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2009/10 Awards

Postby Tubberlad

So, in my Friday evening off, I've decided to not hit the town, but instead write a snooker thread :shy: how sad am I? Anyway, with the season ended, it's time to reflect on what has passed.

Best Match: Mark Selby 10-9 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Yet another classic Masters final. O'Sullivan opened in breathtaking fashion, but as the game wore on, you felt he was beginning to struggle a bit, and seemed to want it a little too much. Selby on the other hand did what he did best, and just stuck with him. Even at 9-6 down, Selby had arguably been the better player, and the last four frames were pure theatre. Selby completely outplayed O'Sullivan. His fine century in the 17th frame was the highlight for me, great craft, when he would have been lucky to make 40. A crazy shot on the green, more out of desperation than anything else, cost O'Sullivan frame 18, and it was over from there. Really great match.

Honourable mentions:
John Higgins 9-8 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Steve Davis 13-11 John Higgins
Neil Robertson 13-12 Martin Gould
Neil Robertson 6-5 John Higgins
Ronnie O'Sullivan 13-10 Mark Williams
Mark Selby 13-11 Ronnie O'Sullivan
Graeme Dott 17-14 Mark Selby
Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-5 Mark Williams
Steve Davis 10-9 Mark King

Best Player: Neil Robertson
Two ranking titles, including the biggest of them all. Showed everything you need: outstanding potting, coupled with real hard graft in the safety stakes. His final win was great matchplay, where he dug out the result despite not being anywhere near his best.

Honourable mentions:
Ding Junhui
Mark Selby
Mark Williams
John Higgins (prior to scandals)

Most improved player: Ding Junhui
Has turned things around considerably this season, with three ranking finals, and a UK win. Still a long way to go as we learned at the Crucible, but if he can kick on next season, he could be a real force.

Honourable mentions:
Graeme Dott
Liang Wenbo
Neil Robertson
Anda Zhang
Mark Williams
Steve Davis

Most disappointing player: Marco Fu
A horrific season for the Hong Kong man, and is in big, big trouble for next year. Considering how good he is, majorly disappointing.

Dishonourable mentions:
Ryan Day
Matthew Stevens
Ronnie O'Sullivan (played well, but not the Ronnie of old)
John Higgins (for reasons not related to play)
David Gray
Jamie Cope
Judd Trump
Shaun Murphy
Liu Song
Joe Swail
Joe Perry
Ricky Walden

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby Wildey

i know you mention Fu as most disappointed however for me its Ricky Walden all the way. after shanghai he was provisionally 9th all he had to do to get in the top 16 was to maintain a steady season and he flopped to 20th with only a further 5 ranking tournaments after shanghai.

to drop from 9th to 20th for a up coming player like him it was shambolic.

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby JohnFromLondonTown

I think Ali Carter deserves an honourable mention tubber, probably deserves the honourable title of the 'Most Surprising Player on Snooker island' too. :chin:

I've just woke up, was on the couch. Think I'll go to bed. Night :)

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

Dave Harold had a big fall. He nearly made the Top 16 last year and he only won one match all season. I think of all players Walden suffered the most from the Ranking System. He would have been in the Top 16 after Shanghai and while his defeat to Mark King at the Grand Prix was careless he would have avoided John Higgins in the first round of the UK Championship and given how he played he almost certainly would have beaten whatever qualifier he would have played. This would have left him in a much stronger position in the new year as he would have got to play in both the Masters and Welsh Open. He lost a lot of momentum and couldn't get his form back. The same thing kind of happened to Liang Wenbo after he didn't get into the Masters and it nearly cost him too.

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby NedB-H

JohnFromLondonTown wrote:I think Ali Carter deserves an honourable mention tubber, probably deserves the honourable title of the 'Most Surprising Player on Snooker island' too. :chin:

Have I missed something here?!? :scared:

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby Rocket_ron

NedB-H wrote:
JohnFromLondonTown wrote:I think Ali Carter deserves an honourable mention tubber, probably deserves the honourable title of the 'Most Surprising Player on Snooker island' too. :chin:

Have I missed something here?!? :scared:

im not following that bit either, who is he?

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby SnookerFan

I admit it. I am Ali Carter....

No I'm not really, I don't know what anybody is talking about.

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby Rocket_ron

SnookerFan wrote:I admit it. I am Ali Carter....

No I'm not really, I don't know what anybody is talking about.

doesnt seem like anyone is gonna own up

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby Roland

It's probably directed at me because I started the topic about him being a false number 3. I still think that but he's gone up in my estimations after watching him live at the Crucible.

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:It's probably directed at me because I started the topic about him being a false number 3. I still think that but he's gone up in my estimations after watching him live at the Crucible.

well he was a false no 3 hes finished at no 4 :john: <laugh>

but seriously i was looking at some quotes by people prior to his 1st rounder against cope and i was laughing how some actually dismissed carter out of hand.

yes i wouldn't call him a top player that will be a multi champion or ever going to be a multi champion hes more a Terry Griffiths very consistent player but lacks a killer instinct.

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby Roland

Well let's face it, Cope was absolutely appaling. If he played as he had done in 2009 then I'm pretty sure he'd have come through. But Carter is obviously a very good player and I've never disputed that. He's definitely top 10 in any ranking system.

Re: 2009/10 Awards

Postby Wildey

Sonny wrote:Well let's face it, Cope was absolutely appaling. If he played as he had done in 2009 then I'm pretty sure he'd have come through. But Carter is obviously a very good player and I've never disputed that. He's definitely top 10 in any ranking system.


yes but cope in 2009 is hardly the norm.... for Cope he out done himself in that match with higgins i like the kid and think he could be great but the player i saw in 2010 is the player i see far to often.

its 4 years since his debut in a World Ranking final hes not pushed on his conquerer in that match on the other hand is World Champion today.

he should be established player now putting in solid consistant performances and he isnt.

Regarding Carter for some Reason people put him and Ryan Day in the same catagorie yes there was questions about Carter's Bottle and possibly still was until this year at the World where i thought his bottle in holding himself together against murphy was great but Carter for me is in a different league to Day.