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IT might be freezing cold outside but inside the Newport Centre the temperature is about to rise significantly as the Welsh Open gets under way in South Wales.
Twelve months ago Leicester's Mark Selby was celebrating his first ranking title after beating Ronnie O'Sullivan 9-8 in a tense final. Selby now returns as defending champion- anxious to continue his climb up the world rankings. The 25 year old has been consistent, reaching the latter stages of tournaments this season and finishing runner up to O'Sullivan at the Masters final. However winning a title is one thing- defending it is quite another. He put up a credible defence of his Masters title- and starts against Paul Davies- a man who has been a professional for over fifteen years, but struggled to create an impact on the game. What an impact he would make though if he was to send the defending champion home early. Davies has fought through three qualifying rounds beating Patrick Wallace, Jimmy Michie and Barry Hawkins for a crack at Selby, but that is where his adventure may end.
350_welsh_open_logoBut it is an indication of the strength in depth of professional snooker that the trophies have been shared around this season. Ricky Walden was a surprise winner in the Shanghai Masters, while John Higgins picked up the Grand Prix title in Glasgow, Shaun Murphy prevailed in the UK Open in Telford with Neil Robertson winning in Bahrain. And then there was Ronnie.
Oh yes Ronnie O'Sullivan- The winner of the Northern Ireland trophy and the Masters Champion arrives in Newport firmly entrenched as the world number one, and he will start a firm favourite to regain the title he last won in 2005. As many an envious eye is cast towards the abilty of the mercurial O'Sullivan the players should remember that Ronnie is beatable- as Joe Perry proved in the U.K Open in Telford before Christmas. What should also be noted is that on occasions Ronnie does beat himself- and the enigmatic O'Sullivan continues to keep everybody guessing as to how long he plans to continue playing.
Such talk of course bamboozles his fellow professionals - many of whom would be delighted to get a chance of winning a tournament with no O'Sullivan on the draw sheet. Not that John Higgins and Shaun Murphy are in dire need of such a helping hand. Both are due a good run in the Welsh Open. And the matchplay abilty of Higgins is well suited to the best of nine format, while Murphy looks like he is rediscovering the form that took him to the world title in 2006. Waiting for Shaun in round one is Norwich's Barry Pinches. Pinches will go into the event feeling happy and relaxed- and confident having seen off both Jamie Cope and Judd Trump in qualifying. If there is to be a first round upset- then maybe this match will provide it. Murphy will certainly be aware of the danger Pinches poses.
What about a local winner in the Principality- well Ryan Day is the top ranked Welshman, but Ryan's form this season hasn't been inspiring, his form going into a tailspin after losing to Higgins in the Grand Prix final- not least the 6-1 thumping he received at the hands of Mark Allen at the Masters. The mantle of playing on home turf can either inspire an player or be of such a burden they are liable to get dumped out in the first round. There is no doubt that Ryan has the ability to win a major title- but does he believe he can do it. He faces Ireland's Michael Judge in the first round. Judge ended the qualifying hopes of Stuart Pettman. Can he beat Ryan Day- well if Ryan is not on his game and lets the pressure get to him then yes an upset is possible.
Another person who surely inching closer to a major title is Alistair Carter. The Essex professional will be delighted that he is not in the same half of the draw as O'Sullivan having experienced another mauling at the hands of the world number one at The Masters. But Carter's problem is of his own making- he seems to have problems in potting frame balls against the Rocket- graphically illustrated against Ronnie when he twitched and left himself open to the counter attack, that ultimately led to defeat. Alistair is likely too to find his mental strength severely tested in his opening game- as his opponant is none other than James Warren White. Jimmy, negotiated a minefield in qualifying for the Welsh Open-ultimately securing his place with a 5-0 thrashing of Ken Doherty- a man who looks like he'd rather be anywhere but at a snooker table. There is no doubt Jimmy will have the crowd on his side in Newport- and Jimmy being a man who thrives on the atmosphere of tournament snooker may well test Carter- but a win, it would be against the odds.
