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Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

Six of the eight top snooker stars competing in next week’s Coral Tour Championship have been confirmed, and first round matches scheduled for the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump.

The brand new tournament runs from March 19 to 24 at Venue Cymru in Llandudno and it’s the culmination of the Coral Snooker Series. A top prize of £150,000 will be up for grabs in the ITV-televised event.

The line-up features the top eight players on the one-year ranking list at the end of this week’s Gibraltar Open. The top six are already sure of qualification:

One-year ranking list leader Mark Allen
Five-time World Champion and Coral Players Championship winner Ronnie O’Sullivan
Coral World Grand Prix champion Judd Trump
Former World Champion Neil Robertson
Current world number one Mark Selby
Reigning World Champion Mark Williams

The other two places will be decided in Gibraltar this week, with Stuart Bingham, Kyren Wilson and David Gilbert battling for those two spots.

In the first round in Llandudno, Robertson will face Selby, with that best-of-17 frame match to be played to a finish on the opening day, Tuesday March 19.

Trump will take on Williams, with the first session on the afternoon of March 19, and the conclusion the following afternoon.


Trump and O’Sullivan could meet in the semi-finals on Thursday

O’Sullivan will face his opponent on the evening of March 19, with the second session of that match on the evening of March 20. And Allen will take on his opponent in both sessions on March 20.

If crowd favourite O’Sullivan comes through his opening match he will take on Trump or Williams in the best-of-19 semi-final on Thursday March 21, over two sessions. The other semi-final will be on Friday March 22, with the best-of-25 frame final to be played over three sessions on the Saturday and Sunday.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: “We are thrilled to be heading back to Llandudno which is one of the best venues on the circuit. The new Coral Tour Championship is a fantastic addition to our calendar, bringing together an elite field of the best eight players this season.

“And we have a superb line up with six top stars already confirmed – those six have 12 world titles and over 100 ranking titles between them! The race is on to win the inaugural Coral Cup, to be awarded to the player who wins the most money across the Coral Snooker Series. Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump are leading the way, but with a top prize of £150,000 available there are others who have a chance.

“It will be a week of the highest quality snooker and a great opportunity for fans in North Wales to watch the very best players live.

“Tickets start at just £15 and there is still availability but fans must book quickly because certain sessions will sell out now that the format has been announced.”

http://www.worldsnooker.com/llandudno-l ... ing-shape/

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

I assumed all two session matches were going to start and finish on the same day. But Trump and Williams will be over two days.

I hope ITV4 don't bungle this. They aren't going to have match choice, so I hope they stick with the conclusion of every match they started. I don't like missing the end of a match, if I've already watched the first session.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

The first session of O'Sullivan's game clashes with the conclusion of Selby-Robertson. I can't see them not showing Ronnie at the start but if it's a close game on the other side they might switch after the interval.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:The first session of O'Sullivan's game clashes with the conclusion of Selby-Robertson. I can't see them not showing Ronnie at the start but if it's a close game on the other side they might switch after the interval.


Ideally, this is the one tournament in the year ITV should show snooker on ITV 2 or ITV 3 as well.

We have precious little long matches these days, it'd be nice to be able to chose which ones we watch.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby D4P

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:The first session of O'Sullivan's game clashes with the conclusion of Selby-Robertson. I can't see them not showing Ronnie at the start but if it's a close game on the other side they might switch after the interval.


That is a dilemma. I'm sure they'll show Ronnie any time he's playing, but it seems silly to show the first half of a match and then not show the conclusion.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby Johnny Bravo

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:The first session of O'Sullivan's game clashes with the conclusion of Selby-Robertson. I can't see them not showing Ronnie at the start but if it's a close game on the other side they might switch after the interval.


They won't switch, ROS os the public/audience favorite.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

Cloud Strife wrote:Have ITV ever shown the snooker on the main ITV1 channel since getting back into the sport?


No, but I don't see any reason why it can't be on ITV 2 or ITV 3 for a couple of days. I mean, Thursday and Friday there's only going to be one table, so it'd only be for Tuesday and Wednesday. Is it really that big a deal if repeats of Murder She Wrote and Columbo aren't on for a couple of days?

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby D4P

SnookerFan wrote: Is it really that big a deal if repeats of Murder She Wrote and Columbo aren't on for a couple of days?


It's a big deal for grandmothers...

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

D4P wrote:
SnookerFan wrote: Is it really that big a deal if repeats of Murder She Wrote and Columbo aren't on for a couple of days?


It's a big deal for grandmothers...


According to the BBC, it's only old women that like snooker anyway.

Don't get me wrong, I like Columbo. But disappearing for two days?

