2013 World Snooker Championship

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIRST ROUND

(Seeded players are in brackets)

(1) Ronnie O'Sullivan v Marcus Campbell

(16) Ali Carter v Ben Woollaston

(9) Stuart Bingham v Sam Baird

(8) John Higgins v Mark Davis

(5) Shaun Murphy v Martin Gould

(12) Graeme Dott v Peter Ebdon

(13) Matthew Stevens v Marco Fu

(4) Judd Trump v Dominic Dale

(3) Neil Robertson v Robert Milkins

(14) Ricky Walden v Michael Holt

(11) Mark Williams v Michael White

(6) Stephen Maguire v Dechawat Poomjaeng

(7) Mark Allen v Mark King

(10) Ding Junhui v Alan McManus

(15) Barry Hawkins v Jack Lisowski

(2) Mark Selby v Matthew Selt

Either Trump or O'Sullivan to win it I think.

Good draw for O'Sullivan to get a win and build momentum. He needs some match time and that looks a very winnable start. Ebdon, King, Davis, Gould and Fu were probably the ones to avoid there.

Should be a great tournament anyway, looking forward to seeing how the young players go and am heading up to watch a session on Sunday.

So hard to call a winner but I will go for Robertson.

Oh no, not another Dott/Ebdon showdown
At least it"s only first to 10 this time.

The top players will be delighted with their draws. Selby will tonk Selt, Allen should beat King, Robbo should beat Milkins (who everyone will boo for beating Jimmy), and Judd should beat poor old Christopher who hasn't had the best of luck in recent years. Ronnie, Judd and Judd again. Oh Christopher....

I can see two upsets (if you can call them that): Lisowski beating Hawkins and Fu beating Stevens.

Can't wait for it to start , and to see which Ronnie turns up

I have think Selby will win it if Ronnie doesn't

I've fallen a little out of touch with snooker these past years but I will be putting this on series link, I've been kicking myself the last few years for missing out.
Very tough call on who will win this between O'Sullivan, Selby, Trump, Robertson or maybe Murphy. Or my usual outsider Higgins. Can't see any other winners out there but I could very well be wrong, as I say I'm a little out of touch now.

I'd love Dominic Dale to win the tourney, he has nice hair and waistcoats.

The Special Juan wrote:The top players will be delighted with their draws. Selby will tonk Selt, Allen should beat King, Robbo should beat Milkins (who everyone will boo for beating Jimmy), and Judd should beat poor old Christopher who hasn't had the best of luck in recent years. Ronnie, Judd and Judd again. Oh Christopher....

I can see two upsets (if you can call them that): Lisowski beating Hawkins and Fu beating Stevens.

HERESY!

Azzy Mahmood wrote:I'd love Dominic Dale to win the tourney, he has nice hair and waistcoats.

Amen brother.

Allen vs Trump semifinal looks locked in....

Ding has the easiest tie of the 1st round..

if you look back over the last few years Higgins usually wins the year after Ronnie

Higgins won in 2007, 2009, 2011 (and 1999). He has to win this year.

Depends whether he has a bet on it...

Can't believe that cheat is still playing. Probably the main reason why I don't watch snooker as much these days.

I'll say the same thing to you two as I do everyone else.

Innocent

Duty281 wrote:Can't believe that cheat is still playing. Probably the main reason why I don't watch snooker as much these days.

Don't mind a bit of snooker here and there but I can't stomach even looking at Higgins.

Looking forward to this, Ronnie to turn up like he did last year and win again, I agree Higgins is a cheat

Whats this about Higgins?

I have to agree with the anti-Higgins crew, I used to respect the man but he has no place in the game now, and any wins he does manage are tainted by his acts, guilty or not guilty (they let him off lightly because he was the top player at the time).

Same goes for Stephen Lee (always hated him though) and Jo Jogia. They shouldn't be allowed to compete again.

MIG wrote:Whats this about Higgins?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YesmwO6jLUA

I'm going for a Selby v Robbo final (again) with Robbo winning.