One person who must not be discounted is Neil Robertson. The Australian is rightly regarded as one of the best exponants of the current game. Robertson has a strong all round game, and already has one trophy from this season with the Bahrain Championship he secured in November. Robertson will be chasing a third ranking title in Wales, and with it the all important ranking points. Robertson has a tough draw- facing Scotsman Jamie Burnett- a man who is still reeling from the alleged betting scandal at the U.K Open involving his match with Stephen Maguire, Jamie has maintained his innocence throughout- it shows what a strong character he is that he has been able to withstand the controversy which is being investigated by the games' governing body.
Now to another Scotsman, Stephen Hendry- and the will he or wont he retire question. Hendry's form has seen him slip down the rankings to a provisional placing of 11th- and while the Scotsman seems happy enough with his practice form it is what he produces on the table that matters the most. So far this season Hendry has lost to Walden in Shanghai, to Higgins
in Glasgow, fell apart in Telford against Stephen Lee before succumbing to Robertson in The Masters. Hendry needs a good run if he is to avoid dropping out of the elite top 16. On paper he has a reasonable opener in Martin Gould, but it wont have gone unnoticed by Hendry that Gould has seen off John Parrott and Nigel Bond in qualifying. Hendry is in the bottom half of the draw, and that is a minefield- loaded with quality in the likes of Robertson, Maguire and O'Sullivan-and Hendry will have to get past all of them if he is to stop his downward slide in the rankings.
It is a swift helter skelter ride out of the elite group but bizarrely someone seems intent on climbing back up the slippery slope. That man is Steve Davis, a quarter finalist in Shanghai and Glasgow, the 51year old is far from finished. Sitting at 23 in the provisional rankings a run to the quarters in Newport could see Steve back in the top twenty- leaving him the chance of getting back inside the top 16 at the end of the season. I don't see Steve as winning the tournament, his long potting is not good enough, but he is certainly capable of wrecking a few people's ambitions, especially in a best of nine match. The first person's dreams he'll have to destroy is Ronnie O'Sullivan- a tough ask for Steve, but the best time to get Ronnie in a tournament is early on, when he is coming in 'cold'. These two fought out a gripping final in Newport in 2004, where Ronnie came back from the brink of defeat to beat Steve 9-8- and Ronnie will know perfectly well that underestimating Steve is something that a player does at their peril. Can Steve win, well surely sentiment is allowed to rule on some occasions.
If I was inclined to put some money on a possible winner I'd pick Stephen Maguire. A brilliant long potter and heavy scorer when among the balls at short range he has a good safety game and must be due another tournament victory. He was a semi finalist at the Masters and the Glaswegian who holds second place in the provisional ranking would love to close the gap on Ronnie. Waiting for Maguire in Round 1 is Welshman Ian Preece. Preece had to win two qulifying matches to reach Newport, first was a victory against the 2007 finalist Andrew Higginson and then put paid to the hopes of Stuart Bingham. Can he beat Maguire- well he wont be short of support, but maybe he will be short in terms of experience of handling the big stage.
One other intriguing first round match is the all Northern Ireland tie between Mark Allen and Joe Swail. Allen, who supersceded Swail as the Province's Number 1 player has had a reasonable season - two quarter final appearances in Northern Ireland and Bahrain,coupled with a semi final appearance in The Masters. By contrast Swail has endured an horrific time in the qualifiers- that really has jeapordised his chances of staying in the top 32. However Swail's season improved a little when he was runner up in the Dutch Open in Eindhoven to Stuart Bingham before Christmas- trouble is the Dutch Open is not a ranking tournament. But with bragging rights at stake it would be foolish to say that Swail cannot upset the form book.
But what will go through every players mind is while victory in Wales would be ideal, not peaking too early is equally as important. Between now and Sheffield there is a ranking tournament in Beijjing, and it is while what happens in Sheffield is the crowning glory for the season it is how a player performs over a season that determines their ranking for the following campaign. Nobody wants to show their hand too early with the world championships due to start in six weeks time in the Steel City where the season will reach it's climax.
