Crucible Countdown 2015

Wildey wrote:

Andre147 wrote:The upsets I can see happening:

McGill beating Mags
Hull beating Murphy
Selty beating Hawkins
Day beating Allen
McManus beating Ali
Mavis beating Ding
Dotty beating Walden
Stevens beating MJW

Stevens wont be beating Williams this side of the next total eclipse.

uhm, I wouldnt be so sure, ok I too dont expect that to happen, but even with MJW's good form in recent times, everythng can change at Crucible.

I hope MJW beats him confortably though, so he can have another crack at Ronnie in Last 16

Wildey wrote:

Andre147 wrote:The upsets I can see happening:

McGill beating Mags
Hull beating Murphy
Selty beating Hawkins
Day beating Allen
McManus beating Ali
Mavis beating Ding
Dotty beating Walden
Stevens beating MJW

Stevens wont be beating Williams this side of the next total eclipse.

I'm also sceptical about Hull, Selt and Dott getting through, all of their oppenents have a good track-record at the Crucible.

mantorok wrote:
I'm also sceptical about Hull, Selt and Dott getting through, all of their oppenents have a good track-record at the Crucible.

Dott has a decent record at The Crucible himself. Three finals.

mantorok wrote:I'm also sceptical about Hull, Selt and Dott getting through, all of their oppenents have a good track-record at the Crucible.

Waldne hadn't won a match there until 2013...

Skullman wrote:

mantorok wrote:I'm also sceptical about Hull, Selt and Dott getting through, all of their oppenents have a good track-record at the Crucible.

Waldne hadn't won a match there until 2013...

No but didn't he reach the Semis?

Andre147 wrote:

mantorok wrote:

Skullman wrote:

mantorok wrote:I'm also sceptical about Hull, Selt and Dott getting through, all of their oppenents have a good track-record at the Crucible.

Waldne hadn't won a match there until 2013...

No but didn't he reach the Semis?

One semi doesn't make a good track record, otherwise Ding would have one.

Yeah, to say Walden's track record at The Crucible is better than Dott's is silly. Dott = Former champion, with three final appearances.

Andre147 wrote:

They'd have done it better.

Selt and McManus will be very happy.

Craig Steadman for Ronnie. Good draw

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Selt and McManus will be very happy.

Steadman won't

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Craig Steadman for Ronnie. Good draw

Again.

Just got in to see the draw.

Thoughts:

Selby v Maflin: One of the tougher opponents for the defending champ so he will have to be on it straightaway, although China proved Selby can take Maflin playing his best reasonably easily. Plus every debutante is an unknown despite what they've done beforehand.

Mags v Ants: Should be a good match, can see Ants wining that. Know Ants practices with Angles and Higgins a bit, but don't know how well he knows Mags's game. If they practice regularly, might give Ants a bit of extra comfort and familiarity, always an advantage for your debut.

Perry v Zhanger: Perry will be tough, especially with his improved results the last couple of seasons and won't twitch like Liang did. Can see him being just too solid for Zhanger.

Murphy v Hull: Hopefully a pot and breakbuilding fest. Would have to favour Murphy though. He's generally superior and I watched their match at the UK, and Hull got close because of a bit of Murphy carelessness.

Hawkins v Selt: Hawkins all the way. Had a bit of a run in China to get a bit of form going and is all around better than Selt. Plus has become a bit of Crucible specialist in recent years.

Allen v Day: Day could be dangerous. Has beaten seeds in his last two visits at the Crucible and Allen isn't anywhere near as dangerous as he was early season. 50/50 IMO.

Carter v Angles: Could be tight, but I'd give it to Carter as again, he's a bit of a Crucible specialist and I think he'll have been working hard for this.

Robbo v Jones: Robbo all the way. Just too much class for Jones IMO and will have been working hard for this after losing early in China.

Ding v Mavis: Ding polishes off Mavis pretty easily in Beijing earlier in the month, but Ding in Sheffield seems almost an entirely different player. Ding only slight favourite.

Higgins v Milkins: Higgins's form has improved recently but Milkins could take him. I'd say it'll go to the less careless player, as MIlkins and Higgins of 2015 can both have occasions of carelessness.

