Snooker's Greatest Matches?

Don't worry about a late post, it's a good topic. I would put Robbo v Selby and Ronnie v Selby up there after the last few days.

2006 Masters final, Higgins 10-9 O'Sullivan.
2010 Masters final, Selby 10-9 O'Sullivan


Just legendary high quality matches with ebbs and flows and a dramatic and sensational final frame in the case of 2006.

The two most annoying losses I can recall in Ronnie's career. But yeah, both have already been mentioned.

Also, do my eyes deceive me or has the 2002 World Championship final not been mentioned?

Ebdon winning 18-17 over Hendry. Final frame deciders at the Crucible are rare enough and it was a good match anyway with great breaks (8 centuries in all) and strong tactics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiFLxXHm2_o

R.O'Sullivan vs. R.Walden - The Masters 2014

The best match I watched was Higgins v robbo 2009 grand prix , it was 1visit snooker throughout and then a dramatic decider.

That has now been matched by robbo v selby world semi , despite the result I enjoyed it alot and the standard in the last session was top drawer.

Carter v Robbo in the CoC.

Had five centuries, a decider and some twitchy last frames that made for great drama.

Higgins vs Selby in the Worlds 2009.

Another match I can remember is the quarter final (or last 16?) between Stephen Hendry and Jams Wattana at Mita/Sky World Masters of 1991. Wattana won 6-4 and it was a huge upset at the time.

Stephen Hendry vs Steve James in 1991 Worlds was a great match.

SnookerFan wrote:Mark Williams vs Stephen Lee.

You all know which one I mean.

Which one do you mean?

2004 World Championship Semi Final -
Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-4 Stephen Hendry

2008 World Championship Semi Final -
Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-6 Stephen Hendry

Cloud Strife wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:Mark Williams vs Stephen Lee.

You all know which one I mean.

Which one do you mean?

China Open 2011 first round, Lee beat Williams 5-4, Williams making 4 tons! and still losing that match. Lee in the decider made a superb 60 odd clearance to steal the match on the black by 2 or 3 points.

Along with that Best of 9 match when Ronnie made 5 tons including a 147, the best Best of 9 match I've ever watched, it had absolutely everything that match between parakeet Lee and Williams as defending champ that year.

Cloud Strife wrote:2004 World Championship Semi Final -
Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-4 Stephen Hendry

2008 World Championship Semi Final -
Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-6 Stephen Hendry

The Hendry fans will say:

1999 Worlds semi and 2002 Worlds semi.

But even Ronnie losing those 2 matches we're also some of the very best I've ever seen (not watched it live as I was too young, but have since watched them on Youtube these 2 matches I mentioned.)

Andre147 wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:Mark Williams vs Stephen Lee.

You all know which one I mean.

Which one do you mean?

China Open 2011 first round, Lee beat Williams 5-4, Williams making 4 tons! and still losing that match. Lee in the decider made a superb 60 odd clearance to steal the match on the match by 2 or 3 points.

Along with that Best of 9 match when Ronnie made 5 tons including a 147, the best Best of 9 match I've ever watched, it had absolutely everything that match between parakeet Lee and Williams as defending champ that year.

Yeah, I know which he meant, I was just pulling his leg.

Nevertheless, thanks for recapping the match. It just goes to show how well Williams was playing in 2011, I hope he can recapture some of that form.

Andre147 wrote:

Cloud Strife wrote:2004 World Championship Semi Final -
Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-4 Stephen Hendry

2008 World Championship Semi Final -
Ronnie O'Sullivan 17-6 Stephen Hendry

The Hendry fans will say:

1999 Worlds semi and 2002 Worlds semi.

But even Ronnie losing those 2 matches we're also some of the very best I've ever seen (not watched it live as I was too young, but have since watched them on Youtube these 2 matches I mentioned.)

The 99 semi is a personal favourite of mine, despite the result being the wrong one.