Suzy Jardine
footygirl74
Twelve months ago Leicester's Mark Selby was celebrating his first ranking title after beating Ronnie O'Sullivan 9-8 in a tense final. Selby now returns as defending champion- anxious to continue his climb up the world rankings. The 25 year old has been consistent, reaching the latter stages of tournaments this season and finishing runner up to O'Sullivan at the Masters final. However winning a title is one thing- defending it is quite another. He put up a credible defence of his Masters title- and starts against Paul Davies- a man who has been a professional for over fifteen years, but struggled to create an impact on the game. What an impact he would make though if he was to send the defending champion home early. Davies has fought through three qualifying rounds beating Patrick Wallace, Jimmy Michie and Barry Hawkins for a crack at Selby, but that is where his adventure may end.
350_welsh_open_logoBut it is an indication of the strength in depth of professional snooker that the trophies have been shared around this season. Ricky Walden was a surprise winner in the Shanghai Masters, while John Higgins picked up the Grand Prix title in Glasgow, Shaun Murphy prevailed in the UK Open in Telford with Neil Robertson winning in Bahrain. And then there was Ronnie.
Oh yes Ronnie O'Sullivan- The winner of the Northern Ireland trophy and the Masters Champion arrives in Newport firmly entrenched as the world number one, and he will start a firm favourite to regain the title he last won in 2005. As many an envious eye is cast towards the abilty of the mercurial O'Sullivan the players should remember that Ronnie is beatable- as Joe Perry proved in the U.K Open in Telford before Christmas. What should also be noted is that on occasions Ronnie does beat himself- and the enigmatic O'Sullivan continues to keep everybody guessing as to how long he plans to continue playing.
Such talk of course bamboozles his fellow professionals - many of whom would be delighted to get a chance of winning a tournament with no O'Sullivan on the draw sheet. Not that John Higgins and Shaun Murphy are in dire need of such a helping hand. Both are due a good run in the Welsh Open. And the matchplay abilty of Higgins is well suited to the best of nine format, while Murphy looks like he is rediscovering the form that took him to the world title in 2006. Waiting for Shaun in round one is Norwich's Barry Pinches. Pinches will go into the event feeling happy and relaxed- and confident having seen off both Jamie Cope and Judd Trump in qualifying. If there is to be a first round upset- then maybe this match will provide it. Murphy will certainly be aware of the danger Pinches poses.
What about a local winner in the Principality- well Ryan Day is the top ranked Welshman, but Ryan's form this season hasn't been inspiring, his form going into a tailspin after losing to Higgins in the Grand Prix final- not least the 6-1 thumping he received at the hands of Mark Allen at the Masters. The mantle of playing on home turf can either inspire an player or be of such a burden they are liable to get dumped out in the first round. There is no doubt that Ryan has the ability to win a major title- but does he believe he can do it. He faces Ireland's Michael Judge in the first round. Judge ended the qualifying hopes of Stuart Pettman. Can he beat Ryan Day- well if Ryan is not on his game and lets the pressure get to him then yes an upset is possible.
Another person who surely inching closer to a major title is Alistair Carter. The Essex professional will be delighted that he is not in the same half of the draw as O'Sullivan having experienced another mauling at the hands of the world number one at The Masters. But Carter's problem is of his own making- he seems to have problems in potting frame balls against the Rocket- graphically illustrated against Ronnie when he twitched and left himself open to the counter attack, that ultimately led to defeat. Alistair is likely too to find his mental strength severely tested in his opening game- as his opponant is none other than James Warren White. Jimmy, negotiated a minefield in qualifying for the Welsh Open-ultimately securing his place with a 5-0 thrashing of Ken Doherty- a man who looks like he'd rather be anywhere but at a snooker table. There is no doubt Jimmy will have the crowd on his side in Newport- and Jimmy being a man who thrives on the atmosphere of tournament snooker may well test Carter- but a win, it would be against the odds.
