2019 World Snooker Championship Thread

[CaledonianCraig]

First topic message reminder :

The Crucible is alive again to the sound of cues smashing into the cueball for the 2019 Snooker World Championship.

On Day One the champion Mark Williams got off to a steady start to lead Martin Gould 6-3. Ding Junhui also leads 6-3 against Anthony McGill and Neil Robertson is home and hosed leading debutant Cypriot Georgiou 9-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

Fine start to the evening for Trump. Wins the frame with a clearance of 93 and Ding's lead is cut to 9-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

Great break of 97 from John Higgins and he takes the frame to lead 9-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump in first in frame 18 and builds a healthy lead and safety play breaks out.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump sees off a Ding fightback and levels the match at 9-9. Bingham at the table and looking good to level their match up at 9-9.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham misses a red but has a 60 point lead with 75 on the table.

[CaledonianCraig]

A break of 46 gets Higgins right back in the frame with the colours left on the table. Bingham snookered on the yellow.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins in control of the safety but Bingham competing well.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump now on a roll. He leads 10-9. Meanwhile, Bingham in with a chance to clinch the frame but misses the yellow.

[CaledonianCraig]

Really tense end to this 18th frame. Five colours left and Higgins pots the green and follows it in. Bingham looks like making it 9-9. Higgins playing for a snooker.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump wins all four frames of the mini-session and leads 11-9.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham finally levels it at 9-9.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham in first in the 19th frame.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wow a lovely break from Bingham until he misses a black off the spot on 51. The frame was in his pocket. Higgins could do with taking this chance offered him.

[CaledonianCraig]

That was vintage Higgins there. A break of 76 under extreme pressure and he steals the frame and he leads 10-9.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham back in again and lovely split of the reds. Another golden chance he cannot afford to pass up.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump century takes him 12-9 up and on the brink of the QF's. Bingham break of 67 but Higgins eyeing another ridiculous steal. But he misses a red on 20 but it goes safe.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins with another opportunity to steal. He needs the remaining colours.

[CaledonianCraig]

What a clearance. Higgins steals two frames on the bounce with great pressure breaks. Leads 11-9 at their interval.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump edging closer to the QF's. A handy 46 break but Ding has an outside chance of a steal but he doesn't look at the races tonight.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Judd Trump wins 13-9 winning all six frames this evening. Well played Judd but Ding really did not live up to expectations.

[CaledonianCraig]

Tense frame this. Gone scrappy and safety battle ensues.

[88Chris05]

What a clearance. Higgins steals two frames on the bounce with great pressure breaks. Leads 11-9 at their interval.

There's never been anybody even in the same street as Higgins when it comes to winning those kind of frames. Phenomenal how many times he clears up in tense situations from 50-odd or 60-odd behind to win on the colours, or even the final black a lot of the time.

As for Ding, another disappointing exit. Trump was excellent tonight, mind you, but Ding didn't look as if he had the heart for the battle once he was put under any real pressure. In theory he still has a few years left to bag the big one, but I've pretty much resigned myself to him never winning it now. Jimmy White has a serious rival to the crown of being the best player to never win the world title.

Robertson has been the man to beat in terms of performance level so far, but Trump goes outright favourite for me now. I mentioned it the other week before the tournament started - he seems to have a new resolve and steeliness to his game. Also, while his route to the final isn't easy (no route is), it's easier than Robertson's.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham forced into a long red which he misses and a golden chance falls into Higgins lap. But misses a ping. Now Stuart has that golden chance.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Bingham takes the chance and reduces the lead......well Bingham misses the black but Higgins needs a snooker. Surely 11-10 though.

[CaledonianCraig]

And 11-10 it is. A late night thriller at The Crucible anyone?

[CaledonianCraig]

A great long pot from Bingham at the start of frame 22 and he has a chance.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham building a decent lead in this frame before running out of position. Time for a bout of safety.

[CaledonianCraig]

A half-chance for Higgins to get right back into this frame.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham in again and looks odds on to make it 11-11.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham showing all the qualities here of a former world champion that he is. 11-11 unless Higgins can find three snookers.

[CaledonianCraig]

And 11-11 it is.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins in first in the 23rd frame.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins builds a handy lead of 43 but misses a tricky red in the middle. Bingham in with a chance of his own.

[CaledonianCraig]

A long red missed and Bingham breaks down on 12. Higgins can only add 9 points. Safety ensues with five reds left on the table with Higgins leading 52-12.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins edging slowly to the winning line. Now leads 57-12 with four reds left on the table and another safety bout breaks out.

[Duty281]

Great victory for Trump. Bit worrying for his overall prospects that he had periods of complete lows in that game, admittedly mixed with some very fine attacking play. And Higgins, the ultimate scrapper, looks set to come out on top in his game.

[CaledonianCraig]

And a cross double from Bingham just sits over the pocket. Higgins pots it and a pink. Bingham needs snooker.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Higgins leads 12-11.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wow Bingham goes for a five ball plant and misses leaving it over the pocket. Higgins off and running.

[CaledonianCraig]

This is beginning to look ominous for Bingham. Higgins on 32 and counting.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins runs out of position and misses a black. But Bingham misses the red.

[CaledonianCraig]

John Higgins has beaten Stuart Bingham 13-11 to reach the QF's. Granite snooker but he'll have an even tougher opponent in the next round in Neil Robertson.

[CaledonianCraig]

The Quarter-Final line-up is as follows:-

David Gilbert (Eng) V Kyren Wilson (Eng)

John Higgins (Sco) V Neil Robertson (Aus)

Gary Wilson (Eng) V Ali Carter (Eng)

Judd Trump (Eng) V Stephen Maguire (Sco)

[No name Bertie]

The last time I checked this thread Barry Hawkins was producing champagne snooker.  Now I check and find he hasn't made it to the quarter-finals.  I suppose this is another example of the ups and downs of the marathon that is the World Snooker Championship.

(ps: I have now looked back over this thread to what I missed to see how this happened )

[CaledonianCraig]

This morning's matches see the quarter-finals get under way. Kyren Wilson takes on David Gilbert and Gary Wilson plays Ali Carter.

[CaledonianCraig]

Of those two matches I think Kyren Wilson's greater scoring power will see him beat David Gilbert. The other match could be very close but I will opt for Carter to win given he has the proven track record at The Crucible.

[CaledonianCraig]

An intriguing opening frame between K Wilson and Gilbert is a black ball frame and is won by Wilson. He leads 1-0. On the other table Ali Carter has gone 1-0 up on G Wilson.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well there is something you don't see very often. Kyren Wilson breaks off the side of the pack and the cueball goes right into the bottom left pocket. Gilbert handed a chance and he is building a handy lead.

[CaledonianCraig]

Gilbert goes back to his seat 42 points up and a bout of safety ensues.

[CaledonianCraig]

A century break up for Ali Carter and he leads Gary Wilson 2-0.

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