta 4
China 3
UAE 1
Group C: India 3-2 Belgium
England 4-1 Brazil
England 4 (4-1)
Northern Ireland 4 (4-1)
Belgium 4 (4-6)
Brazil 4 (4-6)
India 4 (4-6)
Group D: Scotland 3-2 Poland
Afghanistan 2-3 Hong Kong
Poland 5 (5-5)
Hong Kong 5 (5-5)
Afghanistan 4 (4-6)
Scotland 3 (3-2)
Thailand B 3 (3-2)
Group A: Pakistan 2-3 Germany
Wales 5-0 Egypt
Wales 5 (5-0)
Pakistan 5 (5-5)
Germany 5 (5-5)
Egypt 3
Republic Ireland 2
Group B: Malta 2-3 Australia
Thailand A 4-1 UAE
Australia 7
Thailand A 5
Malta 4
China 3
UAE 1
Group C: India 3-2 Belgium
England 4-1 Brazil
England 4 (4-1)
Northern Ireland 4 (4-1)
Belgium 4 (4-6)
Brazil 4 (4-6)
India 4 (4-6)
Group D: Scotland 3-2 Poland
Afghanistan 2-3 Hong Kong
Poland 5 (5-5)
Hong Kong 5 (5-5)
Afghanistan 4 (4-6)
Scotland 3 (3-2)
Thailand B 3 (3-2)
Monday, 11 July 2011
Return Of The Snooker World Cup
SWC in sport usually stands for the Speedway World Cup, but today marked the return of the Snooker World Cup taking place in Bangkok, Thailand. It's been fifteen years since we saw the last tournament and it's good to see it back. Twenty nations take part each with two players representing them. The teams are split into four groups of five and the top two progress to the quarter finals. Each team plays four matches which consist of five frames and are played much like a Davis Cup match in tennis. The top players from each team go head-to-head before the second players in a single frame shoot-out. The third frame consists of a doubles frame where alternate shots are enforced before the single matches are reversed. Every frame counts as each frame won constitutes to a point in the group.
Group A consists of Wales, Egypt, Pakistan, Germany and Republic of Ireland. Wales are one of the favourites as Mark Williams and Matt Stevens are representing them. ROI look a strong side with Ken Doherty and Fergal O'Brien and will be tipped to progress with Wales. Germany are a wildcard entrant and would probably be tipped to finish third with possible star of the future Patrick Einsle and Lasse Munstermann representing them. Both Egypt and Pakistan qualified and are virtually unknown with Wael Talat and Yasser El-Sherbini playing for Egypt and Sahid Aftab and Muhammad Sajjad for Pakistan. Today saw both Doherty and O'Brien secure centuries against Pakistan but unbelievably ended up losing 3-2 with Pakistan never breaking higher than twenty-five. Meanwhile Egypt beat Germany by the same scoreline.
Group B consists of China, Thailand A (they get two teams as they are the hosts), UAE, Malta and Australia. China will be fancied to win this group with Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo playing for them. Australia will probably be tipped for second with former World Champion Neil Robertson playing alongside amateur Steve Mifsud. However Malta have veteran Tony Drago with Alex Borg and Thailand A have former world number three James Wattana with Dechawat Poomjaeng and could both be dark horses in this competition. UAE, like Malta, had to qualify and are represented by Mohammed Mustafa Shehab and Mohammed Al Joaker. Today saw Australia beat Thailand A 4-1 and China beat Malta 3-2.
Group C consists of England, Brazil, India, Belgium and Northern Ireland. Again England are part favourites with Wuxi Classic finalists Mark Selby and Ali Carter joining forces. Northern Ireland are likely to progress with Mark Allen and Gerard Greene at the table. Belgium would be my tip to finish third as sixteen year-old prodigy Luca Brecel will playing alongside Bjorn Haneveer. Brazil are wildcards and are represented by Fabio Luersen and Noel Rodrigues while India qualified and are represented by Aditya Metha and Pankaj Advani. Today saw Brazil surprisingly beat Belgium 3-2 but Northern Ireland did as expected with a 4-1 win over India.
