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Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby Dannyboy

Half of the top 16 players entered have been eliminated in the qualifiers. This format is rubbish, especially scheduled straight after the U.K. Championship. The German people will I’m sure turn out, but it does the marketing people absolutely no favours.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby LDS

It's more than half and actually easier to say who qualified from the top 32 than it is to list all those who are not going to Germany.

The bookies favourites left are:

Zhao Xintong (1) (title holder)
Neil Robertson (3)
Kyren Wilson (8)
Luca Brecel (11)
Jack Lisowski (12)
Yan Bingtao (16)
Anthony McGill (17)
Ricky Walden (18)
Ali carter (23)
Jimmy Robertson (24)
Robert Milkins (27)
Joe Perry (30)
Tom Ford (32)

A great opportunity for those left and for all the outsiders. This tournament has as good a chance as any for a lesser known player to make their mark.

Add to that, three of the first round ties involve seed vs seed: Robbo v Perry, Xintong v Ford, Walden v Bingtao. So the last 16 will definitely have at least 6 unseeded players.

Jack Lisowski has the 'easiest' draw, and, if he wins his matches, wont have to face a seeded player until the semi-finals.

Xintong has the 'hardest' draw, potentially meeting a seeded player every step of the way.

Looks quite exciting to me, with lots of interesting players and potential outcomes available. Not to mention Jimmy White's 'as good as any' chance of getting to the last 16.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Mate, three and half pints yesterday and three tinnies with the rugby. Need to stop doing that rubbish now. Don't drink like that any more. Am supposed to be going out on Friday night

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby Raiel

SnookerFan wrote:Mate, three and half pints yesterday and three tinnies with the rugby. Need to stop doing that rubbish now. Don't drink like that any more. Am supposed to be going out on Friday night

I like a pint, myself. But I don't drink as much as I used to.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby lhpirnie

LDS wrote:It's more than half and actually easier to say who qualified from the top 32 than it is to list all those who are not going to Germany.

The bookies favourites left are:

Zhao Xintong (1) (title holder)
Neil Robertson (3)
Kyren Wilson (8)
Luca Brecel (11)
Jack Lisowski (12)
Yan Bingtao (16)
Anthony McGill (17)
Ricky Walden (18)
Ali carter (23)
Jimmy Robertson (24)
Robert Milkins (27)
Joe Perry (30)
Tom Ford (32)

A great opportunity for those left and for all the outsiders. This tournament has as good a chance as any for a lesser known player to make their mark.

Add to that, three of the first round ties involve seed vs seed: Robbo v Perry, Xintong v Ford, Walden v Bingtao. So the last 16 will definitely have at least 6 unseeded players.

Jack Lisowski has the 'easiest' draw, and, if he wins his matches, wont have to face a seeded player until the semi-finals.

Xintong has the 'hardest' draw, potentially meeting a seeded player every step of the way.

Looks quite exciting to me, with lots of interesting players and potential outcomes available. Not to mention Jimmy White's 'as good as any' chance of getting to the last 16.

Yes, as usual I will be in Berlin in February - it's one of the best tournaments to attend. I like the fact that plenty of promising younger players have made it. The German crowd will of course support them enthusiastically.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby lhpirnie

McManusFan wrote:It wouldn't surprise me if they change the format next year to stop all the big seeds going out early.

Yes, that is a good point. It once again highlights the damage the ranking system does to the events we can have. All of the limited-capacity non-UK events should have an invitational structure, with some qualifiers. I'm still upset that Simon Lichtenberg quit snooker after being narrowly relegated last season. Had he been given the chance to play in his home city, it might have changed his decision.

Many of the top players don't respond well to having to play against the plebs in a qualifying venue, and Ronnie O'Sullivan even preferred to play a couple of exhibitions in Bulgaria rather than go to Leicester. If I was tournament director in Berlin, I would be insisting on changes in structure.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby cupotee

lhpirnie wrote:
McManusFan wrote:It wouldn't surprise me if they change the format next year to stop all the big seeds going out early.

