Cazoo World Championship 2024

[Billy]

This year might be the first time in my life that results in me doing what I’ve always criticised other people
for doing; not watching the final because of the players contesting it. If it’s a Bingham Vs Wilson final (if that can happen with the draw) I’ll have pretty much zero interest. Both these player’s styles (or lack of) bore me rigid!

My only hope now is a Gilbert / Jones final, but even then this has been one of the worst WC in a long long time.

[SnookerfromtheThatcherEra]

This year might be the first time in my life that results in me doing what I’ve always criticised other people
for doing; not watching the final because of the players contesting it. If it’s a Bingham Vs Wilson final (if that can happen with the draw) I’ll have pretty much zero interest. Both these player’s styles (or lack of) bore me rigid!

My only hope now is a Gilbert / Jones final, but even then this has been one of the worst WC in a long long time.

I disagree - in that, while none of the last four are my favourite players, the tight pockets have made for really dramatic contests, rather than a succession of centuries, and having two qualifiers, one journeyman (Wilson) and one former winner in last four makes it pretty open. Although my money's on carefree, mentally-tough, won it once before Bingham, rather than "The Warrior", who has played well throughout but surely is now due a couple of bad sessions.

[Odrl]

If Wilson still can't win it even after the draw opens up in such an unbelievable way, he probably never will.

[neuronic]

I disagree - in that, while none of the last four are my favourite players, the tight pockets have made for really dramatic contests, rather than a succession of centuries, and having two qualifiers, one journeyman (Wilson) and one former winner in last four makes it pretty open. Although my money's on carefree, mentally-tough, won it once before Bingham, rather than "The Warrior", who has played well throughout but surely is now due a couple of bad sessions.

I do, too. The only way you could not appreciate this year's semis constellation is if you're a dedicated fan of a certain "top" player rather than a fan of the game itself. All four players have been playing on a consistingly high level through tough conditions, conditions that made players we usually consider almost unbeatable fail because they failed to adapt properly. Ronnie and even more so Judd are so dependant on "perfect" conditions to suit their game at times, that their game will suffer badly when the conditions are just not perfect... for them.

Plus Ronnie got obviously frustrated by how well Stuart was playing and he was not, it really got to him, quite visibly... which I still consider to be his sole weakness as a player and where he still is behind Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Mark Williams (who all actually did manage to win the UK, the Masters and the Worlds in one season, twice even in the case of Hendry...): his temperament.

[vmax]

I agree with Neil.And never saw a color rock off its spot before in these tourneys. The cloth is too thin IMO.

When a ball is struck from the same place all the time then a dip will develope on that very spot, nowhere else, this is the reaon why club tables have little stick on cloth spots to protect the cloth, just need to remove the cloth spot and replace it with another when the dip developes.
It's pretty clear that the ref was replacing the black in the wrong place if a dip developed off the spot, her ball marker make it clear the spot wasn't occupied yet the black kept moving off it's spot to roll onto the dip that had developed where it had been consistantly placed prior to the incident so it's the referees fault entirely for not respotting the black ball correctly.
Ronnie miffed about it and rightly so and in his own mind he did the right thing.
It's all well and good to get attractive girls to referee snooker but if they can hardly reach the pink spot at full stretch, call a miss every single time, continue to walk in front of you when you are down on the shot in order to get behind you and respot colours incorrectly then what ? She is very good at replacing balls after a miss and I think that's why she calls a miss every single bloody time (look how good I am and don't I look good doing it) despite the difficulty of the position of the balls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H77fRz1rybs

Kudos to Stuart, played well yesterday and it meant a lot to him to find his form again after what was deemed an eyesight problem but wasn't, Kyren was pretty awesome in his consistancy, Jak made better of poor conditions and a bad table or set of balls and Gilbert was like Kyren in his consistancy. I think Stuart will make the final but Gilbert v Kyren is a hard one to call.
Table one playing poorly, table two much better, do the atmospheric conditions change that much in one room ? table fitters are either not up to scratch or the tables/balls aren't up to scratch or the Crucible is a poor venue for the most prestigious tournament of the season.
Time to move on world snooker, it's not all about the sponsors, I don't want snooker to end up like the EPL but it's going in that direction.

