Mental toughness

I love the psychology in snooker and seeing how different players react to stressful situations.

I seem to recall in the 2018 final Williams was one ball away from winning the title when Higgins cleared up. Nonetheless Williams calmly compiled a winning break in the next frame. Something similar happened with Ebdon in 2002 final. He missed a sitter but regained his composure to clinch the match soon after.

It takes a certain type of temperament to put the shock of losing a frame in those circumstances behind and play the next frame like nothing has happened. Unfortunately for Willie Thorne r.i.p. he was unable to put the disappointment of the missed blue in UK final out of his mind and Davis pounced.

Anyone think of other such moments where a player cooly put a shock behind him, or where a player missed one shot and subsequently the matched changed?

Ronnie led Judd 9-4 in the 2014 UK final, before Judd won the next 5 frames to even the match at 9-9. Ronnie then won the decider.

Also worth mentioning the 1997 Charity Challenge final, where Hendry led Ronnie 8-2 before Ronnie won the next 6 frames to even the match at 8-8. Hendry then made a 147 in the decider.

I remember watching the O'Sullivan vs Trump final. What a superb match and great final frame from Ronnie.

Hendry of course was coolness personified in such situations many times. Looking back now to the masters final against Hallet. Hallet missed a pink I think while having a huge lead. You could tell at the time Hendry was going to win even with such a deficit.

In the 2016 world championship 1st round I remember Ding lost a frame where Martin Gould needed 3 snookers. Martin Gould was leading 8-6 I think after winning that frame. I thought at the time Ding has thrown this away and how will he recover from that, he won the next 4 frames to win 10-8 and ended up getting to the final.

Juddernaut88 wrote:In the 2016 world championship 1st round I remember Ding lost a frame where Martin Gould needed 3 snookers. Martin Gould was leading 8-6 I think after winning that frame. I thought at the time Ding has thrown this away and how will he recover from that, he won the next 4 frames to win 10-8 and ended up getting to the final.

Kind of an ironic example, given that Selby's far superior psychological resolve was a big factor/the main factor in him beating Ding in the final

Hunter's comebacks