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]

This match ebbing and flowing as Allen is in again and scoring heavily and looks set to level the match up at 7-7. Cracking match this.

[CaledonianCraig]

However,there is a twist in this frame. Higgins trailed by 70 points but a superb clearance of 75 wins him the frame and Higgins leads 8-6. How will that affect Allen?

[CaledonianCraig]

Allen hits back and hauls it back to 8-7 with one frame left to play in the session.

[CaledonianCraig]

A scrappy final frame of the session is won by John Higgins and he takes a 9-7 lead into the final session of the match. Fabulous match this.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon's matches sees Rory McLeod start his second round match against Steven Maguire and on the other table Ding resumes 9-7 up over Wenbo.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wenbo on a roll takes the first two frames of the session to level at 9-9 against Ding. On the other table a long, scrappy frame is won by Steven Maguire.

[CaledonianCraig]

Liang Wenbo now leads 10-9 against Ding and looking very composed. On the other table Maguire moves into a 2-0 lead.

[CaledonianCraig]

Maguire stretches into a 3-0 lead. McLeod has been very poor so far.

[CaledonianCraig]

Maguire goes into the mid-session interval leading McLeod 4-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wenbo on the brink of surely his biggest win of his career at The Crucible - he leads Ding 12-11. On the other table Maguire leads 5-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding with a big break levels it up at 12-12 and we have a final frame decider.

[CaledonianCraig]

McLeod will be relieved to take the 7th frame. Now back to 5-2 behind against Maguire.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ding in with the first chance in the decider but can't take it.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wenbo gets a chance but breaks down on 16 and Ding now has a golden chance to close out the match.

[CaledonianCraig]

Maguire finishes the session ahead 6-2 V Rory McLeod. Ding seals a final frame win over his fellow countryman Liang Wenbo and goes through to play Ronnie O'Sullivan in the QF's.

[CaledonianCraig]

This evening's matches see John Higgins resume 9-7 up against Mark Allen. On the other table reigning champion Mark Selby starts his second round match against Xiao Guodong.

[CaledonianCraig]

Allen wins the first frame in the evening to trail 9-8. On the other table Selby looks poised to win the first frame against Guodong.

[CaledonianCraig]

Mark Allen taking his chances when given but a kick sees him break down on a break of 58. Higgins back at the table.

[CaledonianCraig]

Another superb clearance from John Higgins to pinch the frame. Tough luck on Allen - Higgins leads 10-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby goes 2-0 up against Xiao. Looks like being a straight-forward match for the champion.

[CaledonianCraig]

A break of 120 from John Higgins sends him into an 11-8 lead.

[CaledonianCraig]

Meanwhile, on the other table, Xiao gets his first frame on the board and trails Selby 2-1 after a scrappy long-drawn out frame.

[CaledonianCraig]

Mark Allen gets the final frame before the mid-session interval and trails 11-9. A Crucible classic this one.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby leads 3-1 in a scrappy session. Comfortable lead despite being below par.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins seals another frame and goes 12-9 up. The winning line beckons.

[CaledonianCraig]

John Higgins beats Mark Allen 13-9 to go through to the QF's. He looks to be in fine form.

[CaledonianCraig]

A really turgid match on the other table. Scrappy frames, bits and pieces breaks and lots of misses. Selby leads 3-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby now leads 4-1. I doubt he'll have played worse to lead 4-1 before.

[CaledonianCraig]

At last some fluency from Selby and a break of 76 seals him a 5-1 lead.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby though is the type of player who does enough to win his matches. If he needs a higher standard he generally can find it. In short he does what he needs to win his matches.

[CaledonianCraig]

Xiao finally puts together a 50+ break and wins the frame but still trails 5-2.

[Beer]

Really struggle to watch Selby. Xiao about to get a chance to go in 5-3 behind.

[Beer]

Wasn't easy, still might get a chance here.

[CaledonianCraig]

Really struggle to watch Selby. Xiao about to get a chance to go in 5-3 behind.

Chances going begging. All irrelevant though as I am 99.99% certain Selby will win this match. (I'd say about 13-7)

[CaledonianCraig]

And Selby takes it to close the session 6-2 up.

[CaledonianCraig]

In this morning's matches. Dott leads Hawkins 2-0 and Robertson leads Fu 2-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Hawkins puts his first frame on the board and trails 2-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Dott and Hawkins level at 2-2. Poor stuff so far. Both players struggling. Robertson leads Fu 3-1 now.

[CaledonianCraig]

Hawkins and Dott now level again at 3-3. Robertson leads on the other table leading 4-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Hawkins leads 4-3 in a disappointing match so far and has a chance to take the final frame of the session.

[CaledonianCraig]

Hawkins looking more settled now and looks good to get out of the session with a 5-3 lead. Robertson is level at 4-4 against Fu.

[CaledonianCraig]

Xiao opens up with a break of 89 against Mark Selby but still trails 6-3. On the other table Maguire weighs in with a 114 break of his own to stretch the lead to 7-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

Both players in with chances before Maguire takes the frame to lead 8-2. Selby takes the second frame of the afternoon to lead 7-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Just what Rory needed - a golden chance and he looked set to pull it back to 8-3 but then comes a miss. If this frame eludes him I'd say it is curtains for him. On the other table Xiao hits a first Crucible century break to win the frame and pull it back to 7-4.

[CaledonianCraig]

McLeod salvages the frame and pulls it back to 8-3 down.

[CaledonianCraig]

McLeod really struggling to put together meaningful breaks here and coughing up chances. Maguire in again with a good chance to make it 9-3. On the other table Selby seeking to pinch a frame from Xiao.

[CaledonianCraig]

Selby steals the 12th frame and stretches his lead to 8-4. A better standard today.

[CaledonianCraig]

Maguire rolling on and goes into a 10-3 lead. It is not inconceivable that this match could be over inside two sessions.

[CaledonianCraig]

And McLeod lets another frame slip through his fingers. Maguire leads 11-3 and needs the last two frames of the session to win inside two sessions.

[CaledonianCraig]

On the other table Selby is in firm control now leading 9-4.

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