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PL first leg in Grimby - a report of a kind
I was in Grimsy Auditorium yesterday evening, taking pictures 
. So the very first thing I want to say is "Thank you" to matchroom for having allowed me to do this and tho their official photographer to have helped me very friendly through does and don'ts. It has been a fantastic experience and I have learned a lot!
Taking pictures in professional sports environment, without disturbing the players or the television guys, without trapping on the cables or being knocked out by cameras suspended on long perchs and coming down when you don't expect them ... was quite a challenge at times. I was also surprised how dim the lighting actually was, as compared to some exhibitions I had been to. As it was I had brought two cameras, a classical film camera - that I had loaded with the very classical B&W TRI-X, pushed to 1600 ASA - and a digital camera. The latter proved unusable: the lens I had wasn't quite "long" enough and did not open enough under the conditions. I ended up with pictures of a perfectly sharp table and fuzzy players as the pause time required was too long. So I sticked to the classical film, B&W and therefore focused on the players expressions and body language rather than the match action. Hence the following report that is all about my "feelings" during the matches.
Match 1 - Mark Selby vs Ding Jinhui
Right before the match Mark spent some time practising at the table and meanwhile I had a friendly chat with Vicky, his partner. She told me how enthousiastic Mark was about playing the PL and how much he wanted to to well ... obviously he was to give us evidence of that!
However he didn't start that well for Mark who really struggled through the first two frames, missing a few you wouldn't expect him to miss and losing position a bit too often. Nevertheless Mark never gave the impression to be annoyed with himself or negative. All his body language was about ... "Oh well, I'm learning here, let's move on and try further!" - good natured. The audience, I think, sensed it and warmed to him.
After two difficult frames, Mark suddenly found his pace and ran away ... to well deserved victory. He was obviously happy but it was also apparent there how much he had put in it. Just before he was on the screens for interview there were a few minutes where he looked almost knocked out with tiredness, barely smiling and with a blank look!
Ding on the other hand didn't show up before the match at all and I didn't see him after the match neither. Even in the first frames, when he had the upper hand he never appeared to me as enjoying himself, and, of course when he was sat in his chair afterwards, he looked annoyed and bored. I can't help asking myself how much this young man still really wants to play snooker, wether his motivation is still there or if he feels trapped in that life because of his status of China's standard bearer.
After the match both players had to leave the arena quite rapidly because match 2 had to start. Young fans tried to get autographs and they had to disapoint them. But Mark did that in a rather gracious way, while Ding was ... borderline rude. I don't want to put him down, but I just saw this as a further indication of him not feeling too well with himself and his life right now.
Match 2 - Ronnie O'Sullivan vs John Higgins
Before the match ... it was interesting to see how both coped with the pre-match tension. For what I saw, John merely stayed in his dressing room, just popping up, smiling, to "fish" some refreshments. Ronnie got some practice at the table and then dropped himself in a settee in the "common room" -where press and photographers also gathered- watching and commenting athletism on television (guess what? Running ...
)
The match was very tense and quite enjoyable. High quality from both, except a desastrous start in frame 2 from Ronnie. Being his true self he got annoyed with himself and started torturing his cuticles
. But all credit to him, he didn't surrender to anxiety or negativity and he came back in frame three, adopting a slightly slower pace, very focused and in battling spirit. Ronnie shows all his emotions and this is his way to build empathy with the audience, because to be honest, contrary to Mark, he doesn't really interact with it, or rarely. John gives almost nothing away 
The respect they have for each other is also blatant when you watch them play close-up. The little gestures of congratulations or apology don't always show on telly but where there througout the match, particularly from Ronnie who is the most "expressive" of the two. Nice to see.
As soon as the match was over, it was all friendliness and smiles from both ... the draw was a logical result and they were both pleased with it. John because he obviously expected to struggle, Ronnie because he was happy with the way he recovered.
After the match, none stayed much to sign autographs ... just scribbling one or two on their way out, but smiling... It must be said that it was late already and there were so many kids with all sorts of things to sign they could have spend a good deal of the night at it.
Both shooed quite rapidly when it was over, but both popped up in the common room to say hi before leaving...
Last glimpse I had on Ronnie was on the parking ... probaly driving home ... in a "decided" style
You will have guessed it: I enjoyed every minute of the evening!