Duty281 wrote:

MIG wrote:Whats this about Higgins?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YesmwO6jLUA

Can't believe I never even heard about this. I quite often support Higgins, not after this. He seems so relaxed about it all. And only a 6 month ban? I'm surprised he's still playing.

I won't be seeing much of this week but next week I'll be watching everything.

C'mon Marcus + Ricky!!

Jeez, the tournament hasn't even started yet and I'm already fed up of hearing about Ronald.

Marcus is larger than I remember.

140 break for Walden apparently, he's 3 nil up and cruising. Ronnie O'Sullivan is now 2-1 up.

Ricky.

That Phil Studd comes across as a right

Come on Jackie boy!! I reckon he'll beat Hawkins.

I miss the snooker of yester-year when we had legends of the game standing there to be shot at such as Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry in their pomp. When they were in action you knew you were watching one of the all-time greats. This year I just struggle to garner interest to be honest. I suppose the ideal winner for the sport to move forward would be Judd Trump or another youngster like that to perhaps start their own legacy.

I think for the years of Davis and Hendry, people wanted an open field where there wasn't one massive favourite for every title. Now that it's very open, people are beginning to miss the person who stamps their authority on the game. Even Ronnie mentioned there was no definitive number 1. Seeing as he, Higgins and MJW are nearing the end of their careers, the best players after they retire will be Selby, Robertson, Murphy etc. Aside from Robbo, I don't think any of the game to dominate. Selby's number 1 through consistency, not through winning everything. Still, I suppose with all the events these days it's really hard to dominate and it will take a special player to do so. I don't think Judd's up to it.

Agree with you TSJ that I don't think Trump is up to it. The thing is there is no benchmark now - so to speak. The dominating legend just doesn't exist as in my mind there isn't a legend of the Davis and Hendry ilk. People will always argue for O'Sullivan and Higgins but they have never had a dominant streak in the sport where you could bet your house on them winning the world title.

White's got a shade of Ryan Day about him.

it wont be popular but you have to take your hat off to Ronnie he looked good this afternoon

Ebbo's average shot time = 40 seconds

The Special Juan wrote:Ebbo's average shot time = 40 seconds

Doesn't get much more boring then Ebdon vs Dott... What a snoozefest

That world final was certainly.... thrilling entertaining high quality an experience.

AlciG wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:Ebbo's average shot time = 40 seconds

Doesn't get much more boring then Ebdon vs Dott... What a snoozefest

Well you have the off button.

CaledonianCraig wrote:

AlciG wrote:

The Special Juan wrote:Ebbo's average shot time = 40 seconds

Doesn't get much more boring then Ebdon vs Dott... What a snoozefest

Well you have the off button.

I love the sport and appreciate how hard it is, but you can't possibly disagree with that assessment. I guess you can, to each his own.

Yes I agree it is each to their own. Dott and Ebdon both play a very tactical game and if that isn't your cup of tea then admittedly you will hate it. Ebdon is struggling for form and Dott is not at the level he was a few years ago. However, I love both players for their tenacity, dedication and gritty battling qualities. Traits not held by every player in the game.

No worries Craig. I do appreciate the tenacity and tactical game. But both players play a bit better in my humble opinion when they when they play a bit more freely, especially Dott.

What I hate is that often times both tend to take a lot of time on even 'simple' shots.

I do think both just cancel each other out to a certain degree. In short not a great match-up.

The only match I wouldn't watch is Ebdon v McLeod (but then again, it'd be so slow I'd have to watch it!!). Maybe Harold v O'Brien.

Ugh, I'm really not a big fan of Mark Davis at all.

John's looking a bit slimmer these days. Meanwhile, Whitey's 8-5 up in an upset I saw coming against MJW. I wonder if this is the end for the great man.

Superb Whitey . Plays Dechawat or Maguire next.

I now realise that Selby and Robbo can't meet in the final Murphy v Selby/Robbo then.

Personally I want a Dom v Angles final.

Is Murphy as smug as ever?

Ok - boy does Gould look miserable. Very scrappy 10th Frame between him and Smurf.