Ali Carter thinks big

From the BBC website;

Ali Carter is setting his sights on winning the World Snooker Championship, which starts in Sheffield on Saturday.

The Essex star lost in the final in 2008 and reached the semi-finals last year before losing to Neil Robertson.

Carter told BBC Essex: "I've been to the final, I've been to the semis, so nothing other than a win will do."

But the eighth seed added: "You can't look that far ahead though, that's a long way down the road. I'm just going to be the best I can be."

Carter has had a mixed 2010/11 season.

He won the Shanghai Masters last September, but a bout of ill-health over the Christmas period affected his form. [Quick, somebody fine that man!]

After recovering he reached the semi-finals of the Welsh Open in February and the quarter-finals of the China Open earlier this month.

The 31-year-old continued: "I've come back into some form, I feel like I've got some good wins under my belt and I'm going into the World Championships full of confidence."

Carter plays Dave Harold in the first round and isn't taking anything for granted:

He said: "Dave's a seasoned pro, he's been around a few years and it's going to be a tough match.

"But I've been working hard at my game so I'm going into the match looking forward to it."

Last three years he's made Final, R2, Semi-Final in Sheffield (8-3 record), which is only really better by a couple of players ... can't deny he's able to raise his game for the big occasion but you always expect him to fall at least one hurdle short since there's just several better players around at the minute. Good chance of a QF here.

Bourne wrote:Last three years he's made Final, R2, Semi-Final in Sheffield (8-3 record), which is only really better by a couple of players ... can't deny he's able to raise his game for the big occasion but you always expect him to fall at least one hurdle short since there's just several better players around at the minute. Good chance of a QF here.

The final where he played Ronnie, Ali was comprehensively outplayed. True, he was absolutely shattered by then. But Ronnie has Ali's number anyway, it seems. So I don't think he'd have won the game anyway.

Ali is a dangerous player on his day, but don't see him as a potential winner.

That's why it was smart of him to tank that Welsh semi he looked at the bigger picture and knew he'd avoid his master before the final

Bourne wrote:That's why it was smart of him to tank that Welsh semi he looked at the bigger picture and knew he'd avoid his master before the final

Don't start that tanking rubbish again. You're just doing it to wind people up.

SnookerFan wrote:

Bourne wrote:That's why it was smart of him to tank that Welsh semi he looked at the bigger picture and knew he'd avoid his master before the final

Don't start that tanking poo again. You're just doing it to wind people up.

I said it before the quarter-final it would happen

Bourne wrote:

SnookerFan wrote:

Bourne wrote:That's why it was smart of him to tank that Welsh semi he looked at the bigger picture and knew he'd avoid his master before the final

Don't start that tanking poo again. You're just doing it to wind people up.

I said it before the quarter-final it would happen

So basically, you noticing that he won't have to play Ronnie in a different tournament should he lose a match, proves he lost a match on purpose?

It's just bullocks. Everybody knows it's bullocks. It's just something a few of you invented a couple of months back, and there's about as much sense to it as that argument that was had whether 12:30 in the afternoon could correctly be called 12:30pm.

I must have been out that day when that happened.

carter will never win the worlds much like maguire

them two are prime bottlers when it comes to the crunch time for carter to win this year i know he avoids some big names until the quarters or semis but i cant ever see him beating any one of selby robertson ding higgins williams or ronnie over a three or four session match at the crucible

I still hold a bit of hope in Maguire tbh if not this year then he's still got plenty of chances, he's just gone through a bit of a lull in form but still managed to hold a top-8 ranking and with his draw, a QF is more than do-able here ... anyone who can win a UK is worthy of discussion in a potential World champ discussion imo

His been consistent at the Crucible in the past three years, and it was a nice suprise to see him get to the final that time because he played very well that year. I think he can get past Harold, but the question is after a mixed bag season could he kick on from a first round win, he could face Dott or King next in my view is a wide open first round match, considering King beat Selby in the past and Dott has been mediocre this season but has won the title before. Ali Carter for me doesn't have enough firepower than the likes of Higgins, Williams, Robertson, Selby, Murphy posses, so I think quarter finals at best this year.

the uk title maguire won at the time he was a different player and i for one thought he was going to add more majors to his tally however the match against ronnie in 2005 at the crucible when he missed match ball black off its spot changed everything and hes never been the same player since

yes i know hes won titles since then but hell never win a uk again nor the masters or worlds for him he just cant handle the pressure that black scarred him

in the past when the draws opened up for him at the crucible he just collapses like a pack of cards ie when allen beat ronnie in 2009 maguire as second seed was a big favourite to win yet he limped to a deafeat against robertson

i seriously doubt maguire or carter will ever win the uk worlds or masters or in maguires case uk again

I'm not sure Ding went through a worse experience but look at where he is now, it's been long enough since 05 but Mags didn't become a bad player then. Be interesting to see how he does next season and whether he can build back some momentum again because to get #2 in the world as he did you have to be doing something right, it's definitely there in his game but mentally he needs to be spot on.

he wont win the worlds no matter what way you look at it and greame dott was number two not too long ago as he keeps reminding people in his book i would say its easier to get to number two in the world than actually winning at the crucible

as with ding he was a lot younger than maguire has a better shot selection and overall game and is just a better player than maguire

All i'm saying is stranger things have happened ;)

I'd pick Dott to beat Carter anyway. Dott is pretty strong as The Crucible.

SnookerFan wrote:I'd pick Dott to beat Carter anyway. Dott is pretty strong as The Crucible.

good comment

Carter always thinks big.

randam05 wrote:Carter always thinks big.

It's just a pity he is four-foot-eight, isn't it?