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Who is the best ever under (extreme) pressure?

Steve Davis
0
No votes
Alex Higgins
0
No votes
Stephen Hendry
15
60%
John Higgins
5
20%
Ronnie O'Sullivan
1
4%
Mark Williams
0
No votes
Mark Selby
2
8%
Peter Ebdon
2
8%
other
0
No votes
 
Total votes : 25

Best pressure player ever

Postby TheRocket

Simple question. Who's the best player ever under the utmost pressure.
I think, I have anyone on the list who's a serious contender.
They all either have very good stats in the decider or have won some very tight matches under the utmost pressure, Still have the other option of course.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby vodkadiet

Why isn't Matthew Stevens an option? He doesn't deserve to be lumped in to the category named 'other'.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby vodkadiet

Pink Ball wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:Why isn't Matthew Stevens an option? He doesn't deserve to be lumped in to the category named 'other'.

I love you Vodkadiet.


Reciprocated Pink Ball!

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby TheRocket

vodkadiet wrote:Why isn't Matthew Stevens an option? He doesn't deserve to be lumped in to the category named 'other'.


rofl

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby vodkadiet

Who voted for Ebdon? He is not good under pressure. Have you not seen that shot he missed to win 18-16 in the world final? If Hendry had gone on to win that match that shot would have been earmarked as one of the biggest chokes in snooker history.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby Pink Ball

vodkadiet wrote:Who voted for Ebdon? He is not good under pressure. Have you not seen that shot he missed to win 18-16 in the world final? If Hendry had gone on to win that match that shot would have been earmarked as one of the biggest chokes in snooker history.

That was a horrendous miss, and he had a few bad misses when closing in on the title in the decider. Hendry had to go in-off to push Ebdon over the line.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby TheRocket

Looks like Hendry will dominate the poll like he has dominated the 90's. I'd have really liked to see how prime Hendry would have coped with the likes of Higgins and Selby in those very big matches.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby vodkadiet

Pink Ball wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:Who voted for Ebdon? He is not good under pressure. Have you not seen that shot he missed to win 18-16 in the world final? If Hendry had gone on to win that match that shot would have been earmarked as one of the biggest chokes in snooker history.

That was a horrendous miss, and he had a few bad misses when closing in on the title in the decider. Hendry had to go in-off to push Ebdon over the line.


Ebdon was so lucky he won that match. He was all over the place.
Last edited by vodkadiet on 18 Dec 2016, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby Cheshire Cat

I want to say Mark Williams, but I think there are better options there. I think his temperament is extremely underrated or understated, at least.

I thought the obvious choice would have been John Higgins. Hendry was a great player under pressure, but the countless telling clearances that Higgins has made in his career.. there's too many to even pick from, it speaks volumes of the man.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby TheRocket

No one voted for Mark Williams yet but in his prime he was as good as anyone under pressure.

And I still think, peak Williams is/was a better player than peak Higgins. Skillwise and mentally as well. Prime Higgins played him twice in the Crucible and lost both times. In 1999 Williams absolutely hammered Higgins, who was the defending champ. Just a year later he beat Higgins one more time, coming back from 14:10 and virtually winning every scrappy frame.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby vodkadiet

TheRocket wrote:No one voted for Mark Williams yet but in his prime he was as good as anyone under pressure.

And I still think, peak Williams is/was a better player than peak Higgins. Skillwise and mentally as well. Prime Higgins played him twice in the Crucible and lost both times. In 1999 Williams absolutely hammered Higgins, who was the defending champ. Just a year later he beat Higgins one more time, coming back from 14:10 and virtually winning every scrappy frame.


Williams was 15-11 down in that match in 2000 and won 17-15, and then 13-7 down in the final against Matthew Stevens and won 18-16.

I think the biggest loss to snooker is how Williams stopped being 'The Beast' he was up until 2003.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby TheRocket

vodkadiet wrote:
TheRocket wrote:No one voted for Mark Williams yet but in his prime he was as good as anyone under pressure.

And I still think, peak Williams is/was a better player than peak Higgins. Skillwise and mentally as well. Prime Higgins played him twice in the Crucible and lost both times. In 1999 Williams absolutely hammered Higgins, who was the defending champ. Just a year later he beat Higgins one more time, coming back from 14:10 and virtually winning every scrappy frame.


Williams was 15-11 down in that match in 2000 and won 17-15, and then 13-7 down in the final against Matthew Stevens and won 18-16.

I think the biggest loss to snooker is how Williams stopped being 'The Beast' he was up until 2003.


Its quite fascinating how much Hendrys and Williams level dropped in their early/mid thirties.Especially given that nowadays many players, especially the journeymen tend to play their best snooker in their mid/late thirties.

Look at Bingham or Hawkins. Im sure someone like Hendry must be sick watching this.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby sas6789

TheRocket wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:
TheRocket wrote:No one voted for Mark Williams yet but in his prime he was as good as anyone under pressure.

And I still think, peak Williams is/was a better player than peak Higgins. Skillwise and mentally as well. Prime Higgins played him twice in the Crucible and lost both times. In 1999 Williams absolutely hammered Higgins, who was the defending champ. Just a year later he beat Higgins one more time, coming back from 14:10 and virtually winning every scrappy frame.


Williams was 15-11 down in that match in 2000 and won 17-15, and then 13-7 down in the final against Matthew Stevens and won 18-16.

