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Anthony Hamilton who suffers from asthma and qualified for the tournament has withdrawn due to COVID-19 and the fact there will be fans attending.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]

Crucial frame this. It would hurt Selby if he loses it. Anybody's frame at present.

[88Chris05]

Has O'Sullivan improved over the years in how he handles safety first slow (thoughtful) players?   Did Hendry retire too early from the game - or has the game moved on since he last played?

I think Hendry retired a couple of years too late, if anything. He was a complete shadow of himself for a few years beforehand - it was no temporary blip. The game definitely moved on from where it was in his prime years, and Hendry was never a 'match play' competitor. Now that wouldn't have necessarily been a problem if his bread and butter (long potting, devastating break building and all-out aggression) game hadn't declined so badly. He'd have still been able to simply overpower and outscore the more canny, rounded players (albeit not as consistency as the standard rose) had his basic game held up, but he peaked early and just never quite recovered it. The loss of his trusty cue in 2003 didn't help, either.

I personally think the abject humiliation of that 2004 semi final loss to O'Sullivan (17-4) had a lasting effect on Hendry mentally at the very highest level, and he started losing that confidence which was so essential to winning with such a straightforward, all-out aggressive game. Until that point the head-to-head with O'Sullivan was more or less even and he'd still been knocking on the door at the triple crown events (runner up, in fact, in all three of them between 2002 and 2003), as well as winning ranking events at decent intervals. He only ever won one more after that loss, and never really looked like a serious contender at the Crucible again - and his only win over O'Sullivan for the remainder of his career, I believe, was Ronnie's infamous walk out at the 2006 UK.

A willingness to curb his game might have made a bit of a difference, but ultimately I just think Hendry burned himself out with the sheer ferocity of his consistency throughout the nineties, and didn't have much in reserve thereafter.

[CaledonianCraig]

And Ronnie has fashioned out a chance for a critical steal.

[Guest]

13-10

If RoS can get out of this 13-11, it would be incredible. He was literally gone

[CaledonianCraig]

And he does steal it. That could be a huge frame for him. Selby leads 13-10.

[Soul Requiem]

Has O'Sullivan improved over the years in how he handles safety first slow (thoughtful) players?   Did Hendry retire too early from the game - or has the game moved on since he last played?

I think Hendry retired a couple of years too late, if anything. He was a complete shadow of himself for a few years beforehand - it was no temporary blip. The game definitely moved on from where it was in his prime years, and Hendry was never a 'match play' competitor. Now that wouldn't have necessarily been a problem if his bread and butter (long potting, devastating break building and all-out aggression) game hadn't declined so badly. He'd have still been able to simply overpower and outscore the more canny, rounded players (albeit not as consistency as the standard rose) had his basic game held up, but he peaked early and just never quite recovered it. The loss of his trusty cue in 2003 didn't help, either.

I personally think the abject humiliation of that 2004 semi final loss to O'Sullivan (17-4) had a lasting effect on Hendry mentally at the very highest level, and he started losing that confidence which was so essential to winning with such a straightforward, all-out aggressive game. Until that point the head-to-head with O'Sullivan was more or less even and he'd still been knocking on the door at the triple crown events (runner up, in fact, in all three of them between 2002 and 2003), as well as winning ranking events at decent intervals. He only ever won one more after that loss, and never really looked like a serious contender at the Crucible again - and his only win over O'Sullivan for the remainder of his career,  I believe, was Ronnie's infamous walk out at the 2006 UK.

A willingness to curb his game might have made a bit of a difference, but ultimately I just think Hendry burned himself out with the sheer ferocity of his consistency throughout the nineties, and didn't have much in reserve thereafter.

His career seemed to follow a very similar path to Steve Davis, a decades long dominance that started to curtail once the pair had children and their unyielding focus started to wane.

[CaledonianCraig]

O'Sullivan in amongst the balls now in the final frame of the session. Fair chance to take the frame. Win this and it is game back on for this evening.

[Guest]

13-11 end of session

Incredible result for RoS.

[CaledonianCraig]

O'Sullivan will be over the moon with sharing that session. Selby takes a 13-11 lead into it. The Jester won't be laughing as it could and maybe should have been 15-9.

[Soul Requiem]

13-11 end of session

Incredible result for RoS.

Seems a fair overall reflection of the match; Ronnie dominated session one without getting his just rewards and the same for Selby here, how that session ended 4-4 is anyone's guess.

[CaledonianCraig]

Really weird session. Odd misses, crazy run of the balls and cagey frames. Who would have thought that three sessions in there would still not be a century scored?

[Duty281]

Class from Ronnie. Stole the penultimate one, dominated the last frame.

4-4 despite being the inferior player in that session, keeps him well in the hunt. Like McGill, he'll need a quick start this evening...replicating his second session against Williams would be nice.

[Oioi]

Odd match indeed; both players have gotten away with murder score-wise in sessions where they were playing poorly. Could be an intriguing contest tonight but feel Selby just has too much bottle in tense situations.

