World Champs Semi-finals... WHAT IF ?

John Higgins strike rate at the Worlds has become bad for a player of his calibre, half of the Finals lost. Similar to Ronnie at The Masters, won 7 titles, but lost in 6 of them, almost half.

Big difference being Ronnie holds that tournament record.

badtemperedcyril wrote:No multiple World Champion has a 100% record in world finals, except Joe Davis, and he retired before he could lose one. They’ve all had their share of disappointments.

Donaldson - 2 world titles, lost 6 finals
F Davis - 8 titles, lost 3 finals
Pulman - 8 titles, lost 3 finals
Spencer - 3 titles, lost 1 final
Reardon - 6 titles, lost 1 final
A Higgins - 2 titles, lost 2 finals
S Davis - 6 titles, lost 2 finals
Hendry - 7 titles, lost 2 finals
Williams, 3 titles, lost 1 final
J Higgins - 4 titles, lost 4 finals
O’Sullivan - 6 titles, lost 1 final
Selby - 3 titles, lost 1 final

Both Higginses’ finals record looks poor when written out like that.

Good stuff, Cyril

badtemperedcyril wrote:

Wildey wrote:

mick745 wrote:So we are saying if Jimmy potted that red at 15-14 and 59-0, Reardon would have won his SEVENTH world title, something Davis would fall short of matching and Hendry now only have matched it.

In other words White changed the whole course of snooker history with that miss.

what if Selby had cleared up in the decider last year against Ronnie he had the chance Selby could have been 4 times champ or Kyren would have played better in the final than he did and become a World Champ.


Sport is full of what ifs.

Selby will regret the concluding stages of that match for the rest of his life. It’s put irretrievable distance between himself and Ronnie in terms of world titles. I have no doubt Selby would’ve beaten Wilson, not as one sided as Ronnie did, but a win nonetheless.

Its a bigger Gap no doubt but Selby doesn't think like that he plays every shot on Merit that is a strength he has.

Judd Trump will be more thinking jesus im back where i was in 2019 now 5 behind Ronnie

Trump's main problem is he wasted too many years between 2012-2018 on the TC events.

Yes he might still win a bunch of them, but I'd be very surprised if he wins more than 10. Ronnie's 20 TC events (and counting, hopefully), looks like it will be the strongest record he'll ever have.

Andre147 wrote:John Higgins strike rate at the Worlds has become bad for a player of his calibre, half of the Finals lost. Similar to Ronnie at The Masters, won 7 titles, but lost in 6 of them, almost half.

Big difference being Ronnie holds that tournament record.

John Higgins lost 3 finals when he did brilliant just to get there nothing bad about that.


Whats bad for Higgins his strike rate on reaching the one table set up when Ebdon, Murphy and Dott was winning the tournament he didn't once threaten

Wildey wrote:

Andre147 wrote:John Higgins strike rate at the Worlds has become bad for a player of his calibre, half of the Finals lost. Similar to Ronnie at The Masters, won 7 titles, but lost in 6 of them, almost half.

Big difference being Ronnie holds that tournament record.

John Higgins lost 3 finals when he did brilliant just to get there nothing bad about that.


Whats bad for Higgins his strike rate on reaching the one table set up when Ebdon, Murphy and Dott was winning the tournament he didn't once threaten

Higgins form at the Worlds wasn't great after losing the 2001 Final, so between 2002-2006 that's when he should have pushed on, as you mentioned.

Andre147 wrote:Trump's main problem is he wasted too many years between 2012-2018 on the TC events.

Yes he might still win a bunch of them, but I'd be very surprised if he wins more than 10. Ronnie's 20 TC events (and counting, hopefully), looks like it will be the strongest record he'll ever have.

In the same way getting a WC is a burden for Ding being a multi World, UK and Masters might become a monkey on Judd's career its been 10 years since he won the UK and the longer it goes without winning the worst it will get.

For me this years WC will be the most interesting tournament Ever.

Judd Trump still dominant but what about the Worlds?
Ronnie O'sullivan is the holder the man to be shot at
John Higgins looking the best he has for a long time the way he played at the PC
Mark Selby playing with more purpose than the last few years going there.

Neil Robertson UK Champion but hardly won a match in 2021 and for the first time for years wont be going there as one of the favourites for me and maybe it will click for him

and of course Can Stephen Hendry win matches at the qualifiers and somehow Qualify? Doubt he will Qualify but you never know.

To be fair, we always say that every year don't we Wild? Next year we'll say it'll be the most interesting ever.

I guess it's just us excited about the biggest and best tournament there is in Snooker.

Wildey wrote:

Andre147 wrote:John Higgins strike rate at the Worlds has become bad for a player of his calibre, half of the Finals lost. Similar to Ronnie at The Masters, won 7 titles, but lost in 6 of them, almost half.

Big difference being Ronnie holds that tournament record.

John Higgins lost 3 finals when he did brilliant just to get there nothing bad about that.


Whats bad for Higgins his strike rate on reaching the one table set up when Ebdon, Murphy and Dott was winning the tournament he didn't once threaten

This is true.

Higgins’ Crucible record is better (FAR, FAR better) than it was five years ago.

A 50/50 record in world finals looks bad on paper but every player except for four in the ‘open’ era would kill for a 4/4 record in world finals.

Andre147 wrote:To be fair, we always say that every year don't we Wild? Next year we'll say it'll be the most interesting ever.

I guess it's just us excited about the biggest and best tournament there is in Snooker.

I do think this year’s has an unusually high number of sub plots in terms of the ‘favourites’ though.

Judd Trump vs Bingham 2015 WC

If Judd won he would've spanked Murphy in the F and the domination would've started in his 20s rather than 30s especially at the TC events

now it is looking hard how many he'll achieve