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New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Monique

http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/wor ... Wales.html

The Welsh Open will have a new format when it gets under way in February next year.

The tournament - which runs from February 14 to 20 at the Newport Centre - will feature the top 16 players in the world, including defending champion John Higgins.

The early rounds, up until the last 16, will feature best-of-seven frame matches with no interval, rather than best-of-nine. The quarter-finals will be best-of-nine, the semi-finals best-of-11 and the final best-of-17.

Explaining other changes, a spokesman for World Snooker said: "We have reduced the number of tables in the Newport Centre arena from three to two, which means that every match can potentially be televised by BBC Wales.

"We also have the scope to hold over two matches from the qualifiers to the venue, so if two Welsh players such as Matthew Stevens, Ryan Day or Dominic Dale are seeded between 17 and 32, we will give the fans in Newport the chance to see their local favourites in action."

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

i think there needed to be change but best of 7s ????

why not best of 7s but if it gets to 3-3 then its best of 9 that make it different but not predictable.

i think at the moment theres this crest of a wave that short = better.

who says ????

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Monique

How would that make it less predictable? The pressure of a decider is still the pressure of a decider being over 7,9 or 35 frames.
Last edited by Monique on 16 Nov 2010, edited 1 time in total.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

Monique wrote:How would that make it less predictable? The pressure of a decider is still the pressure of a decide being over 7,9 or 35 frames.

it would be better than the never ending influx of predictable best of 7s thats sneaking on to tour.

mix it up make it best of 9s but if one player runs away with it it becomes effectively best of 7.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby NedB-H

Monique wrote:How would that make it less predictable? The pressure of a decider is still the pressure of a decide being over 7,9 or 35 frames.

Yeah, it's the same in Pot Black too. ..




Shorter matches is NOT the answer. Very depressing news.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Monique

Now you lost me. After ranting for years about how shorter formats are actually unpredictable and would deliver "shocks" and "wrong results" you are now telling me they are too predictable?

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

NedB-H wrote:
Monique wrote:How would that make it less predictable? The pressure of a decider is still the pressure of a decide being over 7,9 or 35 frames.

Yeah, it's the same in Pot Black too. ..




Shorter matches is NOT the answer. Very depressing news.


sometimes a best of 9 when the score is 4-0 its over anyway and they only go through the motions. so lets get 1 tournament thats different.

With the Score at 3-2 you cant force a decider but you could Lose.

Shorting Matches is not the answer and it is very depressing that thats the thinking within World Snooker but im open to mixing some tournaments about.

Tubbers Set idea is another 1 that needs looking at.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

Monique wrote:Now you lost me. After ranting for years about how shorter formats are actually unpredictable and would deliver "shocks" and "wrong results" you are now telling me they are too predictable?

its becoming same formats all they doing cutting frames off they need to mix ideas up.

Best of 7s for PTC =Ideal

dont bombard us with More in the same way.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby SnookerFan

<laugh> I've just started a discussion in General Snooker asking for people's opinions on best of 7s, and matching shortening?

This line confuses me though; "The tournament - which runs from February 14 to 20 at the Newport Centre - will feature the top 16 players in the world, including defending champion John Higgins."

Does this mean it will only feature those players? Surely not. How would that then differ to The Masters? It must feature some qualifiers, surely. It's a ranking event. But, if it does feature the top-16 and qualifiers, why bring it to our attention. It's always been that way. It'd be like explaining that the Welsh Open is being held in Wales. Completely unneccessary.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

will Feature Meaning the Top 16 will be there lol

there will be qualifiers joining them <laugh>

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby SnookerFan

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:will Feature Meaning the Top 16 will be there lol

there will be qualifiers joining them <laugh>


I know. I figured there'd have to be somebody else there as there was a round before last-16. <laugh> I was just being a bit facetious. I figured telling us the top-16 were involved was like saying; "And the people there will be playing snooker...." A bit irrelevant as an opening statement.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Casey

Something needed to change but I am not sure best of 7 for 2 rounds will do that.

The season used to be flooded with best of 9's, now there are non in the UK. Also I am not sure how it will go for the fans having to sit throgh 7 frames without a break, thats over 2 hours on average.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Monique

case_master wrote:Something needed to change but I am not sure best of 7 for 2 rounds will do that.

The season used to be flooded with best of 9's, now there are non in the UK. Also I am not sure how it will go for the fans having to sit throgh 7 frames without a break, thats over 2 hours on average.



awwww poor fans! two hours! Aren't they the same people who insists players are "lazy" because they claim to feel tired after a 15 days marathon and facing a possibly 35 frames long final after a mighdnight semis finish might actually be a bit too much? :john:

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Casey

Monique wrote:
case_master wrote:Something needed to change but I am not sure best of 7 for 2 rounds will do that.