Group D consists of Scotland, Thailand B, Afghanistan, Poland and Hong Kong. Scotland are clear favourites in this group and possibly the overall tournament with John Higgins and Stephen Maguire playing for them. Hong Kong would probably be tipped for second with Marco Fu playing alongside Fung Kwok Wai, but qualifiers Poland could be dark horses being represented by fifteen year old Kacper Filipiak and Krzystof Wrobel. Thailand B and Afghanistan will probably be fighting it out for the bottom two places being represented by Passakorn Sunwannawat and Thepchaiya Un-nooh, Mohammad Rais Senzahi and Saleh Mohammad Mohammadi respectively. Today saw Thailand B beat Afghanistan 3-2 and Poland surprisingly beat Hong Kong by the same score.
Group A consists of Wales, Egypt, Pakistan, Germany and Republic of Ireland. Wales are one of the favourites as Mark Williams and Matt Stevens are representing them. ROI look a strong side with Ken Doherty and Fergal O'Brien and will be tipped to progress with Wales. Germany are a wildcard entrant and would probably be tipped to finish third with possible star of the future Patrick Einsle and Lasse Munstermann representing them. Both Egypt and Pakistan qualified and are virtually unknown with Wael Talat and Yasser El-Sherbini playing for Egypt and Sahid Aftab and Muhammad Sajjad for Pakistan. Today saw both Doherty and O'Brien secure centuries against Pakistan but unbelievably ended up losing 3-2 with Pakistan never breaking higher than twenty-five. Meanwhile Egypt beat Germany by the same scoreline.
Group B consists of China, Thailand A (they get two teams as they are the hosts), UAE, Malta and Australia. China will be fancied to win this group with Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo playing for them. Australia will probably be tipped for second with former World Champion Neil Robertson playing alongside amateur Steve Mifsud. However Malta have veteran Tony Drago with Alex Borg and Thailand A have former world number three James Wattana with Dechawat Poomjaeng and could both be dark horses in this competition. UAE, like Malta, had to qualify and are represented by Mohammed Mustafa Shehab and Mohammed Al Joaker. Today saw Australia beat Thailand A 4-1 and China beat Malta 3-2.
Group C consists of England, Brazil, India, Belgium and Northern Ireland. Again England are part favourites with Wuxi Classic finalists Mark Selby and Ali Carter joining forces. Northern Ireland are likely to progress with Mark Allen and Gerard Greene at the table. Belgium would be my tip to finish third as sixteen year-old prodigy Luca Brecel will playing alongside Bjorn Haneveer. Brazil are wildcards and are represented by Fabio Luersen and Noel Rodrigues while India qualified and are represented by Aditya Metha and Pankaj Advani. Today saw Brazil surprisingly beat Belgium 3-2 but Northern Ireland did as expected with a 4-1 win over India.
Group D consists of Scotland, Thailand B, Afghanistan, Poland and Hong Kong. Scotland are clear favourites in this group and possibly the overall tournament with John Higgins and Stephen Maguire playing for them. Hong Kong would probably be tipped for second with Marco Fu playing alongside Fung Kwok Wai, but qualifiers Poland could be dark horses being represented by fifteen year old Kacper Filipiak and Krzystof Wrobel. Thailand B and Afghanistan will probably be fighting it out for the bottom two places being represented by Passakorn Sunwannawat and Thepchaiya Un-nooh, Mohammad Rais Senzahi and Saleh Mohammad Mohammadi respectively. Today saw Thailand B beat Afghanistan 3-2 and Poland surprisingly beat Hong Kong by the same score.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
This One's For You Dad
Last night saw the climax to one of the best World Snooker Championships for a long time. The final consisted of three time World Champion John Higgins and young superstar Judd Trump.
Trump beat his Welsh Open final opponent Niel Robertson in the first round, followed by Martin Gould and Graeme Dott before beating the plucky Ding Junhui in the semi-finals. Higgins started off his UK Championship route with a win over Stephen Lee before eventually winning his comeback tournament. Higgins did it again here before dismissing Rory McLeod in the second round. It only got harder for Higgins as he had to overcome Ronnie O'Sullivan in the quartes and world number one Mark Williams in the semis.
