by Pink Ball » 10 Apr 2020 Read
The blue riband.
In the end, 18 semi-final matches were nominated. These will now be narrowed down to one 'winner', which will be considered the final of the All-Star World Championship.
You may choose one match in your vote.
You have one week.
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by Pink Ball » 10 Apr 2020 Read
My selection: the 1985 World Championship Final which, I believe, is the greatest snooker match in history, even if the BBC turned me off it for a while.
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by Ck147 » 10 Apr 2020 Read
Pink Ball wrote:My selection: the 1985 World Championship Final which, I believe, is the greatest snooker match in history, even if the BBC turned me off it for a while.
Safe bet that one, I was only 12 at the time but remember it, first time I stayed up really late to watch something.
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by D4P » 10 Apr 2020 Read
It's interesting that the match widely considered to be the greatest in history featured 35 frames without a single century...
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by Pink Ball » 10 Apr 2020 Read
D4P wrote:It's interesting that the match widely considered to be the greatest in history featured 35 frames without a single century...
It was dog-shit quality
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by mick745 » 10 Apr 2020 Read
Average frame time of more than 25 minutes, lots of long drawn out safety battles, but we know snooker is much more than that. It was the drama that was produced, never been anything like it in snooker before or since.
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by Dan-cat » 10 Apr 2020 Read
Yup, it's gotta be 85 hasn't it?
I was allowed to stay up late and watch the finish, the latest I'd ever stayed up.
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by TheRocket » 11 Apr 2020 Read
2018 for me. 1985 is obviously legendary but I'm pretty sure 2018 was on a different level in terms of standard. And it had drama as well.
The 1994 and 2002 final deserve to be mentioned as well. Any decider in a world final is special.
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by SnookerFan » 11 Apr 2020 Read
How come 2003 isn't there?
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by SnookerFan » 11 Apr 2020 Read
2015 was one-sided and drab.
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by Cloud Strife » 11 Apr 2020 Read
SnookerFan wrote:How come 2003 isn't there?
Maybe there's still time for you to nominate it.
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by SnookerFan » 11 Apr 2020 Read
Cloud Strife wrote:SnookerFan wrote:How come 2003 isn't there?
Maybe there's still time for you to nominate it.
I nominate 2003, despite having voted for something else.
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by KrazeeEyezKilla » 11 Apr 2020 Read
D4P wrote:It's interesting that the match widely considered to be the greatest in history featured 35 frames without a single century...
I'm not sure if it's considered a great match but it was very dramatic final frame at a time when Snooker was massive and it had happy ending.
I went with 1994. The most compelling story of any final.
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by vodkadiet1 » 12 Apr 2020 Read
I went with 1986. Even though Johnson won 18-12 you never thought he could win until he was within a couple of frames of victory. It was such an unlikely story. Davis was the biggest favorite in history.
When Johnson was awaiting the winner of the heavyweight clash between Davis and Thorburn who were level going in to the final session. He was asked who would you like to play in the final. Johnson replied "Neither of them!"
Johnson had started the final well in leading 4-3 after the opening session but then the result seemed a formality when Davis won the first 4 frames of the second session to lead 7-4 at the mid session interval and the match in all reality was over. Johnson went straight to the practice table and the BBC cameras panned in to Johnson to show him getting his cue arm going as he had been denied table time by a rampant Davis. And the one shot they showed of Johnson on the practice table he totally miscued and almost ripped the cloth! Johnson looked at the camera and just laughed!
Clive Everton was in the commentary box for the third session and he was equally convinced Johnson couldn't win even though he was going a few frames ahead. And then, as Davis was set to win a crucial frame as he tried to get back within striking distance he suffered a cruel piece of misfortune and Everton said "I am beginning to believe in the fate theory". That marked the moment when indeed fate deemed Johnson was set to become the longest priced winner in Crucible history.
He had these lucky red and white shoes that were partly credited for his victory. I don't think I saw them again. He probably has them locked away in a cupboard somewhere!
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by Cloud Strife » 12 Apr 2020 Read
Pink Ball wrote:Johnson’s win was a tonic.
I imagine it must have felt very similar to how Ken's victory over Hendry felt to snooker fans of my generation.
It was like discovering an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert.
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by PLtheRef » 13 Apr 2020 Read
1985 might not have been the greatest Final standard wise but in terms of the Drama and excitement - it cannot be understated how important that Final was for that event or for snooker in general
The 1985 Final between Davis and Taylor came at the end of a World Championship which had seen some great moments hadn't really lived up to great expectations.
Despite there being several close finishes in the First Round in 1985 (one decider and five other 10-8 scorelines), from the Last 16, close finishes were scarce (10 out of the 14 matches in the Second Round, Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals) being settled before the interval in the Final session) - including both Semi-Finals being won with a session to spare.
In terms of few close finishes, its interesting how the 1994 and 2002 World Championships compare with 85. In 1994 there were three matches won with sessions to spare in the Second Round and both Semi-Finals were won 16-8 or 16-9 and in 2002 five of the Last 16 matches were won 13-2 or 13-3 though there were a few deciders that year.
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by TheRocket » 13 Apr 2020 Read
Cloud Strife wrote:Pink Ball wrote:Johnson’s win was a tonic.
I imagine it must have felt very similar to how Ken's victory over Hendry felt to snooker fans of my generation.
It was like discovering an oasis in the middle of the Sahara desert.
With Hendry it was because the guy won 5 world titles on the trot (1992-1996). Davis maybe not so much because he had lost that final against Taylor a year prior to the Johnson defeat so he didnt quite have the same invincibility aura like Hendry.
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by mick745 » 17 Apr 2020 Read
vodkadiet1 wrote:I went with 1986. Even though Johnson won 18-12 you never thought he could win until he was within a couple of frames of victory. It was such an unlikely story. Davis was the biggest favorite in history.
When Johnson was awaiting the winner of the heavyweight clash between Davis and Thorburn who were level going in to the final session. He was asked who would you like to play in the final. Johnson replied "Neither of them!"
Johnson had started the final well in leading 4-3 after the opening session but then the result seemed a formality when Davis won the first 4 frames of the second session to lead 7-4 at the mid session interval and the match in all reality was over. Johnson went straight to the practice table and the BBC cameras panned in to Johnson to show him getting his cue arm going as he had been denied table time by a rampant Davis. And the one shot they showed of Johnson on the practice table he totally miscued and almost ripped the cloth! Johnson looked at the camera and just laughed!
Clive Everton was in the commentary box for the third session and he was equally convinced Johnson couldn't win even though he was going a few frames ahead. And then, as Davis was set to win a crucial frame as he tried to get back within striking distance he suffered a cruel piece of misfortune and Everton said "I am beginning to believe in the fate theory". That marked the moment when indeed fate deemed Johnson was set to become the longest priced winner in Crucible history.
He had these lucky red and white shoes that were partly credited for his victory. I don't think I saw them again. He probably has them locked away in a cupboard somewhere!
Later on in the 23rd frame, the one where Everton had made his "fate" comment, Davis was chasing snookers on the brown. Davis played a brilliant shot to snooker behind the black but Johnson missed his escape by about three feet. Davis then argued with referee John Street that it was a 'deliberate' miss. In Davis' long career i don't think i saw Davis lose his composure or question a referee at all. Both players were sensing i think it was slipping away from Davis at that point.
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