Topic locked

09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Smart

Picked up AOP from Bridgwater coach station at not much after 4am (!?!) - he was slumped in a bus shelter, looking cold and miserable. No doubt my uplifting hard trance and psy beats were just the ticket to raising his spirits - or maybe not....... <laugh> (sod it I like music when driving)

Progress was good but as I explained you cannot ever be sure what sort of traffic awaits on the M1 as you head towards Sheffield...... however I needed some caffeine intake and a quick stop was in order. Where better than the luxurious Tamworth services station (see photos).

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The M1 was getting snarled up which meant a later arrival than is usual for my jaunts to the EISS. We arrived at circa 0830 hrs on a gloriously sunny but chilly day.

After a quick look around and it being "a lot smaller" than AOP expected, we moved into "player spotting mode". It became apparent that nearly all the players were there except Dotty. Where was the wee man.......? Was the EISS below him....? Would he be a no show....?

Managed to take advantage of some photo opportunities with Jamie Cope (notice he likes Adidas just like StalinESQ), Mike Dunn (slimmer than his WS mug-shot), Stephen Lee and Gerrard Greene (nice English accent). (See photos).
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Eventually, Dotty arrived and what an arrival it was - not only was he willing to stop and accept good wishes for his match, he was happy to have photos with a handshake all rolled into the deal. I think AOP was made up at this little occurrence (see photos).
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At circa 0945 hrs there was not a huge crowd but most of the crowd seemed to arrive very late - although there were tickets left to buy on the day. My first problem was assessing which of the matches to view.

Table 1 - Walden/Zhanger (Tabb)
Table 2 - Greene/McLeod (Williams)
Table 3 - Bingham/Pettman (Moore)
Table 4 - Cope/Joyce (Chamberlain)
Table 5 - Lee/Dunn (Williamson)
Table 6 - Dotty/Michie (Verhas)

I decided to forego the Walden / Zhanger match initially - though I was monitoring it by leaving my bag on my seat to save it and by wandering up the back of the viewing area - brilliant being able to do this. I got chatting to his manager I think it was. He said one shot was "amateurish, amateurish"....... I said that he was 18 and it was to be expected but that he was real impressive, never rushed, “real cool in the moment”. I asked this guy (who I saw going in the players lounge, so made the connection of manager or father) whether he played with Ding but he said no. Zhanger is very short - tiny in fact. <ok>

My thoughts are that like Liang did on his Crucible debut he may cause a stir – for the simple reason he takes his chances. Despatching Parrott is one thing (and worthy of note) BUT to knock out both Higginson and Walden is fantastic for an 18 year old.

At the interval for lunch I caught Dotty for an autograph and I asked him if the 2nd table (Pettman and Bingham's) was better than 1st they had played on (when he was 1-3 down). His words "it couldn't be any worse". He also stated he and Michie would not continue on the original table due to the rolling off of balls. The whole scenario was a right pallava, funny to view from a distance. At one point when Dotty/Michie refused to carry on - Michie came up to the viewing area (looking for his family or whatever) he was cussing the table something rotten. I nearly said "well its the same for both players" but did manage to bite my tongue.

I placed myself in a canny viewing position for the opening session. At the top and able to view 4 tables (with 1 of those tables slightly obscured - missing the LH black pocket). Lucky for me I had a nice couple of local folk who were happy to natter away and we had a good laugh about flukes etc. <cool>

Most impressive in the early stages of viewing was Stuart Pettman. He is a guy that I have never really paid much attention to. I was expecting his match to be a very close one with potential for it going the distance. Pettman missed next to nothing and played at a decent speed. It was also noticeable that he was really enjoying it out there. Had a spring in his step and nice grin on his face. Bingham was blobbing big time.

Cope and Joyce was a question of both players looking and playing nervously - not a great match, though in the 2nd session Cope made some nice breaks.

With the table situation (Dotty and Michie) they came back on Pettmans table so I had a great view of that session concluding. Dotty came back brilliantly to lead 6-3. Later on in the match Michie did what Michie always does (hands in air, head shaking, huffing, puffing). I would also say that players banging the floor with their cue is real inconsiderate as another player in a different match may be on the shot - its an "emotion control" issue. Dotty does it a fair bit, so did Michie.

I think R-ron made the point about not much applause in the arena and he is right - some of the shots I saw with position all around the angles or pack splitters from baulk colours - all great shots and I was at times the lone applauder. Crucible is totally different in that regard. Shame really.

For the 2nd session I moved myself over to watch the conclusion of Zhanger and Walden. At lunch Monique told me that she thought Ricky would stroll away with it now, but I selfishly hoped he would not. As it was Rory melted to wreck my accy but that is the way it goes.

Funny thing happened in the 2nd session. Walden was snookered and he did not do his normal 4 laps of the table thiking / assessing he just looked at the balls from the baulk end (reds were at top end of table) and just hit and hoped. He fluked a red and went on to win the frame (think it leveled the match at 8-8). That was funny and cruel at the same time, but Zhanger had the last laugh.

Walden actually applauded Zhanger when he finished the final frame break – ala Ebdon to Cope in 2008. <ok>

Another pretty funny thing personally was when I went to the toilet, at the end of a frame, and Stephen Lee was in the corridor. I said well played, shook his hand and said “thanks for keeping my accumulator alive” – just out of fun. He laughed and said “don’t mention betting to me”. <laugh>

We left when an error ridden 18th frame was "won" by Greene. The time was 9pm and it was a long journey home and there was no guarantee on how long these 2 mugs would be tippy tappy'ing around in the decider. I would of stayed if it had been a non-grinder playing but 2 grinders and feeling knackered with a long drive = time to leave. The fact Greene won vindicates that decision.