I think the biggest loss to snooker is how Williams stopped being 'The Beast' he was up until 2003.


Its quite fascinating how much Hendrys and Williams level dropped in their early/mid thirties.Especially given that nowadays many players, especially the journeymen tend to play their best snooker in their mid/late thirties.

Look at Bingham or Hawkins. Im sure someone like Hendry must be sick watching this.

Sportsmen reach and pass their prime at different ages and points in their career and snooker's no different.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby vodkadiet

TheRocket wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:
TheRocket wrote:No one voted for Mark Williams yet but in his prime he was as good as anyone under pressure.

And I still think, peak Williams is/was a better player than peak Higgins. Skillwise and mentally as well. Prime Higgins played him twice in the Crucible and lost both times. In 1999 Williams absolutely hammered Higgins, who was the defending champ. Just a year later he beat Higgins one more time, coming back from 14:10 and virtually winning every scrappy frame.


Williams was 15-11 down in that match in 2000 and won 17-15, and then 13-7 down in the final against Matthew Stevens and won 18-16.

I think the biggest loss to snooker is how Williams stopped being 'The Beast' he was up until 2003.


Its quite fascinating how much Hendrys and Williams level dropped in their early/mid thirties.Especially given that nowadays many players, especially the journeymen tend to play their best snooker in their mid/late thirties.

Look at Bingham or Hawkins. Im sure someone like Hendry must be sick watching this.


Williams has only reached the one table set up at The Crucible once since he won his 2nd world title in 2003. You would have got long odds on that!

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby Pink Ball

vodkadiet wrote:
TheRocket wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:
TheRocket wrote:No one voted for Mark Williams yet but in his prime he was as good as anyone under pressure.

And I still think, peak Williams is/was a better player than peak Higgins. Skillwise and mentally as well. Prime Higgins played him twice in the Crucible and lost both times. In 1999 Williams absolutely hammered Higgins, who was the defending champ. Just a year later he beat Higgins one more time, coming back from 14:10 and virtually winning every scrappy frame.


Williams was 15-11 down in that match in 2000 and won 17-15, and then 13-7 down in the final against Matthew Stevens and won 18-16.

I think the biggest loss to snooker is how Williams stopped being 'The Beast' he was up until 2003.


Its quite fascinating how much Hendrys and Williams level dropped in their early/mid thirties.Especially given that nowadays many players, especially the journeymen tend to play their best snooker in their mid/late thirties.

Look at Bingham or Hawkins. Im sure someone like Hendry must be sick watching this.


Williams has only reached the one table set up at The Crucible once since he won his 2nd world title in 2003. You would have got long odds on that!

Williams 2002/03 season was the snooker equivalent of 'The Queen is Dead'.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby vodkadiet

Pink Ball wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:
TheRocket wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:
TheRocket wrote:No one voted for Mark Williams yet but in his prime he was as good as anyone under pressure.

And I still think, peak Williams is/was a better player than peak Higgins. Skillwise and mentally as well. Prime Higgins played him twice in the Crucible and lost both times. In 1999 Williams absolutely hammered Higgins, who was the defending champ. Just a year later he beat Higgins one more time, coming back from 14:10 and virtually winning every scrappy frame.


Williams was 15-11 down in that match in 2000 and won 17-15, and then 13-7 down in the final against Matthew Stevens and won 18-16.

I think the biggest loss to snooker is how Williams stopped being 'The Beast' he was up until 2003.


Its quite fascinating how much Hendrys and Williams level dropped in their early/mid thirties.Especially given that nowadays many players, especially the journeymen tend to play their best snooker in their mid/late thirties.

Look at Bingham or Hawkins. Im sure someone like Hendry must be sick watching this.


Williams has only reached the one table set up at The Crucible once since he won his 2nd world title in 2003. You would have got long odds on that!

Williams 2002/03 season was the snooker equivalent of 'The Queen is Dead'.


Yes, that year he broke in to The Crucible with a sponge and a rusty spanner....

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby TheSaviour

Well I can´t think at least it would Peter Ebdon.. No offence to Peter by any mean. Peter Ebdon is similar to John Higgins or even a new-comer like Sean O´Sullivan; he can win any match against anyone, but that works both ways. He can also lose any match against anyone. I would put much more likely Stephen Maguire there instead of Peter Ebdon.

Mark Selby? Most likely. Or perhaps even Stephen Hendry. Stephen had some power shots during the break-building. And obviously as anyone can read from the statistics, he also got those shots correct. Using power means those shots are an extremely difficult ones. So there must not had been much wrong considering Stephen facing the pressure. Neirhet of those players? Well, I don´t think Neirhet himself is that much of a break-builder.... rofl rofl

Sorry.

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby SnookerEd25

vodkadiet wrote:Ray Reardon????


That's a good call, for those of us who remember the late 70s/early 80s.

I remember Gino Rigitano too...

Re: Best pressure player ever

Postby Johnny Bravo

I just saw the result of the poll and I must say I'm baffled. Hendry is by no means no. 1. :mood: >-( :sad:
He played against numpties 90% of the time. When the level rose and better players emerged, Hendry vanished from the winner's circle.

So is this even debatable ???
Even though I'm a fan of neither, you can only choose between 2 people: John Higgins and Mark Selby. Any other answer is WRONG.


   

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