The season used to be flooded with best of 9's, now there are non in the UK. Also I am not sure how it will go for the fans having to sit throgh 7 frames without a break, thats over 2 hours on average.



awwww poor fans! two hours! Aren't they the same people who insists players are "lazy" because they claim to feel tired after a 15 days marathon and facing a possibly 35 frames long final after a mighdnight semis finish might actually be a bit too much? :john:


No other format in snooker asks fans to sit for 7 frames without a break. Also two hours is being optimistic.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Monique

case_master wrote:
Monique wrote:
case_master wrote:Something needed to change but I am not sure best of 7 for 2 rounds will do that.

The season used to be flooded with best of 9's, now there are non in the UK. Also I am not sure how it will go for the fans having to sit throgh 7 frames without a break, thats over 2 hours on average.



awwww poor fans! two hours! Aren't they the same people who insists players are "lazy" because they claim to feel tired after a 15 days marathon and facing a possibly 35 frames long final after a mighdnight semis finish might actually be a bit too much? :john:


No other format in snooker asks fans to sit for 7 frames without a break. Also two hours is being optimistic.


Well that's not true. If the WC final was to go the distance it would have 11 frames to be played with 7 after the MSI.
And PL semis are best of 9 and played without MSI.

Anyway, it makes me gringe that fans who brand players lazy then complain about sitting for 2 hours watching them play.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Casey

Monique wrote:
case_master wrote:
Monique wrote:
case_master wrote:Something needed to change but I am not sure best of 7 for 2 rounds will do that.

The season used to be flooded with best of 9's, now there are non in the UK. Also I am not sure how it will go for the fans having to sit throgh 7 frames without a break, thats over 2 hours on average.



awwww poor fans! two hours! Aren't they the same people who insists players are "lazy" because they claim to feel tired after a 15 days marathon and facing a possibly 35 frames long final after a mighdnight semis finish might actually be a bit too much? :john:


No other format in snooker asks fans to sit for 7 frames without a break. Also two hours is being optimistic.


Well that's not true. If the WC final was to go the distance it would have 11 frames to be played with 7 after the MSI.
And PL semis are best of 9 and played without MSI.

Anyway, it makes me gringe that fans who brand players lazy then complain about sitting for 2 hours watching them play.


Yea i forgot about the World final, although its alot different from round 1 of the Welsh Open.

it wouldn't bother me to sit for two hours and watch snooker, however I guess the format is being changed to accommodate new fans and I don't see it working. i just really don't see the point in reducing the first round by two frames :huh2:

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby NedB-H

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:
sometimes a best of 9 when the score is 4-0 its over anyway and they only go through the motions. so lets get 1 tournament thats different.

With the Score at 3-2 you cant force a decider but you could Lose.

Shorting Matches is not the answer and it is very depressing that thats the thinking within World Snooker but im open to mixing some tournaments about.

Tubbers Set idea is another 1 that needs looking at.

Yeah, we can mix things up a bit, but we already have the World Open as a short format and hundreds of PTCs played over best of 7. This doesn't look to me like mixing things up, it looks like making everything in sight shorter format.

I agree with case, I don't see what benefit knocking 2 frames off the first round is meant to bring.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Monique

no the format is made to allow to squeeze the tounie in it's usual length but with 2 tables set-up, not 3 so that all matches can be on telly.
That IMO is a very good move.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby SnookerFan

case_master wrote:
Yea i forgot about the World final, although its alot different from round 1 of the Welsh Open.

it wouldn't bother me to sit for two hours and watch snooker, however I guess the format is being changed to accommodate new fans and I don't see it working. i just really don't see the point in reducing the first round by two frames :huh2:


This is the point really. If it's being done to bring in new fans, then it's not going to work. On the World Snooker website, it's talking about an innovative new concept. If you somebody who wasn't a fan saw that and went; "Oooh, what is it?" then saw the maximum amount of frames played was 7 rather then 9, they'd be <doh>

I do like the 11am start though. I'm probably alone on this, but if I've travelled and am staying in a hotel, which I would for the Welsh, then it's good, because you have to get up before 9am-ish usually to get served the breakfast. At Wales last year I was up and ready to go by 10am. Then I just twiddled my thumbs, watched a bit of telly, got to the arena a couple of hours early to see if I could get autographs... And earlier start would suit me. Depends on the person/siutation though. I commute to The Masters, and though arriving at Wembley for 11am isn't too bad, it can take me at least an hour and a half to get up there, and I sometimes have to go with somebody who drops their kids off to school, and then has to make it into town to meet me at a train station. So 11am is a bit too early there for Wild Card Rounds.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

This is the Format with 3 Tables of Welsh Open 2009 http://www.global-snooker.com/professio ... hedule.asp

This is the Format with 2 Tables Welsh Open 2010 http://www2.seetickets.com/worldsnooker/welshformat.pdf

only 1 Match Different in 2009 there was 3 Last 48 carried over

the only Difference is next year session starts at 11am giving us 8 Matches on Monday instead of 5 in 2009

if they did that in 2009 they could have played on 2 Tables over Best of 9 anyway.