I can still vividly remember Willie Thorne telling David Vine in the studio that it was best snooker he had ever seen during the third session.

Session one was dire from Ronnie's perspective, he came out missing pots by absolute miles leaving Hendry in amongst the balls to clear up. I can recall feeling so deflated at what was going on.

The second session was much better. Ronnie started off like a train winning the first three frames in no time at all to reduce to 6-5. Frame 12 was when Hendry started to show some fallibility though and may even have been a little rattled. He got in first and moved serenely onto a break of 36, looking for all the world he was going to clinch the frame in that visit, only to then miss an easy black of the spot. Ronnie stepped in to clear for 6-6.

At that point, as you can imagine, I was absolutely elated. Hendry still stayed strong though and won the three straight frames after the interval. Ronnie took the last to make 9-7. Bit disappointing considering he was 6-6.

The rest of the match was nip and tuck, with the key moment being a missed red from middle distance by Ronnie in frame 26. After that Hendry just got stronger and stronger.

When they were 10 all Hendry made 2 tons but Ronnie duly replied with another 2 of his own didnt he to level the match at 12 al if I'm not mistaken.

And Ronnie in one of those 2 tons made a 134 break, and guess what... he missed the final pink to left middle on position for black that would have given him a 147. Only Hendry has made one in a Worlds semi, 1995 v his bunny White.

Think when Ronnie leveled at 12 all with 4 sucessive tons between the 2 players Clive Everton mentioned it was "Snooker from the Gods" and he couldnt have been more precise

Which was the match were Ronnie said he was going to send hendo back to his sad life in Scotland and hendo beat him.

2002 World Semi.

Cheers skull

Hendry v Ronnie - Liverpool Victoria Challenge

Hendry surged to huge lead, Ronnie came back to tie the match and Hendry knocked in a max in the decider

I have to say some of you have some odd ideas about what a great match is, citing blowouts by your favorite player is off. If a player blew the other one off the table by a massive scoreline it can hardly be considered a match.

Sickpotter wrote:Hendry v Ronnie - Liverpool Victoria Challenge

Hendry surged to huge lead, Ronnie came back to tie the match and Hendry knocked in a max in the decider

I have to say some of you have some odd ideas about what a great match is, citing blowouts by your favorite player is off. If a player blew the other one off the table by a massive scoreline it can hardly be considered a match.

Why not? If a guy is just flying and playing out of his skin , playing perfect snooker, it can be very nice to watch and for me that's better than let's say watching a really weak match with a close scoreline.

But the best thing obviously is if both players play at their best with a close scoreline at the end. And that's the case in the match you mentioned above.

SnookerFan wrote:

Alyt wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiFLxXHm2_o

R.O'Sullivan vs. R.Walden - The Masters 2014

One of the best individual performances by any snooker player ever, but not sure if it would be considered a great match. Too one-sided.

Yes indeed, i mean good match but not a good "fight".

Still one of the best performance in snooker.

O'sullivan vs Hendry - 2003 British Open final (5 successive centuries between them!)
Davis vs White - 1987 UK final

sas6789 wrote:O'sullivan vs Hendry - 2003 British Open final (5 successive centuries between them!)

Great shout

Hendry's 7 tons in that UK Champs Final best of 19 in 1994 still is for me one of the best ever performances in a snooker match. Those 7 tons in a match still haven't been beaten in the far longer formats at the Crucible, let alone in a Best of 19 match, just goes to show how brilliantly Hendry played in that final.

yea but one man producing the goods don't equate to a great match you need both players to perform and in that match Ken Doherty played great stuff to even get 5 frames.

Andre147 wrote:Hendry's 7 tons in that UK Champs Final best of 19 in 1994 still is for me one of the best ever performances in a snooker match. Those 7 tons in a match still haven't been beaten in the far longer formats at the Crucible, let alone in a Best of 19 match, just goes to show how brilliantly Hendry played in that final.

What do you mean by "tons"?