I'm still upset that Simon Lichtenberg quit snooker after being narrowly relegated last season. Had he been given the chance to play in his home city, it might have changed his decision.

Many of the top players don't respond well to having to play against the plebs in a qualifying venue, and Ronnie O'Sullivan even preferred to play a couple of exhibitions in Bulgaria rather than go to Leicester. If I was tournament director in Berlin, I would be insisting on changes in structure.


I've just looked at the calendar on snooker.org, I think it was the Welsh Open qualifiers 15 - 20 Feb 2022 I was watching some of Lichtenberg's match against Andrew Pagett, Lichtenberg didn't strike me as much of a player at all, and this was at the last chance saloon stage before he'd have to consider Q School again.

And it always makes me laugh when ' top ' snooker players describe lower ranked or amateur players as ' plebs ' or such like, I'd hardly cross the road to meet them, and I really like the game.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby Juddernaut88

lhpirnie wrote:
LDS wrote:It's more than half and actually easier to say who qualified from the top 32 than it is to list all those who are not going to Germany.

The bookies favourites left are:

Zhao Xintong (1) (title holder)
Neil Robertson (3)
Kyren Wilson (8)
Luca Brecel (11)
Jack Lisowski (12)
Yan Bingtao (16)
Anthony McGill (17)
Ricky Walden (18)
Ali carter (23)
Jimmy Robertson (24)
Robert Milkins (27)
Joe Perry (30)
Tom Ford (32)

A great opportunity for those left and for all the outsiders. This tournament has as good a chance as any for a lesser known player to make their mark.

Add to that, three of the first round ties involve seed vs seed: Robbo v Perry, Xintong v Ford, Walden v Bingtao. So the last 16 will definitely have at least 6 unseeded players.

Jack Lisowski has the 'easiest' draw, and, if he wins his matches, wont have to face a seeded player until the semi-finals.

Xintong has the 'hardest' draw, potentially meeting a seeded player every step of the way.

Looks quite exciting to me, with lots of interesting players and potential outcomes available. Not to mention Jimmy White's 'as good as any' chance of getting to the last 16.

Yes, as usual I will be in Berlin in February - it's one of the best tournaments to attend. I like the fact that plenty of promising younger players have made it. The German crowd will of course support them enthusiastically.


Nice one :) I need to go there one day.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby Juddernaut88

SnookerFan wrote:Busy most of next weekend. Poor timing.


Part time casual.
Although I may miss an hour or so of the semi final on Saturday afternoon lol

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby SnookerFan

Juddernaut88 wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Busy most of next weekend. Poor timing.


Part time casual.
Although I may miss an hour or so of the semi final on Saturday afternoon lol


Booooooooo.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby Dannyboy

lhpirnie wrote:
LDS wrote:It's more than half and actually easier to say who qualified from the top 32 than it is to list all those who are not going to Germany.

The bookies favourites left are:

Zhao Xintong (1) (title holder)
Neil Robertson (3)
Kyren Wilson (8)
Luca Brecel (11)
Jack Lisowski (12)
Yan Bingtao (16)
Anthony McGill (17)
Ricky Walden (18)
Ali carter (23)
Jimmy Robertson (24)
Robert Milkins (27)
Joe Perry (30)
Tom Ford (32)

A great opportunity for those left and for all the outsiders. This tournament has as good a chance as any for a lesser known player to make their mark.

Add to that, three of the first round ties involve seed vs seed: Robbo v Perry, Xintong v Ford, Walden v Bingtao. So the last 16 will definitely have at least 6 unseeded players.

Jack Lisowski has the 'easiest' draw, and, if he wins his matches, wont have to face a seeded player until the semi-finals.

Xintong has the 'hardest' draw, potentially meeting a seeded player every step of the way.

Looks quite exciting to me, with lots of interesting players and potential outcomes available. Not to mention Jimmy White's 'as good as any' chance of getting to the last 16.

Yes, as usual I will be in Berlin in February - it's one of the best tournaments to attend. I like the fact that plenty of promising younger players have made it. The German crowd will of course support them enthusiastically.

