Australia Goldfields Open

[Chappy5]

Snooker is heading for a total meltdown, I just can't see how sponsors will put up with players not turning up , with the players missing this looks more like a local cash tourney(massive over reaction ) I would imagine it won't be long before they start insisting on attendance by the top sixteen, how do you sell this tourney to the locals, when the world champ, the player that won the most ranking events and the player regarded generally as the best haven't even bothered to turn up.
It's like a pre season football friendly when your local team play Man United, so you buy a ticket turn up all excited and United mostly play the under eighteen squad, it's all a bit disappointing.

I can see where you are coming from totally.

It is the scheduling IMO that did not help and this tourney was WAY to close on the back end of Wuxi. The players had to fly from China to Australia and the jet lag will kick in big time for those that played both.

The players who had ample time to make it down or did not play at Wuxi have no excuse though for not turning up and Ronnie is never going to turn up for tourneys not in the U.K anymore.

It is a shame when players flat out refuse to attend because it may be to far out but in saying that i doubt some like Ronnie would even attend if we had a personal UFO flying at the speed of light for transport in 5mins as he will no doubt think he is to good to play here. Snooker is a world game with many top players from everywhere and it needs to be embraced by the players as well.

Local cash tourney is a massive over reaction though or else i would be playing!!! :snooker:

[Neil Taperell]

It's almost like an exhibition tournament . Not sure how else they can arrange it , as i'm sure that it is easier to fly there from China rather than re-schedule another date and all players fly directly to Australia .

I'm sure Martin Gould is happy that he has entered both . Had a decent run in the Wuxi and if he has a decent run in Australia , it will be a very worthwhile trip in ranking points / Money list .

[SnookerFan]

On the other hand the player that this tournament is built around is going to be there. At least Robertson is going to be in Australia, Ding didn't qualify for his hometown event. (And nobody showed up.)

It would still be better for Ding, Ronnie and Selby to be there though.

[Chappy5]

I have relatives in the U.K and it is not that far to come!

BUT the English really do not like to travel much at all!! For most a 45min car drive is an eternity and will hardly be made! In Australia it is the everyday normal day and plenty of us drive over 1.5hrs ( 120kms at least ) one way to get to work then do it again to get home as it is a way of life here.

Heck we went for a holiday to the U.K years ago and driving from Swindon to London was scoffed at and it is only 130kms!!! When i say scoffed at i was looked like i was insane for suggesting a maybe 2hr MAX drive!!! lol

[Odrl]

So, did anyone watch the first three sessions earlier?

Eurosport have just shown most of Allen-O'Brien, and O'Brien played really well in the second part of that match, winning five frames in a row for 5-2.

I also caught the ending of Milkins-Liang on the Eurosport Player, not sure it that was live or not. Liang should have made it 4-4 really, but played some awful stuff to lose the frame on the black. I then quickly looked through the earlier frames, and saw it was more of the same, mostly horror snooker from Liang, while Milkins was a little better. :wink:

Both wildcard matches were 5-0, no surprise there. Joyce beating Day is a bit of a surprise I suppose, 5-3, and Stevens beat Brecel by the same scoreline, winning the last frame on the black.

Live snooker coming up in 15 minutes, Higgins vs Ford. :smile:

[DeanH]

Australia Goldfields Open

just watched the Allen/O'Brien match and that must be the best Fergal has played for a long time, well done.

[Chappy5]

just watched the Allen/O'Brien match and that must be the best Fergal has played for a long time, well done.

Agree.

It was a top effort after he was down 2-0 early.

I like Fergal and hope he goes deep in this tourney.

[Chappy5]

Hoping Ford can beat Higgins this game and i like Ford.

[Chappy5]

Well done Tom and great answer to Higgins first frame win.

1-1 now and when Tom relaxes and plays his normal game he can upset anyone.

[cyberheater]

just watched the Allen/O'Brien match and that must be the best Fergal has played for a long time, well done.

Yes. It was excellent. Very well played by O'Brien. Very solid and focused. Poor Allen must have wondered what hit him.

[Chappy5]

C'mon Tom and 2-2 at the interval.

[Chappy5]

Great frame Tom and a 3-2 lead now.

Higgins was well up after a 54pt lead in that 5th frame but Tommy just kept coming and won it.

[Byrom]

wow - what - eh? Has this started already - last ones just finished - no messing around these days is there - like a proper sport now much better than when there just 6 events.

[DeanH]

Australia Goldfields Open

yep officially 12hours between events
make the most this week though, no snooker for the rest of July - Hearn consession to give the players a break

[Neil Taperell]

just watched the Allen/O'Brien match and that must be the best Fergal has played for a long time, well done.

If i am reading it correctly , does that mean that Mark Allen gets no prize money as he was a seeded loser in the last 32 ?

If so , that's a heck of a way to go for no money !