Ladbrokes Players Championship Quarter-Finals !!!

SnookerFan wrote:I just won a bottle of cherry in a raffle.

I won whiskey in a rafffle, and I'm a life-long teetotaller.

TheRocket wrote:

Badsnookerplayer wrote:A little disheartened by Ronnie's ongoing post-match interview 'antics'. The joke has worn off and it is becoming a bit embarrassing and sad. It also shows a complete disrespect for his opponent, the game, the interviewer and the audience. Why doesn't he just show a bit more humility? I respect him immensely for his talent and application but it just leaves me a bit flat when he can't respect the fans a bit more.

fully agree. Just seen his post match interview. Very childish and disrespectful. I thought. it was funny in the beginning. But it's getting annoying. And you really have to ask yourself whether he's in the right shape mentally.

But I'm saying it since December. This years World Championship will be really crucial. And might be a hint what we can expect from him in the future. On and off the table. He has something to prove and he knows it. But on the other side he might not even give a damn and keep acting like a child.

We'll see.

He could be like 2015 when his mind was all over the place in Sheffield.

If that happens then we can honestly say he might never win another World Title. Despite winning the Masters this season, since the UK Champs Ronnie has been very bad form wise, only one decent performance against Fu in those Masters Semi and that was it.

defeats jumbles up every players minds and they start questioning things even in the masters he was not playing to his best far from it infact.

i thought winning the masters would inspire him to think he belongs but some of his shot selection aginst Trump tonight suggests he believed Trump was superior to him which is a worry for his army of fans.

PLtheRef wrote:

Iranu wrote:I think Alan and Stephen have hit the nail on the head - Ronnie doesn't seem to believe he can beat the top players right now. Higgins, Trump, Selby... he's come unstuck against all of them.

The Masters showed he can still win tournaments, big ones. But he needs a kind draw right now to do it.

You would hope that winning a record Masters would improve his confidence but it doesn't seem to be the case.

But we know with Ronnie that it can all change on one result.

Maybe he'lk draw Higginson in the first round of the worlds and win 10-9 after a dramatic comeback!

The problem with O'Sullivan this week is that he clearly didn't have his mind on the job in hand - the interview he gave on Monday night demonstrated that clearly.

If he keep on task for two days in Wales, would you expect him to remain on task for a fortnight at Sheffield next month?

No. I wouldn't.

Any result other than lifting the trophy at Sheffield will tell us nothing about Ronnie this season that we don't already know.

Wildey wrote:defeats jumbles up every players minds and they start questioning things even in the masters he was not playing to his best far from it infact.

i thought winning the masters would inspire him to think he belongs but some of his shot selection aginst Trump tonight suggests he believed Trump was superior to him which is a worry for his army of fans.

With Judd I think his problem is slightly different than the other top players, it's like he feels like he should be using his experience to win rather than just playing his natural game. Which means he tries to play the "tactical" shot rather than the shot that's right for him.

With Higgins and Selby... well I think his game just doesn't match up well against them. Kind of like Federer vs Nadal. He can beat them at his best, anything less than that and they need to have a really off day for Ronnie to win (which isn't unique to this season to be fair.)

Iranu wrote:With Judd I think his problem is slightly different than the other top players, it's like he feels like he should be using his experience to win rather than just playing his natural game. Which means he tries to play the "tactical" shot rather than the shot that's right for him.

With Higgins and Selby... well I think his game just doesn't match up well against them. Kind of like Federer vs Nadal. He can beat them at his best, anything less than that and they need to have a really off day for Ronnie to win (which isn't unique to this season to be fair.)

Ronnie has lost to players like King,Mavis,Wakelin and Holt (twice) this season. Against the two former after having a big lead. So it's the most natural thing that he'd lose to players like Higgins,Selby or Trump. He almost even lost that Masters final to the first time (Masters-) finalist Perry who was choking like hell.

