A nightfull

May 7th, 2007

We are watching the last session of the World Snooker Championship final between John Higgins and Mark Selby. The score is now 14-13 with John Higgins in the lead, it’s the smallest difference between the two since the seventh game when the score was 4-3 so we might say the last 20 frames haven’t changed a thing. The last frame lasted for almost an hour with a good 20 minutes on the yellow and green balls in endless safety shots and snookers by both players, I thought they would play like that for the whole night but, thankfully, John made a mistake and later conceded the frame.

There are a maximum of 8 more frames to be played so if they will all have the same tempo we are looking at a night of snooker up until 8 in the morning. The latest a final has ever ended into the night was the Ebdon - Dott final last year that ended at 3 o’clock, so we could beat and set an unbreakable record. I wonder how the network would feel about canceling it’s morning program, obviously the snooker’s final last frame would be more important than any weather forecast they might be boring us at seven in the morning…

If Mark Selby manages to win this frame somehow, though John is currently at the table, the tied score should ring alarm bells in John’s mind, he controlled the match up until today and now Mark is setting the rithm and catching up fast. The show is grate and we are witnessing top quality snooker being played, but as the time goes by fatigue and tension should take their tall on the players, focusing so hard for long periods of time is very hard so it’s a matter of time until one of them “cracks”…

After another two frames the score is 17-13 and John is one frame away from being World Champion for the second time in his career. Mark Selby doesn’t look like he could turn the match around but surprises are at home in the old theater, as we have seen many times before. This could be the final frame…

John Higgins is World Champion for the second time.

Who do you favor?

May 5th, 2007

The first semi-final has come to an end, John Higgins is going to fight for the title this year, for the third time in his career. John won the trophy only once and is going now for another attempt at the world title, but who’s he going to fight?

We are now watching the Shaun Murphy - Mark Selby semi-final and the score is 15-14 in what has been a very well balanced match up until now. They do show nerves of steel in this 29th frame as selby needed snookers to win and got the points but, even if they’re in the colors, the frame is far from ended. It’s pretty dramatic if you think about it. Both Higgins and Murphy won the title once, you might say they are entitled, Higgins will be nr.1 for next year three days from now, no matter what, anyway… But then again, if Selby is to go to the finals, and win… we’ll get to see next year if the Crucible curse will strike again.

The frame has ended and Shaun Murphy is now only one frame away from victory while Mark Selby has to win two frames to put the game into a tied situation and allow us to enjoy an exciting decisive frame.

The last 4 frames were dramatic, Shaun Murphy was in the lead 16-14 after an awful kick. Then Mark Selby made an incredible, extremely dramatic, come-back in the next two frames, many safety shots were played and the tension was incredible, at any point the match could have ended. But it didn’t, he held on and sent the match in it’s final frame and resurrected his fans hopes.

The last frame looked easy for Mark at first, after Shaun made a mistake and allowed Mark a long shot that he took and successfully potted the red. Mark got to the last ball he needed to mathematically win the match but wasn’t able to pot it, the game got really tense then, Shaun needed snookers to win but he knew he had a chance. In the end Mark won and is heading to the final and will play against John Higgins.

There isn’t a likely winner in the final this year, of course John has the edge, he is nr.1 after all… but he may not have forgotten the defeat suffered in the first round at Sheffield last year when he played…. [drama goes here] … Mark Selby and lost 10-4… This final may be a good opportunity for John to clear his name but may as well be a reiteration of that game, I can’t say. But we’ll see tomorrow and the day after, whose name will stand engraved on the trophy from now on.

Ronnie vs. Higgins

May 2nd, 2007

Ronnie broke the balance in this match and allowed John to take a good 4 frames ahead. Ronnie’s game doesn’t work so well today and the score is now 5-8, we hope for a comeback in this session, before John can get too close to vitory.

Matthew Stevens vs. Shaun Murphy

May 2nd, 2007

The match is in its final frames as Matthew is only one frame away from victory and Shaun is 5 frames back. Any mistake on Shaun’s behalf would certainly lead Matthew to victory.

Shaun Murphy doesn’t lay down his weapons, he’s now 2 frames back from Stevens and he has good chances of catching up, it would be nice to see a decisive frame in this match.

Shaun Murphy makes an incredible come-back from 8-12 to 11-12 and if he wins this next frame we will have a beautiful decisive frame in this match.

I must say the long pot success rate in this match is catastrophic, 51% for Shaum and only 60% for Matthew. That makes any good safety shot count because it is more likely to result in a mistake of the adversary and maybe a good shot at the next red.

Shaun Murphy proves everybody wrong as he makes an unbelivable comeback and sends the game in its deciseve frame. After Matthew Stevens lost a lead of 5 frames while he was only one frame away from victory we will be watching the last frame and there is no certainty regarding the winner of this match, not anymore.

Shaun Murphy wins the frame and the match in one of the most dramatic come-backs of snooker’s history and denies Matthew Stevens not only the match and a place in the semifinals but also his place in top 16 for the next season.

This evening @ Sheffield

May 1st, 2007

It’s Tuesday evening and we are in the quarters of the World Snooker Championship at Sheffield. We’ve seen earlier the match between Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins and the one between Allister Carter and Mark Selby, Both matches are very balanced and their future sessions may hold surprises for the audience.

This evening we are watching the match between Shaun Murphy and Matthew Stevens its 4-5 and the 10th frame is pretty challenging for both players as they are fighting against each others patience. There are a lot of safety shots and Shaun lost a lot of points in a snooker that he couldn’t come out of earlier.