Trump got off to the best start in the final by taking a 2-0 lead but Higgins fought back to make it 2-3. They were locked on 4-4 after the first session but Trump again got clarity at 7-5 before Higgins again fought back for parity. Again Trump built up momentum and took a 10-7 followed by a 12-9 lead in the best of 35 frames. But Higgins again fought back like a true champion and took the lead himself at 12-14 before Trump continued to battle to 15-15. But Higgins' experience prevailed and he went onto win 18-15 for his fourth World Championship crown, a fitting tribute to his late father who sadly passed away in February this year.
Monday, 31 January 2011
Blackpool Gets a Shock Victor
The quarter finals, semi-finals and the final all took place in yesterday's evening session of the World Snooker Shoot-out. There were still shocks to be had including the eventual winner.
Quarter Finals: Judd Trump was the first to be eliminated at this stage despite taking a 26-0 lead. His opponent Milkins came to the table and ended up winning the match 50-27. The impressive Mark King also got defeated, his opponent was the veteran Nigel Bond. Bond took the lead from the outset but just edged the match 29-23.
The shock of the quarter finals was world number one Neil Robertson getting dumped out by Marcus Campbell. Campbell took an early lead of 47-0 but Robertson looked certain to pull it back. However he missed an easy red at 47-33 and Campbell took the match 57-49. Mike Dunn was on course to beat the favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan at 14-0 but he ended up potting the cue ball. From there Ronnie only needed the one visit to progress into the semis with a 94-14 win.
Semi Finals: With three of the semi-finalists seeded below thirty a big surprise was on the cards. It was 36th seed Nigel Bond who secured the first sot in the final with a comprehensive 55-14 win. But the big shock was 33rd seed Milkins beating Ronnie O'Sullivan. Milkins took an early lead of 19-0 before Ronnie fought back to take the lead before missing a black at 26-19. Milkins took full advantage to win 72-35.
Final: With a shock victor already on the cards it was just a matter of which player would win it in the most nerve racking ten minutes of their lives. Milkins got the first chance after a long red but couldn't get on a colour and a poor safety led Bond to take a 6-1 lead. Following a defensive battle Bond was in again to move his score up to twenty before Milkins hit a fantastic plant, but he hit so well he wasn't on a colour. This allowed Bond to take full control of the game to win it 58-23 and become the first World Snooker Shoot-Out Champion.
Overall the tournament has been a big success with the element of surprise being a huge influential factor. Many purists would have hated ITV's Power Snooker as the rules were very different. But I think the purists will be a little happier with this format because the normal snooker rules apply (apart from ball in hand), all that is different is perhaps the speed but that only makes it more enjoyable. Steve Davis got it spot on by saying that 'Barry Hearn has the Midas touch when it comes to bringing in new tournaments' and indeed, it seems, he does.
Quarter Finals: Judd Trump was the first to be eliminated at this stage despite taking a 26-0 lead. His opponent Milkins came to the table and ended up winning the match 50-27. The impressive Mark King also got defeated, his opponent was the veteran Nigel Bond. Bond took the lead from the outset but just edged the match 29-23.
The shock of the quarter finals was world number one Neil Robertson getting dumped out by Marcus Campbell. Campbell took an early lead of 47-0 but Robertson looked certain to pull it back. However he missed an easy red at 47-33 and Campbell took the match 57-49. Mike Dunn was on course to beat the favourite Ronnie O'Sullivan at 14-0 but he ended up potting the cue ball. From there Ronnie only needed the one visit to progress into the semis with a 94-14 win.
Semi Finals: With three of the semi-finalists seeded below thirty a big surprise was on the cards. It was 36th seed Nigel Bond who secured the first sot in the final with a comprehensive 55-14 win. But the big shock was 33rd seed Milkins beating Ronnie O'Sullivan. Milkins took an early lead of 19-0 before Ronnie fought back to take the lead before missing a black at 26-19. Milkins took full advantage to win 72-35.