I agree however that Ronnie has a huge mental block against Higgins and thats well known by everybody here. The problem is not so much the style of play though. Ronnie gets as many chances against Higgins than he does against the other toppros but just doesn't turn them into frame winning breaks. He fears the Scot and makes him bigger than he is. The 2004/2005 O'Sullivan would smash Higgins into pieces but the current one is like a rabbit.

Pink Ball wrote:PSG manager Matthew Stevens will be gutted at letting that one slip.

Even Stevens (!!!!!!!!!!!!) would have struggled to lose that one, although he would have made a good effort to.

Selby versus Fu play tonight

I don't think it matter's who Ronnie plays, he's got some issues with his mind, he's cueing well but he seems to slop at the wrong times.

I think his comeback into winning from 2012-14 was a short burst before he eventually declines, and I guess we're witnessing that now.

I wouldn't hold my breath for Sheffield, even if he does well there it's not going to be of his own doing.

Reminds me of Phil Taylor a few years back when he burst into winning-form again, then he started only playing well in bursts and looking frail in high-pressure situations, now he's on the road to retirement in his final year.

I really think that's what's happening right now with Ronnie, he can still play well but the killer instinct has finally diminished.

SnookerFan wrote:Is there a correct time to slop?

No, but there is a good time, like when you're 17-0 up in a WC final :P

An hour and a half in to this match, no posts. Maybe this really is the endgame for Snooker Island?

SnookerFan wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:An hour and a half in to this match, no posts. Maybe this really is the endgame for Snooker Island?

I'll post a bit this evening.

What's the score?

Desmond 2-2.

Pink Ball wrote:An hour and a half in to this match, no posts. Maybe this really is the endgame for Snooker Island?

Weren't you the one who said we were panicking about the end of SI?

Andre147 wrote:

Pink Ball wrote:An hour and a half in to this match, no posts. Maybe this really is the endgame for Snooker Island?

Weren't you the one who said we were panicking about the end of SI?

You're right, but once you know me you'll know I can easily change my mind violently within 24 hours.

No doubt there will be more action here during the World Championship. I've always thought that the period between (post) Masters and (pre) World Championship is the time when this forum is having its weakest time. Even though I have to admit it's more noticeable this season.

But there's just non-stop Snooker atm and people might get fed up with it. Especially with the bo7 rubbish. This one obviously isn't bo7 but it still feels short.

SnookerFan wrote:If anybody is interested, Hearn's "vote" has happened. And the players have "agreed with him", that the Shoot Out should stay ranking.

I've just seen that!
72% in favour and 28% against.
If my arithmetic is correct, that would mean 92 players for; 36 against.

Carter 4-3 up from 3-2 down.

Last time he beat Neil was 2013 GM Semis. Since then he's suffered pretty heavy defeats against him.

Maybe today he can add another win.

SnookerFan wrote:

TheRocket wrote:No doubt there will be more action here during the World Championship. I've always thought that the period between (post) Masters and (pre) World Championship is the time when this forum is having its weakest time. Even though I have to admit it's more noticeable this season.

But there's just non-stop Snooker atm and people might get fed up with it. Especially with the bo7 rubbish. This one obviously isn't bo7 but it still feels short.

Are people really fed up with it? I mean, I can understand that there's so much snooker on nowadays, that nobody is going to have time to watch all of it. But I don't see why that should mean people are sick of snooker being on?

My absence this week has been more down to plans made at inconvenient times / not being able to schedule everything in life for the rare times that snooker isn't on. Not because I've suddenly decided I hate snooker now Hearn has added extra tournaments.

Well you and I are both prolific posters, and I couldn't comment much the last few weeks because it's been hectic down the post office. Throw Andre and Wildey into the mix and you're missing a lot of posts.

I do think you can get fed up with it to be honest. Seeing too much of something could take out the excitement but imo the bo7 format also adds up to it. It just makes too many tournaments look the same. Lack of variety in other words.

So I wouldn't mind if we had 3 or 4 ranking tournaments less and replace them by a multi session tournament just to have more variety.