2020 World Championship Thread

[CaledonianCraig]

First topic message reminder :

How about a thread to discuss the 2020 World Snooker Championships at The Crucible.

The delayed tournament starts today with a limited audience allowed in to watch the matches. The draw is as follows:-

Judd Trump (1) v Tom Ford
Yan Bingtao (16) v Elliot Slessor
Stephen Maguire (9) v Martin Gould
Kyren Wilson (8) - BYE
John Higgins (5) v Matthew Stevens
David Gilbert (12) v Kurt Maflin
Jack Lisowski (13) v Anthony McGill
Mark Allen (4) v Jamie Clarke
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Mark Williams (3) v Alan McManus
Stuart Bingham (14) v Ashley Carty
Ding Junhui (11) v Mark King
Ronnie O’Sullivan (6) v Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Mark Selby (7) v Jordan Brown
Shaun Murphy (10) v Noppon Saengkham
Barry Hawkins (15) v Alexander Ursenbacher
Neil Robertson (2) v Liang Wenbo

Anthony Hamilton who suffers from asthma and qualified for the tournament has withdrawn due to COVID-19 and the fact there will be fans attending. This means Kyren Wilson gets a bye through to the Second Round.

This year there are five players making their Crucible debuts those being Elliot Slessor (England), Jordan Brown (Northern Ireland), Ashley Carty (England), Alexander Ursenbacher (Switzerland - the first Swiss player to play at the Crucible) and Jamie Clarke (Wales).

[CaledonianCraig]

Maflin on a break of 15 and reds nicely spread. No reason why he cannot make it 12-11 here.

[CaledonianCraig]

Maflin holds his nerve superbly and with a break of 75 he makes it 12-11. He is playing the match of his life here. Just a shame there has to be a loser.

[CaledonianCraig]

Frame 24 gets under way - a frame Higgins must win to force a decider.

[CaledonianCraig]

Maflin with a nice mid-range red and smacks the green in the middle and he is on the attack.

[CaledonianCraig]

Brilliant from Maflin. On a break of 12 and building.

[CaledonianCraig]

A break of 28 and goes into the pack of reds and the break builds.

[CaledonianCraig]

A break of 63 sends him on his way to victory surely.

[CaledonianCraig]

Higgins has a chance to counter but misses a tough red along the cushion. Maflin leads by 56 points. Safety ensues.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Maflin seals the win. Just brilliant play. Maflin completes a 13-11 win over John Higgins. He really deserves his win and he has the weapons to go very far here. He has beaten Higgins who was playing at a very good level in a best of 25 match. He will play either McGill or Clarke in the QF's. Higgins can only find solace in the 50K for maximum and highest break prize.

[Duty281]

Shame for Higgins. First time he hasn't reached the final in a while. And obviously, with the 147 earlier, an oddly mixed day for him.

Seems to be a very open tournament at the moment, no clear front runner.

[CaledonianCraig]

Maflin really does remind me of Joe Johnson.

Joe like Kurt was a heck of a potter who had been an also ran for a few years and then turned up and blew players away. I wonder if Maflin can end up an unexpected title winner? The only weakness I can see is that now and again his positional play is not the best ie cueball control but so far when that has come up he has potted his way out of trouble.

Higgins will be disappointed but I am sure he'll realise that Maflin earned this win as Higgins offered a stiff test which normally sees others wilt especially when he came from 10-8 down to lead 11-10.

[CaledonianCraig]

This morning's matches sees Mark Williams and Stuart Bingham play their match to the finish. They are level at 8-8. On the other table Judd Trump and Yan Bingtao play the second session of their match. Yan leads the defending champion 5-3.

[CaledonianCraig]

Barring snookers Bingham will take the first frame of the day to lead 9-8. Cagey start to the first frame on the other table.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump looking a little more settled today and looks like making it 5-4 to Yan.

[CaledonianCraig]

Williams levels at 9-9 (barring snookers). Trump trails 5-4 and safety battle at the start of their second frame today.

[CaledonianCraig]

Tactical frame this - the longest of the championship past the 45 minute. Safety battle with one red left on the table with Trump holding a 23 point lead but Yan has a chance now.

[CaledonianCraig]

But he misses the last red and Trump levels at 5-5 without excelling by any means.

[CaledonianCraig]

On the other table Williams leads 10-9 against Stuart Bingham.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham levels again at 10-10. Trump struggles for form but is getting the job done. After multiple visits to the table looks set to go ahead 6- having won four frames on the bounce.