Fu v J. Robbo: Fu.

Trump v Carrington: Carrington is primarily a breakbuilder and potter, i.e. a bad tactic to use against Judd for most of the tour.

Walden v Dott: Only match where I'd say the qualifier is favourite. From what I've seen of Dott, he's not as consistent as he used to be, but still good enough for Walden, unless Walden really is in form.

Bingham v Williams: Have to go for Bingo.

MJW v Stevens: Stevens probably has good snooker in him somewhere but he's generally on the way down while MJW has been going up in recent months. Plus there's always the possibility of a Stevens bottle job if he does get in front.

ROS v Steadman: Regardless of ROS's mental state, I'd give Steadman somewhere between very little and no chance.

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Selt and McManus will be very happy.

Nonsense. Selt's never been happy in his life.

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Craig Steadman for Ronnie. Good draw

Yeah I had a feeling Ronnie would get a tough draw this year, someone like Mavis, McGill, McManus or Day, so I'm happy he didn't.

What you think of the rest of the draw SO?

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Selt and McManus will be very happy.

I think Hawkins can take Selt pretty easily.

SnookerFan wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Craig Steadman for Ronnie. Good draw

Again.

Ronnie got the lowest ranked qualifier last year, this year he got the second lowest ranked qualifier.
So it's getting tougher, isn't it?

Skullman wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Selt and McManus will be very happy.

I think Hawkins can take Selt pretty easily.

I don't think Hawkins can take anyone pretty easily at the moment

Snooker Overdrive wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Craig Steadman for Ronnie. Good draw

Again.

Ronnie got the lowest ranked qualifier last year, this year he got the second lowest ranked qualifier.
So it's getting tougher, isn't it?

Hull's ranking of 120 last year wasn't really accurate though considering how little he played. He's more middle.

Andre147 wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Craig Steadman for Ronnie. Good draw

Yeah I had a feeling Ronnie would get a tough draw this year, someone like Mavis, McGill, McManus or Day, so I'm happy he didn't.

What you think of the rest of the draw SO?

I just saw the draw but there are some very tasty matches this year. In fact way more good matches than straight forward ones.

Snooker Overdrive wrote:

Skullman wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Selt and McManus will be very happy.

I think Hawkins can take Selt pretty easily.

I don't think Hawkins can take anyone pretty easily at the moment

Developed into a Crucible specialist in recent years, had a run in China, including beating Mags. Plus Selt isn't really suited for the big stages.

Anyway, I too shall post my thoughts on the draw later in the day. But a very good draw nevertheless, I do expect some first round upsets this year. The record is 8 if I'm not mistaken, 2012 and somewhere in the 90s I think.

Skullman wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

Snooker Overdrive wrote:Craig Steadman for Ronnie. Good draw

Again.

Ronnie got the lowest ranked qualifier last year, this year he got the second lowest ranked qualifier.
So it's getting tougher, isn't it?

Hull's ranking of 120 last year wasn't really accurate though considering how little he played. He's more middle.

I know but my joke doesn't work if you put it this way

Skullman wrote:

mantorok wrote:

Skullman wrote:

mantorok wrote:I'm also sceptical about Hull, Selt and Dott getting through, all of their oppenents have a good track-record at the Crucible.

Waldne hadn't won a match there until 2013...

No but didn't he reach the Semis?

One semi doesn't make a good track record, otherwise Ding would have one.

Yeah not sure why but I thought Walden did better than that, my bad.

Andre147 wrote:Anyway, I too shall post my thoughts on the draw later in the day. But a very good draw nevertheless, I do expect some first round upsets this year. The record is 8 if I'm not mistaken, 2012 and somewhere in the 90s I think.

1992. Also 1980 if you only count first matches, rather just last 32, as some seeds were automatically sent through to the last 16, while others had to face qualifiers in the last 32.

Skullman, good post earlier. Although I think the qualifiers will cause more problems than you made it sound in your overview.

Where is Mr GJ....? I would like his reaction to JJ vs Robbo.

armchair de critique wrote:Where is Mr GJ....? I would like his reaction to JJ vs Robbo.

Never mind that, where's MDG so we can bring up the infamous "pink" from last year.