Final: With a shock victor already on the cards it was just a matter of which player would win it in the most nerve racking ten minutes of their lives. Milkins got the first chance after a long red but couldn't get on a colour and a poor safety led Bond to take a 6-1 lead. Following a defensive battle Bond was in again to move his score up to twenty before Milkins hit a fantastic plant, but he hit so well he wasn't on a colour. This allowed Bond to take full control of the game to win it 58-23 and become the first World Snooker Shoot-Out Champion.
Overall the tournament has been a big success with the element of surprise being a huge influential factor. Many purists would have hated ITV's Power Snooker as the rules were very different. But I think the purists will be a little happier with this format because the normal snooker rules apply (apart from ball in hand), all that is different is perhaps the speed but that only makes it more enjoyable. Steve Davis got it spot on by saying that 'Barry Hearn has the Midas touch when it comes to bringing in new tournaments' and indeed, it seems, he does.
Sunday, 30 January 2011
World Shoot-Out: Third Round
Today is the final day of the inaugural World Snooker Shoot-Out with the third round taking place earlier today and the remaining rounds taking later tonight. First out of the hat for the third round was Mark King against Fergal O'Brien, so far no-one has scored a point against King. But this time was different however O'Brien only managed five as King won 61-5 to be the first into the quarter finals.
The second match saw Nigel Bond take on Rory McLeod. It was the veteran who got off to the best start after McLeod fouled on the pink to allow Bond a 42-7 lead. But, just like yesterday, McLeod fought back and went three points ahead before the timer rushed him into missing the final red and leaving it on. Bond potted it and went onto win 47-45.
Stuart Bingham was also guilty of fouling in a match where his opponent Mike Dunn seemed in total control, Dunn won 52-6. Trump made it into the third round by a single point and his third round match against Peter Lines was just as close. Trump made the early lead before fouling twice to allow Lines take a 37-17 lead. But Trump came back to win 39-37 to make into the quarters.
The darkhorse Robert Milkins performed well again to make it into the quarter finals. Day actually took a 22-6 lead before fouling on the black to allow Milkins to win 48-22. After Robertson's last gasp victory yesterday, he proved no match for Ken Doherty as the world number one eased through with a 63-13 lead.
The match of the round, on paper, was Ronnie O'Sullivan versus Mark Selby but like Marco Fu in the first round, Selby only got one shot. Ronnie cleared up to the black to win 129-0 to cement the top break of the tournament so far. The final third round match saw Campbell also ease into the quarter finals with a break of 76 to beat Anthony Hamilton 88-0.
The second match saw Nigel Bond take on Rory McLeod. It was the veteran who got off to the best start after McLeod fouled on the pink to allow Bond a 42-7 lead. But, just like yesterday, McLeod fought back and went three points ahead before the timer rushed him into missing the final red and leaving it on. Bond potted it and went onto win 47-45.
Stuart Bingham was also guilty of fouling in a match where his opponent Mike Dunn seemed in total control, Dunn won 52-6. Trump made it into the third round by a single point and his third round match against Peter Lines was just as close. Trump made the early lead before fouling twice to allow Lines take a 37-17 lead. But Trump came back to win 39-37 to make into the quarters.
The darkhorse Robert Milkins performed well again to make it into the quarter finals. Day actually took a 22-6 lead before fouling on the black to allow Milkins to win 48-22. After Robertson's last gasp victory yesterday, he proved no match for Ken Doherty as the world number one eased through with a 63-13 lead.
The match of the round, on paper, was Ronnie O'Sullivan versus Mark Selby but like Marco Fu in the first round, Selby only got one shot. Ronnie cleared up to the black to win 129-0 to cement the top break of the tournament so far. The final third round match saw Campbell also ease into the quarter finals with a break of 76 to beat Anthony Hamilton 88-0.
Saturday, 29 January 2011
World Shoot-Out: Second Round
Tonight's action from Blackpool saw the second round matches take place. The beauty of it was that the draw was only made when it came live on air at 6pm so no-one knew who was going to play who. The first match drawn was Nigel Bond against Stephen Lee and the veteran Bond managed a 91 break to win 96-0.
