Topic locked

BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby Wildey

Image Image Image
Monday16th of February ~ Sunday 22nd of February at the Motorpoint Arena, Cardiff

The Welsh Open has been on the Main tour since the 1991/1992 season even before Ronnie O'Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams turned professional.

Its been won by all 3 of the above mentioned more than once since then John Higgins and Ronnie O'Sullivan sharing the record of most wins with Stephen Hendry on 3.

Ken Doherty (1993), Mark Williams (1996), Mark Selby (2008) , Ali Carter (2009) and the Late Paul Hunter (1998) all recorded their first Ranking tournament win at the Welsh Open.

This year it will be a all star cast competing that includes Champion of Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and the Champion of the World Mark Selby.

Who will reach the last 64 and a step nearer the trophy?

DRAW

ORDER OF PLAY

Image

Image

Image

Image

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby AC or LT?

What on earth is the reasoning behind doubling up the evening session which will probably mean very late matches for a lot of players rather than using an extra day or playing 128 elsewhere? Or even just using four four hour sessions (9 1 4 8) after all these are best of 7s.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby shankly

AC or LT? wrote:What on earth is the reasoning behind doubling up the evening session which will probably mean very late matches for a lot of players rather than using an extra day or playing 128 elsewhere? Or even just using four four hour sessions (9 1 4 8) after all these are best of 7s.


Because the calendar is packed. Because this way they can fit in 5 sessions a day. Presumably the gap between the 2:30pm and 7pm matches is to clear any backlog from the day session.

Anyway I don't think it's that big a deal. Guessing it'll be roll-on, roll-off, like previous years. Maybe a couple of really late finishes? In any case Monday's late finishers will have Tuesday off (so definitely no problem there), and I'm guessing Tuesday's late finishers will be scheduled for the late afternoon/evening sessions.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 Discussion !!!

Postby SnookerFan

Dan-cat wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:My tickets arrived in the post yesterday. :hatoff:


What matches are you going to see? I've got fond memories of witnessing that last frame 147 live last year on my birthday!


I was there for that. <laugh>

Going up at the weekend, so seeing the semis and the final. You going?

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby Andre147

AC or LT? wrote:Anyone thinking of running a predicts on this, I would but I'll be away part the week.


Yeah thought the same, I think PL is busy otherwise he would run it.

I didn't exactly have in mind running a predicts contest for this as I did one recently.

I can do it if no one else wants it, but I can only promise to have the whole templates tomorrow.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby Andre147

AC or LT? wrote:Can't see them having more than 1 telly table at the lovechild of a PTC and a half-decent ranking event.

Match-length depreciation is a pain in the bottom.


The Welsh Open is one of the longest ranking events history wise in the calendar, having had it's first edition way back in 1992, but I agree it wasn't exactly Hearn's finest hour reducing this to Best of 7s until Quarter-Finals.

Best of 9 was great as it was, and Best of 9 is so much different than best of 7, aside from a player needing to win 5 frames instead of 4, there is a mid session interval, and that so often changes the outcome of so many matches.

This and the UK Champs will go down as Hearn's biggest failure. It's still a good event, but not as great as it once was.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby AC or LT?

Andre147 wrote:
AC or LT? wrote:Can't see them having more than 1 telly table at the lovechild of a PTC and a half-decent ranking event.

Match-length depreciation is a pain in the bottom.


The Welsh Open is one of the longest ranking events history wise in the calendar, having had it's first edition way back in 1992, but I agree it wasn't exactly Hearn's finest hour reducing this to Best of 7s until Quarter-Finals.

Best of 9 was great as it was, and Best of 9 is so much different than best of 7, aside from a player needing to win 5 frames instead of 4, there is a mid session interval, and that so often changes the outcome of so many matches.

This and the UK Champs will go down as Hearn's biggest failure. It's still a good event, but not as great as it once was.


It just seems there's a constant drive in attempting to make the sport more fast and frivolous with exciting one session results. The irony is some of the best matches in the last two seasons have been Best of 17s ( 2014 IC Williams v Allens), Best of 19s (Trump and O'Sullivan CoC) and Best of 25s (Selby v Robertson 2014 Worlds). Part of this is chasing some kind of casual fan, despite the fact most casual fans tune in for the Worlds - there's a reason for that!!!

