The World Cup ...Opinions !!!

So the World Cup is almost over

What has been your impression of the event ?

and What Changes would you like to see happening to the Format in Future years ?

at first i was not keen on the Doubles Format but then it grew on me when Both players could get involved in Decision making on each shot which they couldn't in the beginning apparently, and that should be used more in frames also play 3 men Teams not just 2 and Give the Captain scope to chop and change and No more A and B teams.

I've not watched much of it, so it probably hasn't had a chance to grow on me.

It's proven quite popular amongst those watching it on telly, but speaking personally, I find it terribly dull. I've given it a try, but I feel bored by the end of each match. I think a team game doesn't work for me. Maybe if I'd watched more, like you it would've grown on me. A lot of people have said they hated the doubles at the start, but now like it.

Though, somehow it doesn't work. The individual frames are alright, but a quick rotation of one frame matches doesn't get me gripped. Somebody loses one frame, and they don't have to then try and correct it in the next frame, as it's a brand new match. And the doubles are worse. You make a mistake, and your partner has to deal with it. Not you.

I've nothing against this format, and wouldn't mind it being a full time addition to the calender. But it's not something I'll get into.

Liked it a lot more than I thought I would, didn't like only having 2 players per country and still of that opinion however. I also think a bonus point for a match win that Wild suggested elsewhere would be a good idea.

Missed yesterday's as at Brands Hatch this weekend for a somewhat different sporting experience with my son!

Doubles - I really thought alternate shot was great from a sporting point of view, much better than alternate visits which doesn't work for me as team sport. Would have liked to see the odd high five between players, or just a bit of contact, as you get between the best tennis doubles pairings. I'd very happily watch a world doubles championship of some kind - would be quite interesting if it was based on top 16 or top 24, with them each having to invite a player outside that ranking group to be their partner. If you like fast play you wouldn't be so keen I guess, but I really like the fact that players have to think about what suits their partner from a positional point of view. Perhaps alternate years with the World Cup?

Reflecting on that, if there were 3 players I'd quite like to see 5 singles games and 2 doubles, with the captain having the choice of who plays which game but with each player having to play 3 games - so one player playing 2 doubles and one singles, and two players playing two singles and one doubles OR the possibility of one player plays 3 singles, and the two other players play both doubles games and a singles each.

If you don't like frames that turn into a scrap, this definitely wasn't for you - but I quite liked watching the 'lesser nations' seeking to make the top players play at their level. And good to see some different players. But as I've noted elsewhere, I quite like watching sport that isn't quite at the top level, I find watching them struggle and improve good to watch. I wasn't unhappy with the host nation having two teams, thought that was quite a good idea really.

Would have liked to see some more 'lesser nations' in it, in part because I thought groups of five was awkward, would have preferred groups of six.

Overall, really enjoyed it!

I have enjoyed more now that the sheep shaggers got stuffed!

If Ireland win, it could be a great boost for him this season

Its not a bad tournament - maybe play it every 3 years.

Casey wrote:If Ireland win, it could be a great boost for him this season

Its not a bad tournament - maybe play it every 3 years.

plan is every 2 years.

attendance been bad they will have to look in to that.

Wild wrote:

Casey wrote:If Ireland win, it could be a great boost for him this season

Its not a bad tournament - maybe play it every 3 years.

plan is every 2 years.

attendance been bad they will have to look in to that.

Yea - hold it in Europe next time for sure.

I would like to see a 3rd team member so we could have a trebles match.

Did nothing for me. Maybe its the wrong time of the season for it.

preferred the nations cup

Opinions to come tomorrow

I've enjoyed this Week, Something very different and its partly why BH came into the sport initially.

Its been good to see different players from different countries competing, and its at this sort of tournament that we undercover those nations and their players - Namely Filipiak's results for the Poland team.

The doubles worked well, however I do think that teams didn't settle down with the one frame format.

The problem with the competition is that though, the game is much much stronger than it was ten years ago - when we had the five home nations and three invited guests, it has still been the eight strongest nations pretty much breezing through (seven of the eight nations who competed at the 2001 Nations Cup made the quarter-finals with Australia the exception as they were not in the Nations Cup 2001) - this does make a question of asking that though the game is stronger, do we have 19-20 countries which are on a comparable level

Any changes I would make

- Increase teams to 3 or 4 members including a captain
- Reduce the number of finalists to 12 or 16
- Have a double elimination Group Stage (if 16) - as I've indicated in the past it means something will rest on each of the 20 matches in the Group stage - if 12 teams, have Groups of three. - In each event two teams from each can qualify for the quarter-finals.
- Make each 'rubber' - best of three frames, matches start as best of three rubbers and then for the final become the best of five rubbers.

Verdict
A good tournament which I think should definitely be continued, but I think that there is certainly room for improvement but it can be made into a strong and exciting event. Personally I'd look at moving the UK back to the last week in november and this could have the Christmas tournament slot?

PLtheRef wrote: Personally I'd look at moving the UK back to the last week in november and this could have the Christmas tournament slot?

yes the old World Doubles had a prior to Christmas slot and you had players visiting children in hospital dressed as father christmas lol

I didn't see much of it because of the crappy times it was on but from what I saw it seemed alright. The only problem was the poor crowds. An event like this needs a good atmosphere like what the Mosconi Cup pool has. The best place for it would probably be London as it has so many different nationalities that every country could potentially have some support. Of course this isn't possible as it people in Thailand who looked for the event and funded it. Plus it would be better if there was only one table, at least in the first couple of years before then expanding.

London

one table

3 man teams

32 teams involved

best of 9 matches

straight knockout format from the start

Witz78 wrote:London

one table

3 man teams

32 teams involved

best of 9 matches

straight knockout format from the start

32 teams

where you going to find them lol

Wild wrote:

Witz78 wrote:London

one table

3 man teams

32 teams involved

best of 9 matches

straight knockout format from the start

32 teams

where you going to find them lol

well wed 19 nations there didnt we

ok, what would be better then would be similar to the PTC then

round 1 knockout of 16 nations

8 winners go through to round 2 where they play the top 8 seeded nations.

so of the 19 last week, add south africa, canada, usa to the mix and surely Kurt Maflin and Robin Hull each have a friend who can play too

Dene O Kane could come out of retirement ....how good is Richard Hadley with a cue

Witz78 wrote:

Wild wrote:

Witz78 wrote:London

one table

3 man teams

32 teams involved

best of 9 matches

straight knockout format from the start

32 teams

where you going to find them lol

well wed 19 nations there didnt we

ok, what would be better then would be similar to the PTC then

round 1 knockout of 16 nations

8 winners go through to round 2 where they play the top 8 seeded nations.

so of the 19 last week, add south africa, canada, usa to the mix and surely Kurt Maflin and Robin Hull each have a friend who can play too

As I said earlier, do we have 20 countries, 24 countries which can be described as at a comparable level? - Thats why we had the point per frame format last week, because if it was based on wins, then the Groups would have been completed by Wednesday/Thursday.

The World Cup of Pool has the format Witz has suggested, but obviously there are 32 countries at comparative levels in Pool. - I would say 16 is a reasonable maximum - Having 5-0 wins all day going through the first few days wont do the tournament much good.

Another idea, which could produce a competitive event could be placing the top eight seeds in two Groups - with the top three qualifying for the quarter-finals. And having the eight weaker nations going into the other two Groups - with the Group winners joining the top six.

This would mean that we have two countries which would not normally reach the final stages making the knock-outs, and avoiding the regular 5-0 drubbings.