The youngster Trump also managed to progress into the last sixteen by the skin of his teeth. His opponent was Mark Davis and it was the closest match of the tournament so far with Trump winning 31-30. Marcus Campbell was able to beat Andrew Higginson 67-1 to also progress.
The draw didn't produce many glitzy ties but we were still given our fair share of drama. Alfie Burden looked like he was progressing into the last sixteen with a 59-39 lead over Mike Dunn with only two minutes left. However a poor snooker allowed Dunn to fluke a shot and comeback to pinch the match 66-59.
Robert Milkins impressed in the first round and could prove to be a darkhorse with a 54-9 win over Tom Ford. Stuart Bingham also progressed by the tightest of margins to beat Adrian Gunnell 37-34. Tony Drago was given a bye into the second round but only just lost the match against Rory McLeod in amazing fashion. Drago had a 59-1 lead at one stage but McLeod forced it all the way to a black ball finish, in which McLeod smashed the black around three corners before his cannoned off the cue ball into a pocket with the cue ball agonizingly close to going in as well, McLeod pinched it 61-57.
Mark Selby kept up his title credentials with a comfortable 89-6 win over Stuart Pettman. John Higgins wasn't so lucky and became the first shock of the second round as he lost 54-47 to Peter Lines. World number one Neil Robertson also showed his worth with the tightest match yet, the score was 49-43 to Alan McManus with seconds remaining and Robertson on the black. Robertson struck the shot before the time ran out but the black didn't drop until after the time was up. Referee Paul Collier stated that because the shot was struck before the time ran out then it counts and Robertson progresses with a 50-49 victory.
Ronnie O'Sullivan didn't have such drama and was able to see off Rod Lawler 93-34. Ali Carter expressed how much he wanted to win this competition but his hopes were diminished by Fergal O'Brien with the Irishman winning 57-48. Anthony Hamilton managed to beat Dominic Dale 32-15 to progress.
Steve Davis' dream was burst by Mark King after King fell one short of O'Sullivan's highest break of 113 to win 120-0. In a battle of veterans, Ken Doherty managed to beat Joe Perry with a score of 83-25. The final match of the round and the night saw Ryan Day end Graeme Dott's hopes of success with a 53-40 win. The last sixteen raw takes place as soon as the action does at 2pm tomorrow.
The youngster Trump also managed to progress into the last sixteen by the skin of his teeth. His opponent was Mark Davis and it was the closest match of the tournament so far with Trump winning 31-30. Marcus Campbell was able to beat Andrew Higginson 67-1 to also progress.
The draw didn't produce many glitzy ties but we were still given our fair share of drama. Alfie Burden looked like he was progressing into the last sixteen with a 59-39 lead over Mike Dunn with only two minutes left. However a poor snooker allowed Dunn to fluke a shot and comeback to pinch the match 66-59.
Robert Milkins impressed in the first round and could prove to be a darkhorse with a 54-9 win over Tom Ford. Stuart Bingham also progressed by the tightest of margins to beat Adrian Gunnell 37-34. Tony Drago was given a bye into the second round but only just lost the match against Rory McLeod in amazing fashion. Drago had a 59-1 lead at one stage but McLeod forced it all the way to a black ball finish, in which McLeod smashed the black around three corners before his cannoned off the cue ball into a pocket with the cue ball agonizingly close to going in as well, McLeod pinched it 61-57.
Mark Selby kept up his title credentials with a comfortable 89-6 win over Stuart Pettman. John Higgins wasn't so lucky and became the first shock of the second round as he lost 54-47 to Peter Lines. World number one Neil Robertson also showed his worth with the tightest match yet, the score was 49-43 to Alan McManus with seconds remaining and Robertson on the black. Robertson struck the shot before the time ran out but the black didn't drop until after the time was up. Referee Paul Collier stated that because the shot was struck before the time ran out then it counts and Robertson progresses with a 50-49 victory.
Ronnie O'Sullivan didn't have such drama and was able to see off Rod Lawler 93-34. Ali Carter expressed how much he wanted to win this competition but his hopes were diminished by Fergal O'Brien with the Irishman winning 57-48. Anthony Hamilton managed to beat Dominic Dale 32-15 to progress.