Dropped AOP at Temple Meads for his onward journey at 0020 hrs - and then made my way home. A great day out - and will do it all again next year, no question.

PS Got a bit of a neck ache from watching too many different matches.
Last edited by Smart on 10 Mar 2010, edited 4 times in total.

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby GJ

smart

the lee one is quality <laugh>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Alex0paul

Good report. Just woken up and feel jet lagged. Whereabouts are the pics?

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Roland

Nice one. I want to go and if I'm not skiing at the same time next year I will for sure. Sounded like a great day out. Where are the rest of the pictures?

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby GJ

what height is cope or is smart quite short <laugh>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Rocket_ron

excellent report smart, brilliant, looks like you had fun. 2 of the pics are not showing up at the min.
glad you had fun and brings back good memories from sunday.
Glad you have experianced the clapping issue.
hope tp see more pics if you have them. also has alexopaul taken any pics?

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Alex0paul

I didn't get any pics as my camera didn't have any bloody batteries in it.

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby GJ

StalinESQ wrote:
GJtheaussiestud wrote:what height is cope or is smart quite short <laugh>


he's a big lad <laugh>


rofl

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby GJ

the pic below you and cope was that before or after match as dunn doesnt look too happy

<laugh>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Wildey

Did Lee try and eat you <laugh>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby GJ

wildJONESEYE wrote:Did Lee try and eat you <laugh>


<laugh> rofl

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Smart

all the piccies are beforehand - could of got a lot more really but did not want JM and Pettman was nowhere to be seen....

Monique took a load of piccies too, a very nice lady she is. <cool>

Doherty was in the audience at the end, so was Xio Guidong who's place was saved on the tour I think by Zhangers result - not sure of that though. <ok>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Wildey

great day out mate if i was there id have joined in the applause ....

ive been to a venue nobody applauding a great shot apart from me <laugh>

mmmmmmmm lunch with monique i see is this the start of a Ashley Cole type internet/texting romance lol

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Rocket_ron

wildJONESEYE wrote: lunch with monique i see is this the start of a Ashley Cole type internet/texting romance lol

<laugh>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby GJ

it would be cool if sonny could get a current player has a member on here like TSF has bingham

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Wildey

rocket_ron wrote:is monique going to post up pics on here?


she normally does on TSF but this is the first tournament shes been as a SF Member so hopefully she will......shes a very keen photographer and a ace 1 as well.

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Wildey

GJtheaussiestud wrote:it would be cool if sonny could get a current player has a member on here like TSF has bingham


John played in the 6 red

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby GJ

wildJONESEYE wrote:
GJtheaussiestud wrote:it would be cool if sonny could get a current player has a member on here like TSF has bingham


John played in the 6 red


;) <laugh>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Rocket_ron

GJtheaussiestud wrote:it would be cool if sonny could get a current player has a member on here like TSF has bingham

agreed, but hopefull a good one <ok>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Smart

GJtheaussiestud wrote:it would be cool if sonny could get a current player has a member on here like TSF has bingham


I was gonna try and get some email contacts....... but think Sonny needs to be pulling that together.

Monique is posting on FB I think but I asked her to post the link here. <ok>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Smart

wildJONESEYE wrote:
rocket_ron wrote:is monique going to post up pics on here?


she normally does on TSF but this is the first tournament shes been as a SF Member so hopefully she will......shes a very keen photographer and a ace 1 as well.


she was showing me piccies she had taken of matches in play and also told me about trips away with ROS etc, interesting stuff...... excellent photos she has got, believe me. <ok>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Casey

Smart, excellent stuff and a cracker comment to Lee, even better he seen the funny side of it. Just thinking how funny it would have been if you had said to Michie its the same for both players. Any idea what exactly was wrong with the table?

Alex no doubt an excellent result for Dott
<ok>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Wildey

she showed me some photos she took nothing to do with snooker but of small insects on leaves and if i took it or you took it it would look a crappy pic but it was beautiful the way she took it.

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Smart

case_master wc wrote:Smart, excellent stuff and a cracker comment to Lee, even better he seen the funny side of it. Just thinking how funny it would have been if you had said to Michie its the same for both players. Any idea what exactly was wrong with the table?

Alex no doubt an excellent result for Dott
<ok>


Yeah, Lee was great taking it like that. <ok>

Not sure about the table but some local folk who had been to several days play said that was the non-used table for the other days - as there had been only 5 matches per day.

The fitters spent ages doing the ball rolling along cushions, and adjusting something underneath, also a guy from the WSA was playing shots from baulk to top end to see how much it was rolling off. Dotty was not impressed at all, nor Michie - they said it was rolling off a helluva lot. Not sure why it took 4 frames to notice but it was defo interesting watching it all unfold..... <ok>

Re: 09.03.10 WC (EISS)

Postby Monique

I will post the pics on FB nd post the public link here for all to see. And it was nice to meet Stalin and Alex! Ricky was extremely disapointed but fairplay to Zhang who relly did play superb.
Arsenal winning 5-0 over Porto and a beer helped him over the worst of the moment. He will be OK and he will be back ;)
But Zhang is definitely one to watch at the Crucible. I will be there for the Grove players matches i.e. Zhang and Ronnie.
Also the kid is really lovely and Grove look very well after their players.
Last edited by Monique on 10 Mar 2010, edited 1 time in total.