Best of 9s and Best of 11s make sense in early rounds of tournaments and for some like the Welsh throughout to the semis/final but I think anything less is very much a toss of a coin if the players are near each-other in standard. Playing 128 all at venue over five days is also bonkers as it means that sessions that could have been utilised by longer matches are taken up by best of 7 after best of 7.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby shankly

I can understand why the first two rounds are best of 7s, I don't mind that so much. But when it gets to last 32 and beyond you start getting really good players playing each other and with 11 tables at the venue there's absolutely no reason why they aren't best of 9s at least.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby shankly

SnookerFan wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:I wonder if there'll be expert analysis in the snooker next week?


I just tweeted British Eurosport. No analysis next week.

A bit of a shame, apart from the fact that there'll be no Colin Murray.


Not surprised at all, can't see how they'd do it any BBC event because players will go to the BBC studio for post match interviews and stuff.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby Andre147

shankly wrote:I can understand why the first two rounds are best of 7s, I don't mind that so much. But when it gets to last 32 and beyond you start getting really good players playing each other and with 11 tables at the venue there's absolutely no reason why they aren't best of 9s at least.


Yeah I agree, although far from perfect, Best of 7s in the first 2 rounds would be understandable, however as you say Best of 7s for Last 32 and Last 16 is bullocks. For instance, MJW and Murphy are set to meet at Last 32 stage, and Best of 7 there seems just like another PTC meeting, which is wrong for a ranking tournament such as this.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby AC or LT?

Andre147 wrote:
shankly wrote:I can understand why the first two rounds are best of 7s, I don't mind that so much. But when it gets to last 32 and beyond you start getting really good players playing each other and with 11 tables at the venue there's absolutely no reason why they aren't best of 9s at least.


Yeah I agree, although far from perfect, Best of 7s in the first 2 rounds would be understandable, however as you say Best of 7s for Last 32 and Last 16 is bullocks. For instance, MJW and Murphy are set to meet at Last 32 stage, and Best of 7 there seems just like another PTC meeting, which is wrong for a ranking tournament such as this.


It's the future my friend, by the time I'm old and grey the world championship final'll be a one frame shootout with shot clock.

Hopefully they'll tone down the sheer excess of events in the next few years and make best of 7s ptc only lengths. My fear's they'll go the other way and reduce ptcs to best of 5 so they can make best of 7s seem like longer matches. Anything beyond the L32 stage in a tournament should be a best of 9 or 11 at the very least though.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby AC or LT?

Anyone know how the tv matches for the last 128 are being decided, are we just getting a procession of the highest ranked players and their whipping boys (Murphy v Stephen Hallworth, O'Sullivan v Calabrese, Robertson v Cahill or Trump v Wattana - last 2 are slightly more competitive) or will it be done by the more competitive matches (Wasley v Dale, Stevens v Lines, Wilson v Zhang or Slessor v Cope)

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby AC or LT?

Anyone know how the tv matches for the last 128 are being decided, are we just getting a procession of the highest ranked players and their whipping boys (Murphy v Stephen Hallworth, O'Sullivan v Calabrese, Robertson v Cahill or Trump v Wattana - last 2 are slightly more competitive) or will it be done by the more competitive matches (Wasley v Dale, Stevens v Lines, Wilson v Zhang or Slessor v Cope)

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby Andre147

Skullman wrote:Not heard anything about TV matches yet, but going by history, top player v whipping boys.


Most probably.

On the morning's first match I would definately choose MJW v Haotian to show the local player and Welsh great MJW on TV, he definately deserves it instead of Murphy or Allen. There should be 2 TV tables like at UK Champs though.

Re: BetVictor Welsh Open Last 128 and Last 64 Discussion !!!

Postby shankly

Andre147 wrote:
Skullman wrote:Not heard anything about TV matches yet, but going by history, top player v whipping boys.


Most probably.

On the morning's first match I would definately choose MJW v Haotian to show the local player and Welsh great MJW on TV, he definately deserves it instead of Murphy or Allen. There should be 2 TV tables like at UK Champs though.


Hearing it will indeed be MJW vs Lyu, then O'Sullivan-Calabrese and Robertson-Cahill. Hope so anyway.