Steve Davis' dream was burst by Mark King after King fell one short of O'Sullivan's highest break of 113 to win 120-0. In a battle of veterans, Ken Doherty managed to beat Joe Perry with a score of 83-25. The final match of the round and the night saw Ryan Day end Graeme Dott's hopes of success with a 53-40 win. The last sixteen raw takes place as soon as the action does at 2pm tomorrow.
World Shoot-Out: Second Half of Round One
Just like yesterday, today's afternoon session saw the remaining first round matches with all the upsets and top performances. First up was World number one Neil Robertson as he took on Barry Pinches. Robertson showed his class with a break of 81 to make a century score, winning 106-15.
Barry Hawkins was fighting back against Peter Lines until a crucial foul that allowed Lines to win 65-24. The first shock of the afternoon came in the form of Shaun Murphy as he tumbled out to Rory McLeod. There was less than a minute remaining with McLeod still three behind but the underdog managed to pinch it and show Murphy the door.
A century break of 106 saw Alfie Burden beat Matthew Selt with the first whitewash of day's play. Joe Perry rolled back the years to break the century scoreline with a top break of 71, he overcame Ricky Walden 130-0.
The highly fancied Judd Trump was almost shown the door against Dave Harold. Harold was in control until he lost track of the time and the shot clock forced an error. This left Trump to win 52-31. Graeme Dott joined fellow veterans into the second round with a 99-16 victory over Matthew Couch.
It does seem that this tournament is surprisingly suiting the veterans as Ken Doherty also progressed with an 81-1 victory over Jamie Cope. Adrian Gunnell became the first player of the tournament to overturn a deficit of thirty points. He was 30-0 behind against David Morris but Gunnell fought back to win 85-30.
Rod Lawler also produced a somewhat surprise in beating Gerard Greene. Greene should have won it when he came back from 36-0 down but he missed an easy red at 38-36 to allow Lawler to win 55-38. Mike Dunn also beat Matthew Stevens 67-36 to progress into the last 32.
In one of the lesser games, Stuart Pettman just edged out Belgian Bjorn Hanneveer. Hanneveer managed to fluke his way to a winning chance but missed a red to allow Pettman to win 41-35. Mark Davis beat Joe Swail in one of the less fluent games 49-6.
The Jester from Leicester Mark Selby also managed to progress into the next round by seeing off Andy Hicks 44-34. At the age of just nineteen, Scot Anthony McGill had a chance at glory against Anthony Hamilton. But Hamilton managed to win 70-31. The final first round match saw Stuart Bingham to come back form 31-0 to beat Ian McCulloch 46-31.
Barry Hawkins was fighting back against Peter Lines until a crucial foul that allowed Lines to win 65-24. The first shock of the afternoon came in the form of Shaun Murphy as he tumbled out to Rory McLeod. There was less than a minute remaining with McLeod still three behind but the underdog managed to pinch it and show Murphy the door.
A century break of 106 saw Alfie Burden beat Matthew Selt with the first whitewash of day's play. Joe Perry rolled back the years to break the century scoreline with a top break of 71, he overcame Ricky Walden 130-0.
The highly fancied Judd Trump was almost shown the door against Dave Harold. Harold was in control until he lost track of the time and the shot clock forced an error. This left Trump to win 52-31. Graeme Dott joined fellow veterans into the second round with a 99-16 victory over Matthew Couch.
It does seem that this tournament is surprisingly suiting the veterans as Ken Doherty also progressed with an 81-1 victory over Jamie Cope. Adrian Gunnell became the first player of the tournament to overturn a deficit of thirty points. He was 30-0 behind against David Morris but Gunnell fought back to win 85-30.
Rod Lawler also produced a somewhat surprise in beating Gerard Greene. Greene should have won it when he came back from 36-0 down but he missed an easy red at 38-36 to allow Lawler to win 55-38. Mike Dunn also beat Matthew Stevens 67-36 to progress into the last 32.
