The Gaffer Posted April 15, 2022 Share Posted April 15, 2022 There's so many times the worldies just jump me and I end up watching bits and pieces intermittently. Not this year. Going to be sitting there at 10AM tomorrow morning waiting for the boys on the baize. Can't wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Fatty Facesitter Posted April 15, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 15, 2022 3 hours ago, SuperBacon said: What's this lad like? Was just reading some choice comments from him about Ronnie and then saw it was his tournament debut.  The Prince of Persia. Big fan, very tidy player. He looks like he's about 45, incredibly he's only 27. He'll fancy it against Trump. Great backstory - because there effectively isn't a snooker scene at all in Iran, for years he effectively self-taught, practiced alone, and had to work several jobs to save up enough money to be able to travel to Europe to play on the tour. His rise since then has been incredible. One of his first elongated runs came in the 2019 Welsh Open, where he picked up a few scalps on his way to the last four. From there, he's solidified his place on the tour and keeps going on good runs in several competitions. He's also incredibly polite - those Ronnie comments I think were taken slightly out of context and look worse than they are. Not denying he said them, but I think it would have been put across in a very sincere way as opposed to launching into a massive tirade about him. This is one of the hardest World Championships to call in many years. Robertson's the favourite but he absolutely loathes the Crucible - it's too tight for him with the two-table setup in the early rounds, and every year he always moans about the temperature, the cloths, the cushions, you name it. I wouldn't be surprised if we had a rogue winner this year. The tour itself is so diverse now and you get several winners across the different tournaments each year. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the year we get our first Chinese winner, either Xintong or Bingtao for instance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pork Pie Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 Vafaei has looked like a top 16 player this season. I have high hopes for him. His break building and long shots have been the quality of someone at the standard to win tournaments. While it's not your standard tournament, he did win the shoot out by beating Mark Williams. That final frame to win that tournament is worth looking up to see what he's capable off. He was a couple of balls away from being beat in the decideing frame of his qualifier game on Wednesday, so as good as he's looked this season he's very lucky to have made it to the main tournament. I think it was down to nerves which is understandable. Hopefully he can put that aside now. I'm always excited for the world championship but this year feels a bit special. There's been a nice mix of tournament winners this season and it feels like anyone could win it. In an ideal world Jackson Page will win so I can win a grand from a two pound bet. My outsider picks are Bingham, Wilson, Allen and Vafaei. I know 3 of them are already top players but they haven't had the best of seasons, though all are very capable of turning it around. Especially Bingham. When he gets on a good run he's incredibly tough to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Chilly McFreeze Posted April 16, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted April 16, 2022 (edited) I'm actually going this year for the first time. I've been wanting to do it for years and finally stumped up for tickets for me and Mrs Freeze after the final last year. we're going to the first sessions of each semi-final. My thinking was that I wanted a single table set up, but also didn't want a latter session incase the games ended early and I had to watch John Virgo do trick shots instead. So this way we get to see each of the semi-finalists, and the opening sessions are usually pretty good standard. Final would have been the real dream but it was just way too expensive. Got 3 days in Sheffield around the semi finals too, so can't wait to just soak up the atmosphere around the Crucible. Any tips/places to go/things to do from people who have been would be appreciated. Edited April 16, 2022 by Chilly McFreeze Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Fatty Facesitter Posted April 16, 2022 Author Paid Members Share Posted April 16, 2022 11 minutes ago, Chilly McFreeze said: I'm actually going this year for the first time. I've been wanting to do it for years and finally stumped up for tickets for me and Mrs Freeze after the final last year. we're going to the first sessions of each semi-final. My thinking was that I wanted a single table set up, but also didn't want a latter session incase the games ended early and I had to watch John Virgo do trick shots instead. So this way we get to see each of the semi-finalists, and the opening sessions are usually pretty good standard. Final would have been the real dream but it was just way too expensive. Got 3 days in Sheffield around the semi finals too, so can't wait to just soak up the atmosphere around the Crucible. Any tips/places to go/things to do from people who have been would be appreciated. Enjoy - the single table setup is one of the finest sights in sport. The setting around the Winter Gardens adjacent to the Crucible is lovely and there'll be snooker-related activities you can take part in, there's lots of nice bars in the vicinity including the Head of Steam pub just