New Format For Snooker’s Welsh Open

Postby randam05

New Format For Snooker’s Welsh Open

World class snooker returns to Newport in February with the Welsh Open - and the world ranking event boasts a brand new format.

The tournament runs from February 14 to 20 at the Newport Centre and will feature the top 16 players in the world as of the seeding cut-off point which falls after next month's 12BET.com UK Championship.

John Higgins will be defending the title he won last year by beating Ali Carter in the final, and also set to feature are Betfred.com World Champion Neil Robertson, Rocket Ronnie O'Sullivan, Welsh ace Mark Williams and many more of the sport's top stars.

For the first time, the early rounds will feature best-of-seven frame matches with no interval, rather than best-of-nine. This will be the case for the qualifying rounds and up until the last 16 at the venue. The quarter-finals will be best-of-nine, the semis best-of-11 and the final best-of-17.

A spokesman for World Snooker said: "We are using a range of exciting new formats this season to add variety to our tournaments and give them distinctive features. We have reduced the number of tables in the Newport Centre arena from three to two, which means that every match can potentially be televised by BBC Wales. We will be keen to receive feedback from fans and players on the new format.

"We also have the scope to hold over two matches from the qualifiers to the venue, so if two Welsh players such as Matthew Stevens, Ryan Day or Dominic Dale are seeded between 17 and 32, we will give the fans in Newport the chance to see their local favourites in action.

"The Welsh Open will be the final tournament before the seeding list is updated for the Betfred.com World Championship, which will bring an extra element to the event as players will be battling to guarantee their place at the Crucible.

"It promises to be a fantastic week with snooker of the highest quality and a cracking atmosphere, so we strongly urge supporters to get their tickets booked and enjoy the show!"

The qualifiers run from February 8 to 11 at the World Snooker Academy in Sheffield.

Re: New Format For Snooker’s Welsh Open

Postby randam05

I think this is pretty cool..but whats the point?

NEW FORMAT??? HARDLY.

Although I would rather it change just like this than have best of 3 throughout!

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Casey

Monique wrote:no the format is made to allow to squeeze the tounie in it's usual length but with 2 tables set-up, not 3 so that all matches can be on telly.
That IMO is a very good move.


So there is only two tables? I didn't know that, yea thats a good move.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

case_master wrote:
Monique wrote:no the format is made to allow to squeeze the tounie in it's usual length but with 2 tables set-up, not 3 so that all matches can be on telly.
That IMO is a very good move.


So there is only two tables? I didn't know that, yea thats a good move.

all they done to accommodated 2 Tables instead of 3 is Start 11am on Monday instead of 1 pm Getting more matches in on monday nothing at all to do with Best of 9s or 7s.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby SnookerFan

case_master wrote:
Monique wrote:no the format is made to allow to squeeze the tounie in it's usual length but with 2 tables set-up, not 3 so that all matches can be on telly.
That IMO is a very good move.


So there is only two tables? I didn't know that, yea thats a good move.


The one downside is that it gives the ticket holder less choice of which matches they want to see. On a roll-on roll-off basis, this can be quite important, especially if you do what I do and travel from London to Wales to watch it, you want to know you are receiving a good choice.

On saying that, the Welsh Open always worked better for the ticket holder then it did for the television audience, which is wrong. If it's hard to follow on TV, it won't create new fans, and new people won't become ticket holders. With the majority of people watching it on TV rather then going live, it's a fully understandable decision.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

But with the Final starting at 1.30pm and 7pm it works well for TV Audiences

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby SnookerFan

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:But with the Final starting at 1.30pm and 7pm it works well for TV Audiences


It works well for everybody, really. But then starting the final before 3pm, to lessen the chances of it still being played at 1am isn't the most difficult improvement to think of.

I feel there is more to analyse, and will find wider differences of opinions in the shortening of matches early on, to be honest.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby Wildey

personally i think theres very little difference between Best of 7 and Best of 9 but this whole mindset of shorter = better i want to knock out of the heads of people because its not.

Re: New format for the Welsh Open

Postby SnookerFan

wildLOVESWAGNER wrote:personally i think theres very little difference between Best of 7 and Best of 9 but this whole mindset of shorter = better i want to knock out of the heads of people because its not.


That's pretty much my viewpoint... And the reason I started the thread in General Snooker Discussion.