One person who must not be discounted is Neil Robertson. The Australian is rightly regarded as one of the best exponants of the current game. Robertson has a strong all round game, and already has one trophy from this season with the Bahrain Championship he secured in November. Robertson will be chasing a third ranking title in Wales, and with it the all important ranking points. Robertson has a tough draw- facing Scotsman Jamie Burnett- a man who is still reeling from the alleged betting scandal at the U.K Open involving his match with Stephen Maguire, Jamie has maintained his innocence throughout- it shows what a strong character he is that he has been able to withstand the controversy which is being investigated by the games' governing body.
Now to another Scotsman, Stephen Hendry- and the will he or wont he retire question. Hendry's form has seen him slip down the rankings to a provisional placing of 11th- and while the Scotsman seems happy enough with his practice form it is what he produces on the table that matters the most. So far this season Hendry has lost to Walden in Shanghai, to Higgins
in Glasgow, fell apart in Telford against Stephen Lee before succumbing to Robertson in The Masters. Hendry needs a good run if he is to avoid dropping out of the elite top 16. On paper he has a reasonable opener in Martin Gould, but it wont have gone unnoticed by Hendry that Gould has seen off John Parrott and Nigel Bond in qualifying. Hendry is in the bottom half of the draw, and that is a minefield- loaded with quality in the likes of Robertson, Maguire and O'Sullivan-and Hendry will have to get past all of them if he is to stop his downward slide in the rankings.
It is a swift helter skelter ride out of the elite group but bizarrely someone seems intent on climbing back up the slippery slope. That man is Steve Davis, a quarter finalist in Shanghai and Glasgow, the 51year old is far from finished. Sitting at 23 in the provisional rankings a run to the quarters in Newport could see Steve back in the top twenty- leaving him the chance of getting back inside the top 16 at the end of the season. I don't see Steve as winning the tournament, his long potting is not good enough, but he is certainly capable of wrecking a few people's ambitions, especially in a best of nine match. The first person's dreams he'll have to destroy is Ronnie O'Sullivan- a tough ask for Steve, but the best time to get Ronnie in a tournament is early on, when he is coming in 'cold'. These two fought out a gripping final in Newport in 2004, where Ronnie came back from the brink of defeat to beat Steve 9-8- and Ronnie will know perfectly well that underestimating Steve is something that a player does at their peril. Can Steve win, well surely sentiment is allowed to rule on some occasions.
If I was inclined to put some money on a possible winner I'd pick Stephen Maguire. A brilliant long potter and heavy scorer when among the balls at short range he has a good safety game and must be due another tournament victory. He was a semi finalist at the Masters and the Glaswegian who holds second place in the provisional ranking would love to close the gap on Ronnie. Waiting for Maguire in Round 1 is Welshman Ian Preece. Preece had to win two qulifying matches to reach Newport, first was a victory against the 2007 finalist Andrew Higginson and then put paid to the hopes of Stuart Bingham. Can he beat Maguire- well he wont be short of support, but maybe he will be short in terms of experience of handling the big stage.
One other intriguing first round match is the all Northern Ireland tie between Mark Allen and Joe Swail. Allen, who supersceded Swail as the Province's Number 1 player has had a reasonable season - two quarter final appearances in Northern Ireland and Bahrain,coupled with a semi final appearance in The Masters. By contrast Swail has endured an horrific time in the qualifiers- that really has jeapordised his chances of staying in the top 32. However Swail's season improved a little when he was runner up in the Dutch Open in Eindhoven to Stuart Bingham before Christmas- trouble is the Dutch Open is not a ranking tournament. But with bragging rights at stake it would be foolish to say that Swail cannot upset the form book.
But what will go through every players mind is while victory in Wales would be ideal, not peaking too early is equally as important. Between now and Sheffield there is a ranking tournament in Beijjing, and it is while what happens in Sheffield is the crowning glory for the season it is how a player performs over a season that determines their ranking for the following campaign. Nobody wants to show their hand too early with the world championships due to start in six weeks time in the Steel City where the season will reach it's climax.
Suzy Jardine
footygirl74
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