In one of the lesser games, Stuart Pettman just edged out Belgian Bjorn Hanneveer. Hanneveer managed to fluke his way to a winning chance but missed a red to allow Pettman to win 41-35. Mark Davis beat Joe Swail in one of the less fluent games 49-6.
The Jester from Leicester Mark Selby also managed to progress into the next round by seeing off Andy Hicks 44-34. At the age of just nineteen, Scot Anthony McGill had a chance at glory against Anthony Hamilton. But Hamilton managed to win 70-31. The final first round match saw Stuart Bingham to come back form 31-0 to beat Ian McCulloch 46-31.
The Clock Is Ticking
Yesterday saw the start of the new snooker tournament, the World Snooker Shoot-out. It's being hosted in Blackpool where the top 64 players are competing. There is a maximum of one frame or ten minutes to make it fast and furious. If that wasn't enough then for the first five minutes each player has a twenty second shot clock which decreases to fifteen second for the final five minutes. The draw for each round is random and the break is decided via a lag. Every shot must have either a ball potted or a ball contacting a cushion otherwise it's a foul, every foul gives the opponent the ball in hand, where he can place the cue ball anywhere on the table.
The first session yesterday saw the first half of the first round take to the new format. Unfortunately Liang Wenbo had to pull out of the tournament which meant that Tony Drago was given a bye into the second round. The first two to take to the table was Mark Allen and Ryan Day. Allen was favourite and did take the lead but a break of 38 saw Ryan Day become the first player to win in the tournament and also provide the first shock.
Stephen Lee followed Day into the next round with a 62-34 victory over Michael Holt. Joe Jogia was the lowest ranked player and it showed with a couple of misses on easy shots, that allowed veteran Nigel Bond go through with a 46-24 win.
Another veteran in the form of Stephen Hendry didn't have the same luck and fell victim to Irishman Fergal O'Brien. Hendry had a chance to pull it back but eventually lost 55-29. One of the performances of the night saw Robert Milkins upset Martin Gould. The underdog Milkins secured a break of 49 on his way to winning 82-6.
With many people surprised at how high the scores were finishing, the match between Andrew Higginson and Jamie Burnett looked underpar. The overall average of points for the night was 80+ but this game only had 43, Higginson won it 27-16.
Another upset saw Scotsman Stephen Maguire lose out to Tom Ford, proving that anything can indeed happen. Ford secured the first whitewash with an impressive break of 84. Another shock quickly followed as newly crowned Masters Champion Ding Junhui lost 71-15 against Dominic Dale, with Dale making a break of 70.
Jimmy White was excited about this tournament but he only lasted the first round. Ali Carter beat the veteran 62-28. Alan McManus secured a somewhat surprise victory over Michael Judge, Judge did have a chance to fight back but failed to do so and lost 72-26.
One the tastiest fixtures of the first round saw John Higgins take on Mark Williams. Higgins turned on the style and made a break of 93 to see off the Welshman. But Higgins was quickly outdone by the man who really endorsed this tournament. Ronnie O'Sullivan had a potentially tough first round opponent in the Masters runner-up Marco Fu. But Ronnie secured the first century break to win 133-0.
Two veterans clashed after with Peter Ebdon taking on Steve Davis, a member of the audience shouted 'it's got nil nil written all over it!'. But Davis progressed with a 72-24 win. Marcus Campbell beat Jamie Michie 32-21 and Mark King rounded the first session off by beating Jimmy Robertson 79-0.
The first session yesterday saw the first half of the first round take to the new format. Unfortunately Liang Wenbo had to pull out of the tournament which meant that Tony Drago was given a bye into the second round. The first two to take to the table was Mark Allen and Ryan Day. Allen was favourite and did take the lead but a break of 38 saw Ryan Day become the first player to win in the tournament and also provide the first shock.
Stephen Lee followed Day into the next round with a 62-34 victory over Michael Holt. Joe Jogia was the lowest ranked player and it showed with a couple of misses on easy shots, that allowed veteran Nigel Bond go through with a 46-24 win.