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby Cloud Strife

Whatever they decide to do, I sincerely hope ITV don't make a mess of this event.

Fans have been asking for a tournament like this for ages so let's hope it's a massive success.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

Cloud Strife wrote:Whatever they decide to do, I sincerely hope ITV don't make a mess of this event.

Fans have been asking for a tournament like this for ages so let's hope it's a massive success.


:goodpost:

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

Dan-cat wrote:ITV's coverage is mint full-stop.

Can't wait for this comp. The whole season has much less of a best of 7 feel to it than a couple of years ago.


I am off work for it.

Only a three day week for me this week. <ok>

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

Cloud Strife wrote:Whatever they decide to do, I sincerely hope ITV don't make a mess of this event.

Fans have been asking for a tournament like this for ages so let's hope it's a massive success.


The big danger is if the final is one sided. It would be a disaster if it ended in two sessions.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby Andre147

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Whatever they decide to do, I sincerely hope ITV don't make a mess of this event.

Fans have been asking for a tournament like this for ages so let's hope it's a massive success.


The big danger is if the final is one sided. It would be a disaster if it ended in two sessions.


There's always a chance that could happen.

ITV always have strange schedulles and that's what I dont like about them.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby Multi21

They do have strange schedules but for the final of the tour championship it fits quite well I think. Especially as the players can have a nice break on Saturday afternoon and then play it out with fresh energy

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby PLtheRef

Looking forward to this, the perfect tune-up ahead of the latter stages of the China Open and of course the Crucible.

Makes sense to have three of the first round matches playing with a single finish as this ensures you don't get a situation where two matches could well be 6-2 or 7-1 and swiftly coming to a conclusion. The match on Wednesday in full will presumably be Friday's Semi-Final (assuming they don't play first session on one day, second on another)

Not much we can do about the final other than hope it's lot 11-5 or 12-4 going into Sunday night. It's great that we have got the 25 frame final (and with the ITV scheduling as it usually is, hopefully it's to remain) but it wouldn't surprise me if a one sided final saw the match go to 19 or even 21 in two sessions. - That said, its there much difference between a final ending 13-2 at 4pm on Sunday afternoon than a final ending 10-1 at half past seven on Sunday night?

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby Andre147

PLtheRef wrote:Looking forward to this, the perfect tune-up ahead of the latter stages of the China Open and of course the Crucible.

Makes sense to have three of the first round matches playing with a single finish as this ensures you don't get a situation where two matches could well be 6-2 or 7-1 and swiftly coming to a conclusion. The match on Wednesday in full will presumably be Friday's Semi-Final (assuming they don't play first session on one day, second on another)

Not much we can do about the final other than hope it's lot 11-5 or 12-4 going into Sunday night. It's great that we have got the 25 frame final (and with the ITV scheduling as it usually is, hopefully it's to remain) but it wouldn't surprise me if a one sided final saw the match go to 19 or even 21 in two sessions. - That said, its there much difference between a final ending 13-2 at 4pm on Sunday afternoon than a final ending 10-1 at half past seven on Sunday night?


There isnt.

I think ITV will stay with this format as the event itself is bound to be sucessful.

Shame its not broadcast on ES International. The players champs was, no clue why they didnt do it for this. That wont stop me from watching though.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby Iranu

SnookerFan wrote:Boy, I can't wait to hear Phil Yates again.

I'm masturYating just thinking about it.



I've booked the Thursday and Friday off :evilgrin:

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

Iranu wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Boy, I can't wait to hear Phil Yates again.

I'm masturYating just thinking about it.



I've booked the Thursday and Friday off :evilgrin:


It doesn't take me that long.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby Wildey

Andre147 wrote:
There isnt.

I think ITV will stay with this format as the event itself is bound to be sucessful.

Shame its not broadcast on ES International. The players champs was, no clue why they didnt do it for this. That wont stop me from watching though.

That really is baffeling but even more baffeling than that Eurosport Player was showing the second table but in Britain that wasent available through ITV.

Re: Tour Championship Matches taking shape

Postby SnookerFan

Wildey wrote:That really is baffeling but even more baffeling than that Eurosport Player was showing the second table but in Britain that wasent available through ITV.


The one downside to ITV is the no match choice, in my opinion.

BBC is the same at the moment for most people, but since I got a Connect TV box from Virgin, I can get Match Choice on the Red Button again.

It really isn't good enough in today's day and age, really. There's the technology to do it. If there's only two tables, why not show both? I reckon the Tour Championships could suffer from this. It's the long match tournament that we've cried out for. We should be able to watch all of the matches.