Matthew Stevens is two frames ahead of Shaun Murphy, the score is 6-4. This match plays out really slow and I imagine many viewers are bored with the endless safety shots. We have seen a few funny mistakes, too.

Mattbew holds on to his 2 frames lead as he wins the 12th and the score is now 7-5.

It’s still pretty early in the game but with a difference of three frames I’d say Shaun Murphy finds himself in a difficult situation. Stevens only needs 5 frames to win the match while Shaun needs 8. Shaun can’t loose tonight anyway so he’ll get a good night sleep to sort out his game and come fresh tomorrow.

The score is getting close to 10-5 and Shaun Murphy should be concerned about it… Another frame into the game and Matthew is two frames away from victory but Shaun is still dangerous. Matthew should not take his oponent lightly.

Carter vs. Selby

May 1st, 2007

In another balanced match Allister Carter faces Mark Selby. The score is now 3-4 in Selby’s favor, the last freme being won with an 121 points break. We have seen Allister play though and it will certainly be difficult for Selby to secure the win.

Ronnie vs. John

May 1st, 2007

It’s the 40th encounter of the two, Ronnie won 24 of the previous ones while John Higgins won only 15 of them. The matches between the two are always exciting as they are both excellent masters of the cue.

Both of them benefited the applause upon entering the arena as the public loves both of them dearly.

Higgins almost had the 100+ break in the first frame, it’s a spectacular start of the game, the ref also had dificulties positioning the pink between the reds but managed very well. The second frame begun and looks like he’s got his game dialed in as his long shots go in smoothly.

It’s a pretty balanced match, the score is tied at three. Ronnie’s long shots are not working properly but the safety shots helped him a lot during the match.

After eight frames the score is 4-4 in a perfectly balanced match.

Peter Ebdon on the edge…

April 30th, 2007

In a difficult match against Mark Selby, Ebdon has a 147 in mind as the reds are in good position and he’s only played the black so far. Peter Ebdon doesn’t feel the pressure anymore as Mark is one frame away from victory while he would have to win another five in a row just to have a shot.

After potting 13 reds and 12 blacks he, sadly, misses the black and the break is over. Peter Ebdon does have to win a lot of frames in order to have a shot in this match, maybe this high break helped him, it would certainly have helped him more if it was a maximum…

Mark Selby is very close to victory, Peter Ebdon needed three snookers to win and got one of them out of luck. Peter needs another three snookers but isn’t in any luck as he didn’t manage to obtain a good snooker position. They are playing the last red in what is a really tense frame I must say.

The match ended between the two, as expected, but it was a nice one and Peter Ebdon played all his chances.

Robertson fights back.

April 30th, 2007

Since the beginning of this session, Ronnie hasn’t won one frame and Neil Robertson caught up putting the game into a tie. As I’ve said earlier, another day, another luck for Ronnie O’Sullivan… Let’s hope he’ll get back into form soon enough…

Neil Robertson is now in the lead 9-8 against Ronnie, both of them play pretty good but the level of play isn’t really high, we don’t get to see 100+ breaks for now…

Ronnie replies with a 100+ break but Neil wins the next frame and is in the lead again. Ronnie shouldn’t have allowed Neil’s come-back earlier today, he might live to regret that.

Ronnie is back in the lead after stealing the frame away from Neil. Incredibly, Neil was a shot away from winning this frame but missed the last ball he needed to secure victory and Ronnie didn’t wait long to win the frame.

The match got pretty even but I bet Ronnie’s fans are not relaxed as Neil Robertson gained pretty easily the lead of the game. It’s not usual for Ronnie to tail behind, he should have ended this long time ago, would argue his fans.

The 20th frame has its sense of humor, the first points, on both sides have been gained through fouls. The first one by Ronnie, resulted in a break-up of the reds pack and if Neil Robertson would have called a replay the ref would have had a hard time putting the balls back in order. But Neil accepts the position and pots the red… together with the white.

Ronnie steals the frame away from Neil, he was one shot away from victory but misses that last ball he needed and Ronnie doesn’t loose the oportunity to gain back the lead of the game.

I’ve seen so many mistakes and missed shots in this match it’s not about who misses anymore, it’s about who can play decently enough to win, that’s how much the level of play has fallen. It’s funny to see spring-loaded Ronnie jump up from his seat with every miss of Neil Robertson’s.

Ronnie is now one frame away from victory and Neil Robertson is back in the hotseat as his chances don’t look so well…

If Ronnie is to win this last frame and the match he is heading on to play against John Higgins, the player with the greatest achievements in snooker next to Ronnie left in the competition in the quarter finals. A match fit for the finals if you ask me.

It’s the last frame and Ronnie doesn’t hesitate to show off his talent. He fluked one of the shots and apologised but the shots he pulls now are great, some of the pressure must be off his shoulders now that he has a comfortable lead as is as close to victory as ever. The points go up and Ronnie’s average shot time comes down as the “Rocket” picks up speed and secures victory in this match, he is going to the quarters for a shot against Higgins.

The end…

April 30th, 2007

The match between Stephen Hendry and Allister Carter just ended. After winning another two frames Stephen Hendry lost with a score of 13-6 as Carter only needed one frame to win.

The match between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Neil robertson continues now on TV. Ronnie looked like he was going to have another wasy win yesterday as we’ve seen the first two sessions unfold with Neil Robertson only winning two of the 8 frames played. But as we all know Ronnie, another day may mean another luck.