China Open Wild Card and 1st Round Discussion!!

Higgins proved last year by staying in China until the final doesn’t hamper your WC chances. Given the way the players are treated out there you would think they’d want to stay in the tournament as long as possible

Yeah it's a myth to suggest players don't want to win a tournament so close to the Worlds. Of course they do!

Sonny wrote:Yeah it's a myth to suggest players don't want to win a tournament so close to the Worlds. Of course they do!

Ronnie didn't.

"I thought I played okay, there were just two or three frames that I lost from a long way ahead, when Tian made good clearances," he said.

"I had a chance for 4-4 but I missed too many balls at crucial times," he said.

"I felt relaxed and my preparation was as good as it could have been, but I wasn't the better player on the night. I try hard and play to win every match, but if my form is not great I will struggle against good opposition.

"Apart from Shanghai and the UK Championship, this season I have been below the standard I set myself."

Sonny wrote:Yeah it's a myth to suggest players don't want to win a tournament so close to the Worlds. Of course they do!

Yeah the amount of times i hear commentators, pundits or fans say that the players are more interested or focused on the Worlds.

Yes, its just around the corner and important but with so few tournaments and money in the game ( not for much longer thankfully ) why would any player not really try.

Regardless of why, Ronnie is prime example today of a player who wasn't trying to win the tournament.

Witz78 wrote:

Sonny wrote:Yeah it's a myth to suggest players don't want to win a tournament so close to the Worlds. Of course they do!

Yeah the amount of times i hear commentators, pundits or fans say that the players are more interested or focused on the Worlds.

Yes, its just around the corner and important but with so few tournaments and money in the game ( not for much longer thankfully ) why would any player not really try.

I think there has been a big step up by 15 of the top 16 this week, no doubt a few players wanting to take some ranking pressure off before teh Worlds

But surely winning the China will give you loads of confidence of your chances at Sheffield. It sure beats going home early and having to wait 3 or 4 weeks before you can test your game against the best again.

I just saw the black Ronnie missed on You Tube. That could well have been an unintentional bad shot. What are people talking about? We're all getting carried away with these match fixing allegations?

SnookerFan wrote:I just saw the black Ronnie missed on You Tube. That could well have been an unintentional bad shot. What are people talking about? We're all getting carried away with these match fixing allegations?

No-one sane is saying that it's match-fixing ...

Bourne wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:I just saw the black Ronnie missed on You Tube. That could well have been an unintentional bad shot. What are people talking about? We're all getting carried away with these match fixing allegations?

No-one sane is saying that it's match-fixing ...

Maybe not, but everybody is saying he missed it deliberately. That could've just been a duff shot.

It was definitely a fluff

SnookerFan wrote:

Bourne wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:I just saw the black Ronnie missed on You Tube. That could well have been an unintentional bad shot. What are people talking about? We're all getting carried away with these match fixing allegations?

No-one sane is saying that it's match-fixing ...

Maybe not, but everybody is saying he missed it deliberately. That could've just been a duff shot.

Thats exactly what I think, total brainfart. Utterly stupid and careless but not sus.

Bourne wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

Bourne wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:I just saw the black Ronnie missed on You Tube. That could well have been an unintentional bad shot. What are people talking about? We're all getting carried away with these match fixing allegations?

No-one sane is saying that it's match-fixing ...

Maybe not, but everybody is saying he missed it deliberately. That could've just been a duff shot.

Thats exactly what I think, total brainfart. Utterly stupid and careless but not sus.

Michaela looked like she wouldn't tolerate any nonsense after he conceeded though.

Gotta love him

wildJONESEYE wrote:

Bourne wrote:Regardless of why, Ronnie is prime example today of a player who wasn't trying to win the tournament.

with respect ronnie if he feels like it wont try and win the World championship either its not the destination its not the prestiege its just ronnie doing what ronnie does.

To be honest, I think this loss might focus his mind for Sheffield. I'm not saying that if he's done well in China that he'd necessarily struggle at the Worlds, but deep down he'll be smarting a bit at how sillily he went out today. Playing like that, he's beatable to a lot of players.

Actually pulling him up on something here, it's bull to say he didn't play well at the Masters. The semi against Williams was a classic. And he wasn't on top form in the final and didn't deserve to be 9-6 ahead but all the same, he didn't play better in Shanghai than he did in Wembley.

I can't remember exactly what happened in those frames after 9-6 at Wembley but did Selby really give him a chance ?

At 9-8 he had lots of good fortune and got away with a lot, in the end taking on that risky cut back green but apart from that he didn't get a look in. Selby was the better player at 9-6 anyway just like he was the better player in the 2009 Masters final.

