Thompson Lykes wrote:snooker in China had in excess of 100 million audience when snooker didn't have a good enough pro circuit. Correct? But top pros are already either sounding off (Mark Allen pointed out, he's earned a grand instead of five but your argument is that's okay because he is getting ranking points) or not bothering turning up.
I think snooker is being made to look cheap, to look underground almost. Just my thoughts.
How big is the population of China? Numbers have to be seen in context. Yes, Ding, Ronnie, Hendry have big star status over there and it wouldn't be for Barry Hearn promoting snooker there with Davis in the mid 80th so that the first ranking event there could be held in 1990.
As for Mark Allen's complaints...
- the tour hasn't lost any event, all those that were staged last season are still there (with GP altered to World Open) and there are 15 more events. Broadcasting hasn't decreased neither, on the contrary. So that's only MORE opportunities to play and earn money, or not?
- Mark knew the scores. This match was a last 64 match and, true, his wasn't held to the venue. That was because he was drawn against a low ranked player and it is a match he should have won, as I'm sure he knows. Robertson, Dott, King and ROS have much more to complain about: they have the "privilege" to play at the venue because they have the "privilege" to have been drawn against another top 16 player in the last 64 ... and two of them inevitably will go out, with the points and money of last 64 having faced an opposition they would normally only meet in last 16 the earliest.
- The sum quoted in the article has been challenged as inaccurate by Dave Hendon (on twitter). Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying Mark is a liar. Dave might be wrong although he is usually reliable, or the journalist might have got the info wrong ... it happens all the time (only this morning I read an article stating ROS and Jimmy have won 6 WC between them
). But whatwever this was only a last 64 match so you don't expect high price money.
I don't like the World Open - the format is too short and the random draw is too unfair especially considering the high number of ranking points at stake - but I understand this is an attempt at salvage BBC coverage for 4 snooker events and that is essential for sponsorship.