2017 and 2018 World Snooker Championship Thread

[CaledonianCraig]

First topic message reminder :

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?

[CaledonianCraig]

And Maguire takes the final frame of the session and trails 5-3 but he'll feel very happy with that.

[CaledonianCraig]

For me I'd say the contenders for the title are Mark Selby, Ding Junhui, Ronnie O'Sullivan and John Higgins. If Kyren Wilson beats Higgins I'd say he will make the final. The others just don't look to have what it takes to win the title.

[CaledonianCraig]

Tonight's matches sees Ronnie and Ding resume at 4-4 and John Higgins with a 5-3 lead over Kyren Wilson going into tonight's session.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins off and running with a century break and stretches his lead to 6-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding, with a break of 63, and he edges into a 5-4 lead over Ronnie.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie pinches the tenth frame and we are back level at 5-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wilson misses a yellow and Higgins pounces to move into a 7-3 lead.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding edges back ahead at 6-5 as Ronnie spurns a chance to nick the frame. Wilson in with a good chance to win his first frame of the evening.

[CaledonianCraig]

A much-needed frame on the board for Kyren Wilson and he now trails 7-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding missing fewer pots and mops up another frame to lead 7-5 at the mid-session interval.

[CaledonianCraig]

Meanwhile, John Higgins is in amongst the balls again and hits a break of 74 and goes into the mid-session interval leading 8-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins in and scoring heavily again and 9-4 looks on the cards shortly. Meanwhile, Ronnie under the cosh now and in danger of falling 8-5 behind.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding (break of 100+) leads 8-5 and Higgins (break of 135) leads 9-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Kyren Wilson in with a big break of his own of 97 to wrap up the frame and pull it back to 9-5 to John Higgins.

[CaledonianCraig]

Another good chance spurned by Ronnie. Ding could be 9-5 up soon.

[CaledonianCraig]

And another chance...and the frame has gone. Ding leads 9-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wilson in again on the other table. If he can win these last two frames of this session he is right back in with a shout.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wilson had his chances in that frame but Higgins takes it and leads 10-5. Ronnie needs to dig deep here. He trails 9-5 and is 63-0 behind with a bout of safety which Ding wins.

[CaledonianCraig]

So with one frame left on each table Higgins 10 Wilson 5 and Ding 10 O'Sullivan 5.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Ronnie wins the last frame with a century break - he really needed that. Ding will resume tomorrow leading 10-6.

[temporary21]

I hope the guys screaming out for Ronnie realise they're interrupting the other game

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins has his foot on Wilson't throat here. He looks set to go into an 11-5 lead overnight as he builds a lead of over 40 points and is at the table.

[CaledonianCraig]

I hope the guys screaming out for Ronnie realise they're interrupting the other game

Prats.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins does seal the frame and leads 11-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

I'd be quite confident now in saying it won't be Ronnie's year this year. Firstly, it would take a monumental effort to overturn a 10-6 deficit against Ding. And if he does come through it will be a real testing match and next up he'd play - most likely Mark Selby. Selby is a top match play player who will make Ronnie graft for chances and he could be coming into that match with a far more straight-forward QF (leads Fu 6-2 at present). So you see the stars are not aligning for Ronnie.

[CaledonianCraig]

This morning sees Mark Selby resume 6-2 up against Marco Fu. On the other table John Higgiins leads Kyren Wilson 11-5.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins capitalises on another missed opportunity from Wilson with a break 51 of to go 12-5 up - one frame from a semi-final spot.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby marches on and now leads Fu 7-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins misses out on an opportunity to close out the match and Wilson looked set to take the frame but misses frame ball.

[CaledonianCraig]

However, no damage done and Wilson stays afloat to take the frame but still trails 12-6.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby stretching away and leading 8-2 now. Surely, this match is done and dusted now.

[CaledonianCraig]

John Higgins completes a 13-6 win over Kyren Wilson to reach his first world semi-final for six years.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby goes 9-2 up and will have an eye on getting this match finished a session early.

[CaledonianCraig]

A superb clearance of 132 sees Selby go into the mid-session interval 10-2 up on Marco Fu. It is now a matter of when not if.

[CaledonianCraig]

If this was a boxing match it would be stopped right now. Selby weighs in with another frame winning century clearance break of 139 and goes 11-2 ahead.

[CaledonianCraig]

Fu ends the rot and pinches the 14th frame but trails Selby 11-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby thumping in another century break and leads 12-3 with one frame left in the session to play. If he wins that he goes into the semis a session early.

[CaledonianCraig]

A superb clearance of 143 there from Selby. With a number of reds on the cushion - superb from Selby.

[CaledonianCraig]

Mark Selby polishes off Marco Fu and wins 13 - 3 with a session to spare. A great performance but Fu just never got going sadly.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon's matches see Ding Junhui and Ronnie O'Sullivan play to a finish. Ding leads 10-6. On the other table Barry Hawkins resumes 5-3 up on Stephen Maguire.

[CaledonianCraig]

A long drawn out opener taken by Ronnie. He trails Ding 10-7. The Hawk now leads 6-3 and you feel Maguire cannot afford to fall any further behind.

[Guest]

need a minimum of 11-9 deficit at the mid-session, does ronnie

[temporary21]

This is still in for Ronnie. Thugh he isn't playing with much fluency

[CaledonianCraig]

Question marks have always hung over Ding's mental strengths. He has long been tipped for the world title. Well Ronnie mops up the 18th frame to pull it back to 10-8. How will Ding respond mentally?

[temporary21]

If ding can just get 1. He'll feel ok probably

[CaledonianCraig]

Gutsy break from Maguire to pinch the 10th frame. Hawkins leads 6-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

Golden chance for Ding. Can he take it?

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding takes the frame and goes into an 11-8 lead.

[temporary21]

Vital from ding there. This last frame crucial to Ronnie. If he loses it he needs 5 straight to win

[Beer]

I think if Ding is on the hill after this then he'll take it comfortably, he knows he can afford a few mistakes.

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