. So the very first thing I want to say is "Thank you" to matchroom for having allowed me to do this and tho their official photographer to have helped me very friendly through does and don'ts. It has been a fantastic experience and I have learned a lot!Taking pictures in professional sports environment, without disturbing the players or the television guys, without trapping on the cables or being knocked out by cameras suspended on long perchs and coming down when you don't expect them ... was quite a challenge at times. I was also surprised how dim the lighting actually was, as compared to some exhibitions I had been to. As it was I had brought two cameras, a classical film camera - that I had loaded with the very classical B&W TRI-X, pushed to 1600 ASA - and a digital camera. The latter proved unusable: the lens I had wasn't quite "long" enough and did not open enough under the conditions. I ended up with pictures of a perfectly sharp table and fuzzy players as the pause time required was too long. So I sticked to the classical film, B&W and therefore focused on the players expressions and body language rather than the match action. Hence the following report that is all about my "feelings" during the matches.
Match 1 - Mark Selby vs Ding Jinhui
Right before the match Mark spent some time practising at the table and meanwhile I had a friendly chat with Vicky, his partner. She told me how enthousiastic Mark was about playing the PL and how much he wanted to to well ... obviously he was to give us evidence of that!
However he didn't start that well for Mark who really struggled through the first two frames, missing a few you wouldn't expect him to miss and losing position a bit too often. Nevertheless Mark never gave the impression to be annoyed with himself or negative. All his body language was about ... "Oh well, I'm learning here, let's move on and try further!" - good natured. The audience, I think, sensed it and warmed to him.
After two difficult frames, Mark suddenly found his pace and ran away ... to well deserved victory. He was obviously happy but it was also apparent there how much he had put in it. Just before he was on the screens for interview there were a few minutes where he looked almost knocked out with tiredness, barely smiling and with a blank look!
Ding on the other hand didn't show up before the match at all and I didn't see him after the match neither. Even in the first frames, when he had the upper hand he never appeared to me as enjoying himself, and, of course when he was sat in his chair afterwards, he looked annoyed and bored. I can't help asking myself how much this young man still really wants to play snooker, wether his motivation is still there or if he feels trapped in that life because of his status of China's standard bearer.
After the match both players had to leave the arena quite rapidly because match 2 had to start. Young fans tried to get autographs and they had to disapoint them. But Mark did that in a rather gracious way, while Ding was ... borderline rude. I don't want to put him down, but I just saw this as a further indication of him not feeling too well with himself and his life right now.
Match 2 - Ronnie O'Sullivan vs John Higgins
Before the match ... it was interesting to see how both coped with the pre-match tension. For what I saw, John merely stayed in his dressing room, just popping up, smiling, to "fish" some refreshments. Ronnie got some practice at the table and then dropped himself in a settee in the "common room" -where press and photographers also gathered- watching and commenting athletism on television (guess what? Running ...
)The match was very tense and quite enjoyable. High quality from both, except a desastrous start in frame 2 from Ronnie. Being his true self he got annoyed with himself and started torturing his cuticles
. But all credit to him, he didn't surrender to anxiety or negativity and he came back in frame three, adopting a slightly slower pace, very focused and in battling spirit. Ronnie shows all his emotions and this is his way to build empathy with the audience, because to be honest, contrary to Mark, he doesn't really interact with it, or rarely. John gives almost nothing away The respect they have for each other is also blatant when you watch them play close-up. The little gestures of congratulations or apology don't always show on telly but where there througout the match, particularly from Ronnie who is the most "expressive" of the two. Nice to see.
As soon as the match was over, it was all friendliness and smiles from both ... the draw was a logical result and they were both pleased with it. John because he obviously expected to struggle, Ronnie because he was happy with the way he recovered.
After the match, none stayed much to sign autographs ... just scribbling one or two on their way out, but smiling... It must be said that it was late already and there were so many kids with all sorts of things to sign they could have spend a good deal of the night at it.
Both shooed quite rapidly when it was over, but both popped up in the common room to say hi before leaving...
Last glimpse I had on Ronnie was on the parking ... probaly driving home ... in a "decided" style
You will have guessed it: I enjoyed every minute of the evening!
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