2017 and 2018 World Snooker Championship Thread

[CaledonianCraig]

I am surprised no topic up here yet for the World Championship so here goes a few days too late.

Mark Selby looks like a good bet for a third world title. Where will the main challenge come from? Perhaps Judd Trump, John Higgins, Ding Junhui and Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Selby looked very good in his opening match as did Higgins. O'Sullivan's mental demons have resurfaced again in time for The Crucible and will need to improve to win again.

Thoughts?

[Beer]

Trump 9-7 down against Rory McLeod, seems to be hinting at a shoulder injury, but displaying his standard arrogance, spanking a yellow off of 5 cushions and not apologising.

For me, Trump doesn't have the temperament for the longer format, he'll be the next Jimmy White.

[CaledonianCraig]

Dott in command leading Ali Carter 8-5. Yes Trump could be the next big nearly man. Time will tell.

[Beer]

Carter suffering from a really poor start last night, gifted 5 of Dott's 6 frames to him last night.

[CaledonianCraig]

Carter suffering from a really poor start last night, gifted 5 of Dott's 6 frames to him last night.

Dott wins 10-7. Carter was just too far up and down. Today he hit a couple of centuries but also had frames where he missed key pots or positional play and safety was ragged. You are going to beat a great matchplay er like Dott playing like that.

[Beer]

Xiao against Selby could be a decent match, thought he looked very good against Ryan Day.

Delighted for McLeod, and Trump's reaction afterwards, not giving an interview etc just goes to solidify my dislike for him. He didn't seem unwell or injured when he went 4-0 up.

Admittedly, the overall standard in the match was hardly world level, but that's how it goes sometimes.

The first Thursday is always boring with the 1pm start.

Robbo looked good yesterday, Ronnie against Murphy tonight, promises to be good.

[CaledonianCraig]

Xiao against Selby could be a decent match, thought he looked very good against Ryan Day.

Delighted for McLeod, and Trump's reaction afterwards, not giving an interview etc just goes to solidify my dislike for him. He didn't seem unwell or injured when he went 4-0 up.

Admittedly, the overall standard in the match was hardly world level, but that's how it goes sometimes.

The first Thursday is always boring with the 1pm start.

Robbo looked good yesterday, Ronnie against Murphy tonight, promises to be good.

Trump was definitely hindered yesterday. No two ways about it. He was wincing in pain when getting down on shots and getting up. I personally don't think he has a bad attitude at all it is more his mental weakness that holds him back.

Ronnie V Murphy should be spicy given their clash of views on Barry Hearn and the governing bodies treatment of Ronnie.

[Beer]

Granted, he was wincing, but how much of that was play-acting? Each to their own but i've found him to be arrogant over the years for a player who hasn't exactly set the world alight.

I was surprised by Murphy's comments. I like him as a pundit, but I know in the past he has spoken out against Ronnie. Hopefully we just a really good snooker match.

[CaledonianCraig]

Granted, he was wincing, but how much of that was play-acting? Each to their own but i've found him to be arrogant over the years for a player who hasn't exactly set the world alight.

I was surprised by Murphy's comments. I like him as a pundit, but I know in the past he has spoken out against Ronnie. Hopefully we just a really good snooker match.

If that was play-acting then he deserves an Oscar and why would he play act? 99 times out of 100 he'd beat McLeod and has no need whatsoever to pull any under-handed tricks. I haven't see the arrogance either - I don't see him as a potential all-time great but more ending up like Jimmy White as a great player never to win the world title.

[Beer]

Bingham 4-0 down against Kyren Wilson.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham 4-0 down against Kyren Wilson.

Bingham really needs this last frame of this session. To get out of it trailing 5-3 he'll feel a lot better than earlier.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Bingham seals the final frame and trails 5-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Robertson a comfortable 10-4 winner and will play Marco Fu in the Second Round.

[CaledonianCraig]

O'Sullivan on brink of going 6-1 up on Murphy. These are the sort of opponents that bring out the best of Ronnie. A player who can't resist going for his shots and on missing leaving chances. If Ronnie is beaten at The Crucible it always tends to be by top notch match play snooker players who can mix up safety at the right time and tie Ronnie down.

[CaledonianCraig]

Murphy takes a tense frame on the black ball but still trails O'Sullivan 5-2 with one frame left to play in the session.

[CaledonianCraig]

On the other table Barry Hawkins beats Tom Ford strolling to a 10-3 win. Next up for him is a match against Graeme Dott.

[CaledonianCraig]

And O'Sullivan takes a 6-2 lead into the second session tomorrow afternoon.

[Beer]

Hawkins vs Dott should be a good match.

Ronnie should've taken that 7-1, sloppy safety play on the black. Good to see he came out and just played the game, ignored the pre match comments etc. Can see him running away with it.

[CaledonianCraig]

Can see him running away with it.