Another veteran in the form of Stephen Hendry didn't have the same luck and fell victim to Irishman Fergal O'Brien. Hendry had a chance to pull it back but eventually lost 55-29. One of the performances of the night saw Robert Milkins upset Martin Gould. The underdog Milkins secured a break of 49 on his way to winning 82-6.
With many people surprised at how high the scores were finishing, the match between Andrew Higginson and Jamie Burnett looked underpar. The overall average of points for the night was 80+ but this game only had 43, Higginson won it 27-16.
Another upset saw Scotsman Stephen Maguire lose out to Tom Ford, proving that anything can indeed happen. Ford secured the first whitewash with an impressive break of 84. Another shock quickly followed as newly crowned Masters Champion Ding Junhui lost 71-15 against Dominic Dale, with Dale making a break of 70.
Jimmy White was excited about this tournament but he only lasted the first round. Ali Carter beat the veteran 62-28. Alan McManus secured a somewhat surprise victory over Michael Judge, Judge did have a chance to fight back but failed to do so and lost 72-26.
One the tastiest fixtures of the first round saw John Higgins take on Mark Williams. Higgins turned on the style and made a break of 93 to see off the Welshman. But Higgins was quickly outdone by the man who really endorsed this tournament. Ronnie O'Sullivan had a potentially tough first round opponent in the Masters runner-up Marco Fu. But Ronnie secured the first century break to win 133-0.
Two veterans clashed after with Peter Ebdon taking on Steve Davis, a member of the audience shouted 'it's got nil nil written all over it!'. But Davis progressed with a 72-24 win. Marcus Campbell beat Jamie Michie 32-21 and Mark King rounded the first session off by beating Jimmy Robertson 79-0.
Monday, 17 January 2011
Ding Becomes the Master
With the Masters proving a real shock, we were entitled to an historic first all-Asian final between China's Ding Junhui and Hong Kong's Marco Fu. Ding made it to the final by beating Mark Williams 6-4 in the first round, comfortably beating Graeme Dott 6-2 in the quarter finals and beat Jamie Cope 6-3 in the semi-finals. Marco Fu overcame Stephen Maguire 6-4 in the first round, thrashed Peter Ebdon 6-0 in the quarter-finals and came from 4-1 down to beat dark horse Mark Allen 6-4.
It was Ding who started the match off quickly by scoring the only century break of the final in the first frame. He then took the following leg before Fu managed to pull one back. Ding began to run away with it and went 6-4 ahead before taking the next four frames to win the match, to win his first ever Masters tournament.
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Masters Proving a Shock
The first major Snooker tournament of 2011 is well under way but so far it has caused quite a few shocks. There are only sixteen entrants and the first round has been completed with seven of the top eight seeds losing their matches. First to leave the tournament was last year's champion Mark Selby who lost 6-4 to Mark King. Ali 'The Cat' Carter followed the same day after losing 6-5 to Peter Ebdon. The second day of the tournament saw Ding Junhui meet Mark Williams (not for the first time this season), Ding just managed to come out with a win by the margin of 6-4. The second match of the day was an all Scottish affair between Graeme Dott and John Higgins. The money would have been on Higgins but he suffered a surprise defeat as well, losing 6-4.
Day three saw last year's runner-up Ronnie O'Sullivan become the latest shock with a defeat to Mark Allen, 6-4. Another tight affair between Marco Fu and Stephen Maguire saw the Hong Kong man win 6-4. Wednesday saw the first non-shock of the tournament as Neil Robertson made it into the quarter finals, he didn't have it easy to start with but managed to overcome Stephen Hendry 6-3. But a shock was soon to follow as Shaun Murphy lost 6-3 to Jamie Cope in the final first round match.
Day three saw last year's runner-up Ronnie O'Sullivan become the latest shock with a defeat to Mark Allen, 6-4. Another tight affair between Marco Fu and Stephen Maguire saw the Hong Kong man win 6-4. Wednesday saw the first non-shock of the tournament as Neil Robertson made it into the quarter finals, he didn't have it easy to start with but managed to overcome Stephen Hendry 6-3. But a shock was soon to follow as Shaun Murphy lost 6-3 to Jamie Cope in the final first round match.
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