[PatBlock]

....It's all well and good to get attractive girls to referee snooker but if they can hardly reach the pink spot at full stretch, call a miss every single time, continue to walk in front of you when you are down on the shot in order to get behind you and respot colours incorrectly then what ?

Ah come on vmax, you're nitpicking, seems a small price to pay for progress. Remember the old days, no names, but .

She is very good at replacing balls after a miss and I think that's why she calls a miss every single bloody time (look how good I am and don't I look good doing it) despite the difficulty of the position of the balls.

To be fair, how often do you see any ref not call a miss?

-

[Billy]

The only way you could not appreciate this year's semis constellation is if you're a dedicated fan of a certain "top" player rather than a fan of the game itself.

I’m not saying that never applies, but it’s certainly not the case with me. You’re clearly talking about O’Sullivan, but I can take or leave him. In fact in most of his matches I’m rooting for his opponent. For me, it’s not that my ‘favourite’ players are out, it’s about who has gone through. Wilson and Bingham have not a single redeeming feature between them, as far as their games go, and for that reason I’ll probably not bother if they both get to the final.

[vmax]

Ah come on vmax, you're nitpicking, seems a small price to pay for progress. Remember the old days, no names, but .


To be fair, how often do you see any ref not call a miss?

-

What is progress in the context of the game and it's rules, participants and referees ? Surely it's not just about letting attractive women in to add a bit of glamour, it's about standards and if a ref cannot spot a colour in the correct place then that standard isn't worth a light and players have a right to criticise.

The miss rule as it stands has to go, then we might see referees making judgements based on logic and experience rather than toeing the line and following a directive given from authority.

[Nym]

Stuart Bingham's name doesn't immediately spring to mind when discussing the top snooker players of all time. But if he wins the WC he will be only the seventh to win more than once.and that feat puts him in esteemed company. And yet, he still won't be considered one of the greats. His record just doesn't warrant it. I like Stuart and wish him well. I would like to start the Australian chapter of the Stuart Bingham fan club. I will be president and unfortunately, probably the only member.

[vmax]

When a ball is struck from the same place all the time then a dip will develope on that very spot, nowhere else, this is the reaon why club tables have little stick on cloth spots to protect the cloth, just need to remove the cloth spot and replace it with another when the dip developes.
It's pretty clear that the ref was replacing the black in the wrong place if a dip developed off the spot, her ball marker make it clear the spot wasn't occupied yet the black kept moving off it's spot to roll onto the dip that had developed where it had been consistantly placed prior to the incident so it's the referees fault entirely for not respotting the black ball correctly.

Ronnie miffed about it and rightly so and in his own mind he did the right thing.

Going back to George C Scott's character in The Hustler when he told Fast Eddie Felson that he was looking for an excuse to lose after he blamed getting drunk for losing to Minnesota Fats. Was Ronnie subconsciously looking for an excuse to lose ?
After all the situation had been resolved in his favour and Stuart was OK with it.

[daffie]

Hoping for a Wilson Bingham Final...or Gilbert Bingham.

[Mark187187]

When Trump lost I thought it was going to be a procession for Ronnie and probably a disappointingly one sided final. So, I for one am very happy with the semi final line up. Only player I can't see winning it is Dave Gilbert. His lack of cue power is so restrictive at times, and that could make a big difference over 33 frames if his cueball isn't spot on. Sure he could tweak his technique to get more action, my own technique is shocking and I get more action than him and on slower cloth

[PatBlock]

What is progress in the context of the game and it's rules, participants and referees ? Surely it's not just about letting attractive women in to add a bit of glamour, it's about standards and if a ref cannot spot a colour in the correct place then that standard isn't worth a light and players have a right to criticise.

My first comment was tongue in cheek, ish.

The miss rule as it stands has to go, then we might see referees making judgements based on logic and experience rather than toeing the line and following a directive given from authority.

I don't like it the way it is, but it's a tricky one, if it becomes completely subjective, then that brings it's own issues. IDK, It's like snooker's 'off-side' rule isn't it.

-

[Cue crafty]

Maybe not a bad prediction PB .... https://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/bo...49#post1037349

[PatBlock]

Maybe not a bad prediction PB .... https://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/bo...49#post1037349

Nailed on mate, soon as I hit return.

-