Bank of Communications OTO Shanghai Masters WC & Last 32 !!!

Wildey wrote:

Skullman wrote:Three in a row from Day and he takes the decider. Higgins had chances in every frame.

Higgins is finished as a force in the game.


i give him 2 years and unless he starts to be a real contender again he will retire.

I have a solution - Tartan Troosers!

SnookerEd25 wrote:

Wildey wrote:

Skullman wrote:Three in a row from Day and he takes the decider. Higgins had chances in every frame.

Higgins is finished as a force in the game.


i give him 2 years and unless he starts to be a real contender again he will retire.

I have a solution - Tartan Troosers!

The type of success McManus is having in his 40s wont be anywhere near good enough for Higgins.

Wildey wrote:

Skullman wrote:Three in a row from Day and he takes the decider. Higgins had chances in every frame.

Higgins is finished as a force in the game.


i give him 2 years and unless he starts to be a real contender again he will retire.

He could end up off the tour before then if he keeps on losing?

Mark Williams has now beaten Barry Hawkins 10 times out of 11 played.

all but 3 match has been in the Championship League

MJW beats Hawkins 5-4. Has the winner of Allen v Higginson next.

That's a sore one for John Higgins! A few years ago he would not have surrendered a 4-2 lead, to lose 4-5, against anybody...
I'm not sure what the root of his problem is but if it's a shortage of confidence, then this latest setback isn't going to help!
I doubt he'll be thinking of retirement yet. Despite his recent failings, he is still (at present) Scotland's number 1 ranked snooker player.

7.30am

John Higgins 4-5 Ryan Day
Barry Hawkins 4-5 Mark Williams
Matthew Selt 3-5 Zhao Xintong
Ken Doherty 5-3 Huang Jiahao

Higgins did always strike me as the least likely to retire of the class of 92 when he stops playing well. Ronnie is almost a certainty when he does start declining and I think MJW's not going to stay around unless he plays above a certain level.

Wildey wrote:

SnookerEd25 wrote:

Wildey wrote:

Skullman wrote:Three in a row from Day and he takes the decider. Higgins had chances in every frame.

Higgins is finished as a force in the game.


i give him 2 years and unless he starts to be a real contender again he will retire.

I have a solution - Tartan Troosers!

The type of success McManus is having in his 40s wont be anywhere near good enough for Higgins.

Yeah, you're probably right. I tried them, and my game didn't improve at all. Just made my legs itch.

Skullman wrote:Higgins did always strike me as the least likely to retire of the class of 92 when he stops playing well. Ronnie is almost a certainty when he does start declining and I think MJW's not going to stay around unless he plays above a certain level.

i think Higgins is more family oriantated than the other 2 and he wont carry on going away from his family to china or other destinations without coming back with something to show for it

Wildey wrote:

Skullman wrote:Higgins did always strike me as the least likely to retire of the class of 92 when he stops playing well. Ronnie is almost a certainty when he does start declining and I think MJW's not going to stay around unless he plays above a certain level.

i think Higgins is more family oriantated than the other 2 and he wont carry on going away from his family to china or other destinations without coming back with something to show for it

I guess it comes down to how well he's invested his earnings. Hopefully, not too much of it is stashed away in Ukrainian bank accounts...

12.30pm

Ding Junhui v Jack Lisowski TV
Judd Trump v Dominic Dale TV
Ricky Walden v Michael Holt
Robert Milkins v Fergal O'Brien

Will be out for the first part of the session, so link to live scores HERE

Dan-cat wrote:I watched Ronnie's 139 on youtube earlier: sparkling. How did he lose that match! Interesting point someone made (Wildey?) that his breakbuilding doesn't dip it's his matchplay that goes awry. That strikes me as odd, you'd think he'd know the right shot to play whether playing well or not...?

yea but everyone has real strengths.

Look at Steve Davis his Tactical play is as good today as it was in the 80s But he cant score to back it up.

Ronnies Strength is Breakbuilding.....that will be the last thing to go in Ronnies Game.

Last time Ding played on 21st of June he won the tournament

seeing as Skullman is away and im in for the next hour


Ding Junhui 1-0 Jack Lisowski
Judd Trump 1-0 Dominic Dale
Ricky Walden 0-0 Michael Holt
Robert Milkins 0-1 Fergal O'Brien

Dominic Dale takes frame 2 with a top break of 42

Jack having plenty of chances just cant take any

Ding Junhui 2-0 Jack Lisowski
Judd Trump 2-1 Dominic Dale
Ricky Walden 1-1 Michael Holt
Robert Milkins 0-3 Fergal O'Brien

I'm back.

Dale made a 57, broke down and gave Judd several chances for a 3-1 lead, but it's 2-2 at the MSI.

Jack finally wins a frame. Meanwhile Fergal battering Milkins, 4-0 up now.

Skullman wrote:7.30am

John Higgins 4-5 Ryan Day
Barry Hawkins 4-4 Mark Williams TV
Matthew Selt 3-5 Zhao Xintong
Ken Doherty 4-2 Huang Jiahao

I,ve just seen the scores today so far,good win for Williams considerin his form has plunged of late.



Taklin bout form plunging,Higgins form lately has been very questionable to say the least,to be honest i can,t see him bein able to regain and retain the form he all showed us,he,ll have the odd result here and there but i really do think he won,t be able to show us the form he once produced,at least he won,t produce it on a regular basis,i can,t see him winning another tourney neither.

Johns 39,he,s experiencing what happens to MOST of the players when they start hittin the 40/40+ mark,= the plunge in form/plunge in consistency.


Why it,s happening to John,well only he really knows the answer to that does,nt he,it might be because he does,nt practice enough,or he might be spending too much time doin other things,family,freinds,hobbys,might be lack of motivation/hunger,might have gotten to know something new,he might be even spendin too much time on facebook,twitter or play station 4!.


It,ll be intrestin to see what happens this and the next few seasons,he might fall off the radar before we even know it!.


Still early days to count him out though,but no matter what happens from now,Higgins has already engraved his name as being one of the greatest ever snooker players to grace the game,he,s already a legend,his titles,records,achievements speak for its self!.

Ding Junhui 3-1 Jack Lisowski
Judd Trump 2-2 Dominic Dale
Ricky Walden 1-2 Michael Holt
Robert Milkins 0-4 Fergal O'Brien

Although Milkins and Dale will win the current frames barring snookers from their opponents.

Dom takes the frame in the end though.

Dom goes 4-2 up on Judd. Could be another shock on the cards...

And Dom ends up making a century and just a couple of minutes after Ding makes a ton to go 4-1 up on Lisowski.

First to finish this session is Fergal (rare statement!) with a 5-1 win against Milkins.

Fergal O'B goes through 5-1 over Milkins. Bit of a surprise that one, I would say.

Dom finishes Trump off 5-2 with back to back tons. We're not going to have a repeat of 2007 are we?