Yes Murphy either needs to start potting from the lampshades or he will lose comfortably. He is a bread and butter type player for Ronnie. A player who will go for one shot too many and leave chances and table spread wide open for Ronnie to mop up.

[Beer]

I like Murphy as a player, but he is reckless and too attacking at times, which is why he's never got a second world crown. But Ronnie looked extremely composed last night. That missed black at 5-1 could've wobbled him but he got straight back in.

Wenbo v Ding & Wilson v Bingham are the double session today, Wenbo v Ding could be a brilliant match.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wenbo v Ding could be a brilliant match.

Agreed. Wenbo is certainly No.2 Chinese player in my opinion and has a good temperament. Ding seems to be growing in stature as the years go on and now lives in Sheffield apparently so is faw away from the pressures of expectation of China which must help.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding takes a mid-session lead of 3-1 over Liang Wenbo.

[CaledonianCraig]

Shambolic BBC coverage this morning. Two lengthy breaks in coverage due to technical issues before they gave up and changed their schedule. Meanwhile, the snooker goes on with Ding leading Wenbo 4-1 and Kyren Wilson leading Stuart Bingham 7-6.

[Beer]

Ding 4-2 now.

Ballrun on the comeback trail.

I have to say, i much prefer the Eurosport coverage.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Bingham hauls it back to a one frame deficit to trail 8-7 as they go into the last frame of the session. Ding leads Wenbo 5-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham looked set to seal the last frame of the session to level it at 8-8 with Wilson needing a snooker and he got it and pinched the frame and takes a 9-7 lead into the next session. Ding taking control and ends his session 6-2 ahead of Wenbo.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon's matches sees O'Sullivan resume 6-2 up on Murphy. On the other table Mark Allen starts his match against four times champion John Higgins.

[CaledonianCraig]

Allen off to an impressive start and takes the first frame. On the other table Murphy in taking control and should reduce his deficit to 6-3 here.

[CaledonianCraig]

Mark Allen hasn't missed yet and looks certain to go 2-0 up with Higgins a spectator. O'Sullivan hot favourite to go 7-3 up.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie goes 8-3 up. Murphy has to get out of this session trailing by no more than 9-7 for me or the match is over. Higgins at last gets a chance in the third frame but if he is to win it it will be in bits and pieces.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins seals the third frame - Allen leads 2-1. Ronnie in again and in with a chance to go 9-3 up.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie leads 9-3 at mid-session interval. A scrappy fourth frame on the other table and Higgins in with a chance to steal it.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins levels it up at 2-2 at the mid-session interval.

[temporary21]

Looking ahead maybe

Who is Ronnie likely to face next round?

[CaledonianCraig]

Murphy pulls a frame back to trail 9-4 and Allen edges back ahead to lead 3-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

Looking ahead maybe

Who is Ronnie likely to face next round?

He will play the winner of the Ding/Wenbo match.

[CaledonianCraig]

Allen about to re-establish his two frame lead over Higgins at 4-2 after hitting another century. Murphy digging in and looks set to haul it back to 9-5 against Ronnie.

[CaledonianCraig]

Allen hits another big break of 82 and rockets into a 5-2 lead. Higgins needs this last frame.

[CaledonianCraig]

Meanwhile, Murphy on another mid-sized break at present and could soon be back to trailing 9-6.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins somehow gets out of the session only trailing 5-3 to Mark Allen.

[CaledonianCraig]

A tense final frame of the session on the other table. Both have had chances - O'Sullivan holds a narrow lead but Murphy still in with a shout. Key frame this. 10-6 and it is match over. 9-7 and Murphy is still alive and kicking.

[CaledonianCraig]

Murphy fluffs a golden chance to win the frame missing a makeable green.

[CaledonianCraig]

And in a blink of an eye Ronnie wins the frame and ends the session 10-6 up. I'd say Murphy's chance has now gone.

[CaledonianCraig]

Kyren Wilson beats Stuart Bingham 13-10 to go through to the QF's. On the other table Ding leads Wenbo 9-7 at the end of their session.

[CaledonianCraig]

O'Sullivan takes the opening frame of the session and leads Murphy 11-6. Higgins opens with a big break and looks set to seal the first frame to haul himself back to a frame behind Mark Allen at 5-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins levels it up at 5-5 V Allen and Murphy takes the frame on the other table but still trails 11-7.

[CaledonianCraig]

A horrendous kick when in amongst the balls thwarts Murphy and O'Sullivan looks set to mop up the frame and lead 12-7 - match over surely? One from the winning line for Ronnie. Higgins weighing in with a big break on the other table to win his fourth frame on the bounce to lead 6-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie wraps up a 13-7 win. Murphy had chances but didn't take enough. Higgins has built a handy lead in the 12th frame and is warm favourite to win his fifth frame on the bounce.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins does indeed win the 12th frame and now leads Mark Allen 7-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

After the mid-session interval it is Mark Allen who starts the better with yet another century break to stop the rot. Higgins leads 7-6.

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