opposite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deathrey Posted April 16, 2022 Share Posted April 16, 2022 My dad and my brother are off to see Bingham play on Monday evening. They got tickets for 2020 but they kept being deferred due to Covid. I really wish I had got tickets too but I thought I would be at work (I worked in a school but left 2 months ago). Guess I'll be watching from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pork Pie Posted April 17, 2022 Share Posted April 17, 2022 Selby is the first thourgh into round 2 but it wasn't the most convincing of performances. He'll have to step up if he's to go any further. I like Selby a lot and it's a shame to see him struggling mentally. You can see by the look on his face that's he's had a rough time recently. Looking forward to Mark Williams vs Michael White. Williams is always entertaining and comes up with shots you won't see from many others. White shouldn't be underestimated though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members garynysmon Posted April 18, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted April 18, 2022 (edited) I'm enjoying this McGill v Highfield game way more than I should really. Liam Highfield just won't quit, fair play. Could be his Wrestlemania 13 moment. Edited April 18, 2022 by garynysmon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Cod Eye Posted April 19, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted April 19, 2022 We always go though on the middle Saturday. Never get tickets in advance though, so I'm hoping our luck doesn't run out this year and we all get a ticket in the re-sale. Really looking forward to it after missing the last few years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pork Pie Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 (edited) Mark Williams 7-1 Jackson Page after the first session. I feel bad for Page, the poor guy looked about 40 years old when he was 15 and today will have put a few years on him. The only positives for Page is he didn't really do much wrong and did a really good clearance in the last frame. It was possibly the best session of snooker Williams has ever played. If he keeps playing like that he's got every chance of getting to the final Edited April 21, 2022 by Pork Pie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gaffer Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 (edited) Williams is on fire at the moment. I wouldn't mind him winning it. He's taken over from C'mon Ronnie as the most entertaining lad in the game, I think. It's snooker, so that amounts to "Blithe jocularism and he might have had a pint before the match," granted, but still. What about this talk of them moving from the Crucible? WWE/MSG is a perfect comparison I think. They might stand to make way more money but that atmosphere can't be topped. I'd happily stay on the side of tradition, there. Plus I think it's proper snooker that the granddaddy of them all is in Sheffield. Edited April 21, 2022 by Gay as FOOK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hallicks Posted April 21, 2022 Share Posted April 21, 2022 Watched a good bit of Zhao vs Maguire this evening. Zhao spent about 10 minutes pissing about looking for a snooker with just the last 3 colours remaining and finally conceded after potting the white. I think it pissed off Maguire to the point of extreme motivation as he knocked off the final two frames in pretty short order. The coverage has changed a bit (since my day). They show too many replays. Not every regulation red into the middle needs to be seen again. Also that blue diamond transition in and out of replays is fucking rancid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gaffer Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Not sure how the BBCs coverage holds up but Eurosport's - which was coming on leaps and bounds for the past few years - is a bit humdrum this year. Ronnie and Jimmy look like they're in a barn in an undisclosed location somewhere, a bit like that Derren Brown special where he played Russian Roulette. The whole thing feels like it was done in the first few weeks of the pandemic on a shoestring budget. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pork Pie Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I watch a lot of Eurosport as they show most of the tournaments but I always switch to the BBC for the big three. It just feels right watching the world championship and hearing Dennis Taylor and John Virgo. Eurosport is funny though. Even on a good day Jimmy looks like he's just come back from a 5 day bender and O'Sullivan just talks rubbish to entertain himself. I think Zhao could be world champion one day but Maguire is playing some great snooker to lead 10-5. There's such a mix of players all playing great snooker this year that it's still really hard to choose a winner. Robertson has to still be favourite but he never seems to quite connect with the Crucible. Robertson is an odd one for me. I've always been a fan but the more clinical he's become the less entertaining I find him. I don't normally think of any player as boring because I love watching all styles of snooker but there's a part of me that gets a bit tired of Robertson these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members waters44 Posted April 22, 2022 Paid Members Share Posted April 22, 2022 22 hours ago, hallicks said: Also that blue diamond transition in and out of replays is fucking rancid. I really really really wish you hadn’t said that as I can’t unsee it now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.