[CaledonianCraig]

Ronnie has to rediscover his long game. Play the last session as a mini World Final and improves his long game. Restrict Selby to only half chances or tricky ones to up the pressure and who knows? It may come down to who wants it more.

[CaledonianCraig]

This afternoon sees Kyren Wilson resume 13-11 up on Anthony McGill. I feel the worst frames are behind Wilson now and he has the momentum and upper hand. All is not lost for McGill but he needs to reproduce the form he showed in the first session of the match.

[CaledonianCraig]

This has become a must-win frame for McGill I reckon. Wilson with a chance to take it.

[CaledonianCraig]

It was a frame where the balls ran awkward then McGill got in with a great chance and missed a makeable red. Wilson on the counter and this would hurt McGill.

[Soul Requiem]

For the sake of entertainment we need Wilson to win this match presuming Selby gets through. Magill against Selby would be for the purists.

[CaledonianCraig]

Great break of 94 from Wilson will be a dagger to McGill's heart. Wilson leads 14-11.

[Duty281]

McGill basically relying on Wilson to choke from here.

[Duty281]

For the sake of entertainment we need Wilson to win this match presuming Selby gets through. Magill against Selby would be for the purists.

Would be a final on par with Dott-Ebdon from 2006.

[Soul Requiem]

For the sake of entertainment we need Wilson to win this match presuming Selby gets through. Magill against Selby would be for the purists.

Would be a final on par with Dott-Ebdon from 2006.

'That' frame, the worst final i've ever had the misfortune of watching, imagine winning the world title with a highest break of 68.

[CaledonianCraig]

Better from McGill. An impressive break of 84 and he takes the frame to trail 14-12.

[Duty281]

Not sure what the main commentator on the BBC is going on about. Firstly, he claimed Wilson was 'unsettled' after about five minutes. Now he's saying McGill has 'stolen' a frame even though he dominated it.

McGill definitely needs the next two before the interval.

[CaledonianCraig]

And McGill takes a frame he looked set to lose. A break of 87 seals him the frame. Wilson leads 14-13.

[CaledonianCraig]

This is what McGill needed. To re-find the form and scoring of the first session of the semi. A century break of 122 and they go to the mid-session interval level at 14-14. Game on.

[Duty281]

Fair play to McGill there. Stepped it up a gear, capitalised on a few Wilson errors and has rattled off three consecutive frames to tie the game. Reminiscent of the first session of the match.

Now down to which player handles the pressure better with up to five frames left.

[CaledonianCraig]

A bit of luck for Wilson and he takes full advantage with a great break of 82. He leads 15-14. Far better standard in this semi than the other.

[Duty281]

That was horribly unfortunate for McGill.

[CaledonianCraig]

And McGill hits back again with two 40+ breaks to win the frame. Level at 15-15.

[Duty281]

Sterling riposte from McGill, starting off with a superb long red. He's actually getting cooler as the match goes on, winning four of the last five frames (could have easily been 5/5) and playing his best snooker of the contest.

[CaledonianCraig]

Poor safety shot from McGill and great chance for Wilson.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wow. Wilson fluffed a great chance there. Now what can McGill do?

[CaledonianCraig]

And McGill, with a break of 98, takes the 31st frame and moves to within a frame of the World Championship Final.

[Duty281]

A sublime exhibition of snooker from McGill. Wilson not at all relaxed when he had his chance, the cue ball was all over the place.

McGill one more frame away from the biggest win of his life - could have already been there if not for the misfortune in frame 29!

[CaledonianCraig]

Wilson in with a chance as McGill misses a tricky red.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wilson runs out of position and has to play safe.

[CaledonianCraig]

Another chance comes his way quickly though. Wilson looking set to level at 16-16.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wilson overcuts a pink a few shots away from taking the frame. What can McGill do here with this chance?

[CaledonianCraig]

McGill tries moving the last two tricky reds, misses them and has to play safe. Wilson with a 19 point lead.

[CaledonianCraig]

Superb red potted by Wilson and adds eight ponts to his lead and has strong tactical advantage. Looks pretty much like 16-16 to me.

[Guest]

One frame shootout

16-16

[CaledonianCraig]

And 16-16 it is. All down to a deciding frame. Drama at The Crucible.

[Duty281]

Oh yes, a decider. McGill's a master at these, isn't he?

[CaledonianCraig]

First chance to McGill and opens with a lovely long red....

[CaledonianCraig]

McGill staying calm exteriorally on a break of 32. Churning inside.

[CaledonianCraig]

But like a few frames earlier the split of the reds goes wrong. On nothing and strategically in a bit of a hole. He has 39 points on the board and has to find a safe spot on the table.

[CaledonianCraig]

Misses a very tricky red to middle and Wilson has a chance with balls nicely spread.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wow Wilson pots the red and runs to a stop right against the blue. Takes the green with the rest though and he has a good chance now.

[CaledonianCraig]

On 46 Wilson misses a straight-forward red to the middle. McGill opens with a great mid-range red.

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