[CaledonianCraig]

Finally, a 50+ break from Trump and that may settle him down. He leads 6-5. Williams at the table and on a 50+ break - 11-10 beckons for the Welshman.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump feeding off the big dip in Yan's potting and confidence and with another 50+ break wins all four frames in this mini-session to lead 7-5. Williams does indeed lead 11-10.

[CaledonianCraig]

Cracking 22nd frame between Williams and Bingham. Williams looked odds on to win it. A counter from Bingham and pink and black only left on the table with Williams snookered.

[CaledonianCraig]

Bingham steals the 22nd frame and we are level again at 11-11. That will hurt Williams.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump playing better now. More like it and Yan looks like a beaten player. Trump with a break of 93 and he goes 8-5 up.

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump again in after a Yan miss and things looking ominous for the Chinese player. Trump with a break of 37 before playing a safety shot.

[CaledonianCraig]

Real nip and tuck frames between Williams and Bingham. Another tight frame where balls have gone awkward. Bingham at the table attempting to reduce his deficit. Meanwhile, Trump on his way to his seventh frame on the bounce - from 2-5 down to 9-5 up.. He has been far the better player.

[CaledonianCraig]

Williams takes the frame and edges back ahead 12-11.

[CaledonianCraig]

Finally, a bit of respite for Yan. A couple of decent scoring breaks but Trump on the counter. On the other table Williams finishes his match off in style and a break of 75 sees him beat Stuart Bingham 13-11.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Yan finally gets a frame on the board this morning. Trump leads 9-6.

[CaledonianCraig]

Credit to Yan. Trump opened with a 40 point break but Yan now in with a shout to steal the last frame of the day. If he can get out of this 9-7 he still has a chance.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Yan does steal the frame. He will go into their final session with a modicum of hope but still trails Trump 9-7.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon sees the Second Round battle of the qualifiers as Anthony McGill starts his match against Jamie Clarke. On the other table Mark Selby plays to a finish against Noppon Saengkham. They are level at 8-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

A break of 56 from McGill puts him in the box seat to win the first frame.

[CaledonianCraig]

On the other table Selby wins the first frame of the final session and leads Saengkham 9-8.

[CaledonianCraig]

We have a respotted black in McGill V Clarke opener. McGill will be kicking himself. This frame should have been his.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Clarke takes the frame having needed a snooker great frame for him to win. Clarke leads 1-0. Tactical frame on the other table.

[CaledonianCraig]

McGill would have been alarmed of a replica of the first frame but he finally gets it done and it is 1-1. On the other table Saengkham with a great steal and it is 9-9.

[Guest]

England's Selby came through a thrilling final-frame decider to beat Noppon Saengkham 13-12

Williams wins 13-12 against Bingham

Trump advances with a 13-11 win against Bingtao

O’Sullivan 4-4 Ding

[CaledonianCraig]

Trump will need to improve if he is to defend his title and Selby does not look like he is in quite good enough form to challenge for the title.

This morning's matches two Second Round matches get under way. Kieran Wilson, who got a bye in the First Round, starts his tournament against qualifier Martin Gould. On the other table Barry Hawkins takes on Neil Robertson.

[CaledonianCraig]

Roberston off to a great start with a break of 78 and he leads 1-0. Equally, Kieran Wilson off to a great start considering it is his second frame of the tournament. He weighs in with a century to lead 2-0.

[CaledonianCraig]

The Hawk hits back with a break of 68 and he looks set to level it up at 1-1. Good standard so far.

[CaledonianCraig]

Kyren Wilson is now 3-0 up. If Gould is not careful he could be out of this match by the end of this session. He needs a frame on the board quickly.

[CaledonianCraig]

Better from Gould. Hits a CENTURY break aided by a fluke. Wilson leads 3-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Great steal by Robertson with a clearance of 54 to win the frame by a point. Robertson leads 2-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Hawkins in with a great chance to win the frame in one visit but misses a red on a break of 43. Robertson counters.

[CaledonianCraig]

But the counter peters out on 7. Hawkins looks odds-on to make this 2-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

And 2-2 it is. Hawkins will be relieved at the mid-session interval.

[CaledonianCraig]

Kyren Wilson looking very good this morning. At the table with a 90 break and he now leads 4-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Gould just not getting a look in. Wilson with another 60+ break and he looks certain to go 5-1 up.

[CaledonianCraig]

A much-needed frame for Gould with a 60+ break of his own and Wilson now leads 5-2.

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