And there’s another point - understandable for the long haul tournaments where cost is important, but a German event with qualifiers 3 months before the finals - come on WST!

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby lhpirnie

cupotee wrote:
lhpirnie wrote:
McManusFan wrote:It wouldn't surprise me if they change the format next year to stop all the big seeds going out early.

I'm still upset that Simon Lichtenberg quit snooker after being narrowly relegated last season. Had he been given the chance to play in his home city, it might have changed his decision.

Many of the top players don't respond well to having to play against the plebs in a qualifying venue, and Ronnie O'Sullivan even preferred to play a couple of exhibitions in Bulgaria rather than go to Leicester. If I was tournament director in Berlin, I would be insisting on changes in structure.


I've just looked at the calendar on snooker.org, I think it was the Welsh Open qualifiers 15 - 20 Feb 2022 I was watching some of Lichtenberg's match against Andrew Pagett, Lichtenberg didn't strike me as much of a player at all, and this was at the last chance saloon stage before he'd have to consider Q School again.

And it always makes me laugh when ' top ' snooker players describe lower ranked or amateur players as ' plebs ' or such like, I'd hardly cross the road to meet them, and I really like the game.

Lichtenberg wasn't a strong player, but he was German No.1. To just quit like that at the age of 22 was a sad indictment of the way players are treated, especially non-UK players who have to spend so much of their own money just to play in events, whether amateur or professional. So much for expanding the base... Lichtenberg's best moment in snooker was probably playing an exhibition in the Tempodrom against Kyren Wilson after the 9-0 final. It was the German people's only chance to see their best player.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby lhpirnie

Dannyboy wrote:
lhpirnie wrote:
LDS wrote:It's more than half and actually easier to say who qualified from the top 32 than it is to list all those who are not going to Germany.

The bookies favourites left are:

Zhao Xintong (1) (title holder)
Neil Robertson (3)
Kyren Wilson (8)
Luca Brecel (11)
Jack Lisowski (12)
Yan Bingtao (16)
Anthony McGill (17)
Ricky Walden (18)
Ali carter (23)
Jimmy Robertson (24)
Robert Milkins (27)
Joe Perry (30)
Tom Ford (32)

A great opportunity for those left and for all the outsiders. This tournament has as good a chance as any for a lesser known player to make their mark.

Add to that, three of the first round ties involve seed vs seed: Robbo v Perry, Xintong v Ford, Walden v Bingtao. So the last 16 will definitely have at least 6 unseeded players.

Jack Lisowski has the 'easiest' draw, and, if he wins his matches, wont have to face a seeded player until the semi-finals.

Xintong has the 'hardest' draw, potentially meeting a seeded player every step of the way.

Looks quite exciting to me, with lots of interesting players and potential outcomes available. Not to mention Jimmy White's 'as good as any' chance of getting to the last 16.

Yes, as usual I will be in Berlin in February - it's one of the best tournaments to attend. I like the fact that plenty of promising younger players have made it. The German crowd will of course support them enthusiastically.

And there’s another point - understandable for the long haul tournaments where cost is important, but a German event with qualifiers 3 months before the finals - come on WST!

It takes at least 6 weeks for VISA applications from non-EU players to be processed. I'd be quite surprised if all of the 12 Chinese players make it without someone having an administrative delay. Some of those players haven't been home for 3 years or more, and important documents might have expired, which complicates the process. I know 'Jumbo' Zhao had a few difficulties in the Q Tour event.

Re: BetVictor German Masters Qualifying !!!!

Postby gninnur karona

lhpirnie wrote:It takes at least 6 weeks for VISA applications from non-EU players to be processed. I'd be quite surprised if all of the 12 Chinese players make it without someone having an administrative delay. Some of those players haven't been home for 3 years or more, and important documents might have expired, which complicates the process. I know 'Jumbo' Zhao had a few difficulties in the Q Tour event.


A state of affairs that devalues a self-claimed global sport.

What do WST/WPBSA have in place to help the players obtain VISAs?