Bourne wrote:I can't remember exactly what happened in those frames after 9-6 at Wembley but did Selby really give him a chance ?

he didnt get any great chances but his shot selection at times in the 18th frame i think when he had Selby snookered and in trouble then opted to take on that silly cut on the green into the green pocket, when there were 3 clear options

1) Play the green into the yellow pocket at pace as a shot to nothing
2) Play the green into the yellow pocket deadweight but use the brown (was on its spot) as a blocker if you hung the green
3) Play the green up and down the table and easily stun in behind the brown for a straightforward snooker and surely victory

His breaks offs were a joke in that match, i hope he has improved on them for Sheffield but he seemed to be using the same ones today, judging by the amount of reds he opened up, a dangerous ploy against someone like Wenbo at Sheffield.

I agree that this might finally be the kick up the ass he needs to sort out his attitude ahead of the Crucible after a very dissapointing season for him. Hes simply too good for his own good and loses interest, concentration....

PS - Just watching the weather forecast on ITV (Becky Mantin must be the fittest weathergirl ever )

Witz78 wrote:

Bourne wrote:I can't remember exactly what happened in those frames after 9-6 at Wembley but did Selby really give him a chance ?

he didnt get any great chances but his shot selection at times in the 18th frame i think when he had Selby snookered and in trouble then opted to take on that silly cut on the green into the green pocket, when there were 3 clear options

1) Play the green into the yellow pocket at pace as a shot to nothing
2) Play the green into the yellow pocket deadweight but use the brown (was on its spot) as a blocker if you hung the green
3) Play the green up and down the table and easily stun in behind the brown for a straightforward snooker and surely victory

His breaks offs were a joke in that match, i hope he has improved on them for Sheffield but he seemed to be using the same ones today, judging by the amount of reds he opened up, a dangerous ploy against someone like Wenbo at Sheffield.

I agree that this might finally be the kick up the ass he needs to sort out his attitude ahead of the Crucible after a very dissapointing season for him. Hes simply too good for his own good and loses interest, concentration....

PS - Just watching the weather forecast on ITV (Becky Mantin must be the fittest weathergirl ever )

have to agree witz she is very tasty

Hes simply too good for his own good and loses interest, concentration..

Exactly. Some players need a challenge to raise their game, a stage to perform. Sheffield will be just that, a massive challenge in the very first match.

"I play to win every match"

"the table rolled off"

Sorry but I am left once again , not sure what to think but this:

ROS vs Walden (Shanghai)
ROS vs Trump (GP)
ROS vs Pengfei (CO)

you could add ROS vs Fu (CO) - (but I only caught glimpses of that one)

I just watched the whole match on Sky+, then the Arsenal game, feel a bit still.

Its as if he is playing down the club having a few beers and not really concerned with the actual score in-play or the actual outcome...... that is very strange and then the interview to top it off.

Happening in China makes me suss, perhaps he wanted to get home, perhaps he just dont give a rubbish, perhaps ......

whatever just gonna enjot the snooker that is played from now to Sunday ....

wildJONESEYE wrote:whats iratating about today and the whole ronnie didnt try theme its being used everytime he lost including wembly where he was leading 9-6. trying to lose today at 4-3 down but come on he did not try and lose from 9-6 up thats as pointless as it gets.

not everyone is using the excuses you are saying, be fair mate ..... I said Selby was superb from 9-6 and ROS cut back green was wrong shot.

I am just flumoxed with what I saw today, the blue was an exhibition shot, the pink was knocked in like he was on the Southern Comfort.... the black was a joke, then he does not let little Chinaman pot the black, Eurosport commentators "oh no, come on"......... sorry stewards enquiry please.

Tian's reaction was funny, he didn't know wtf was going on

StalinESQ wrote:not everyone is using the excuses you are saying, be fair mate ..... I said Selby was superb from 9-6 and ROS cut back green was wrong shot.

Smart your right here, selby did play some of the best snooker ive seen selby play, and his come back is very commendable.
however the cut back green was the wrong shot. safety or into yellow pocket would have been the way to go

Bourne wrote:Hes simply too good for his own good and loses interest, concentration..

Exactly. Some players need a challenge to raise their game, a stage to perform. Sheffield will be just that, a massive challenge in the very first match.

Reminds me of my own attitude when playing snooker in non-money matches, i lose interest and dont give the shots my full focus, but if its a match for money theres an edge so i play to the best of my abilities, and if i lose its because i was beaten fair and square, not because i didnt fully try.

Similarly when i play pool against lesser player i adopt a kind of mentality that i almost showboat from the off and dont have a proper shot selction policy, as id rather win with wondershots than do the boring clinical routines pots, then i only start to fully try if i sense i might be about to lose, though then with the pressure and possible embarrassment of losing to a lesser player, the chances are i will perhaps bottle it.

I kind of can see the predicament Ronnie finds himself in, but likewise i think he will be regroup and be back on the ball come April 19th.