UK Championship 2013/2014

[cyberheater]

Robertson should win this based on his amazing form this season but Selby has a way of winning even if he's not playing his A game and he never gives up.
I still think Selby will win this.

[Odrl]

So, only the final remains, and what a great final it promises to be... Two of the world's best four players at this point in time, and indeed the two players at the very top of the rankings, so you could hardly wish for a better pairing. :smile:

A year ago at the Masters I think I called this the dream final, not because I thought these two were the best at the time, but because it was the one pairing we hadn't had in a major final before. In fact, prior to their UK match a couple of weeks previously, they had not met in any major match for six years, and only had the one meeting in 2006, before either of them had won a tournament. These things seem to come in waves, so now it's almost like they can't avoid each other anymore. :smile: It was Selby who won their UK quarter-final twelve months ago, and it was Selby who prevailed in the Masters final. But one thing Robertson does really well is turn rivalries in his favour. He beat Selby in the World Open, in the final of the China Open, and again this season in the Australian Open. That means their head-to-head in major matches is quite balanced, but Selby has the edge when you factor in all the short-format stuff as well.

This tournament has seen the typical Mark Selby... He has only shown breakbuilding fluency in small patches but he still finds himself in the final, just like last year. He remained calm and collected when he was 3-1 down to Shane Castle and Tian Pengfei in the first two rounds and came through relatively easily. He was a frame from losing to Barry Hawkins as well, but once again came through with a good comeback that included some great pressure shots. Last night he didn't really need to fight that much, because the damage had already been done when Walden struggled in the first session. There was a little wobble from Selby towards the end, but he finished with his second century of the match, the first one being his brilliant 147 earlier. He always seems to have something left for the final, no matter how exhausting or emotionally draining his earlier matches are, so I wouldn't be surprised if he played his best match of the tournament today.

Neil Robertson has perhaps produced a somewhat less typical performance, not really blowing his opponents away with a string of centuries like he had been doing for most of the season. He was never really in trouble in the earlier rounds, and his only wobble came towards the end of his semi-final when Bingham was coming back at him. Still, he played a strong decider, like so many times before under pressure, and that little scare may work in his favour now that he's overcome it. Scoring aside, his game is in very good shape at this point in time. He has been winning a good percentage of scrappy frames this season, and his concentration has been great, almost like he has realised that frames like that can make a huge difference. When he puts all that together and gets into a "century mode" as well, he is very tough to live with.

But then again, if there is a player that can outplay him tactically, it's Selby. There is no one better than Selby at playing that one good safety shot when he really needs it. There is also no one better at competing in the scrappy stuff, so that's one edge Robertson will have to do without today. Selby can also match him at pressure play and at raising his game at the right time in these session matches. On the other hand, Robertson has been the better scorer in recent times, and he has certainly been missing fewer easy balls. If he smells a weakness anywhere, he will exploit it. He is also the one with the momentum in their meetings now, having won the last three. I only worry for him when he starts accepting the role of favourite, like he did in the 2009 Welsh Open, before losing to Joe Swail in the semi-finals. Tough to see him being complacent against Selby though...

There have been quite a few good UK finals in the time I've been watching snooker. We've had great performances from Stephen Maguire in 2004 and Ronnie O'Sullivan in 2007, the Higgins-Williams final in 2010 was an absolute classic, the Trump-Allen final a year later was a cracking match as well, and the Ding-Higgins one in 2009 wasn't too bad either. But it's the Murphy-Fu final in 2008 that I think this one could be most like... Close all the way, maybe not a brilliant standard but still a good one, and 10-9 written all over it. I predicted Selby and Robertson to make the difference in their semi-finals when the pressure was really one in the evening, so it will be interesting to see how it goes when these two great late-night specialists face each other. It's tough to call, but I think Selby may just be a bit hungrier for the title at this point in time, and it's also his turn to get a win in this rivalry. :wink:


Give me a 10-9 finish either way, and make it a late one!

[coomsey76]

I missed most of snooker yesterday myself and with it the max! Well i would like Neil to win his first UK but you just know Mark will make it very hard for him, I'd say if Neil had to choose one player he doesn't like facing it's his opponent today!

Here you mate in case you haven't seen it yet......



That shot from brown to blue was top draw..... then the pink and black, great maxi!!

[scottley]

C'mon the Jester!!!!

[streamer45]

This is gonna be epic!

[CueInAction]

Excellent round up there Odrl!! This match could go one of many ways, with no clear favourite to win. I think if it does go down to the wire, Selby is probably the best in the world at riding out those scrappy pressure games. i think the first session is key here though as both will want to get an early lead coming into tonight

[daffie]

... and we're off! This final has a great feel to it...should be fantastic.

[SouthPaw]

Here you mate in case you haven't seen it yet......

That shot from brown to blue was top draw..... then the pink and black, great maxi!!

Cheers mate, I'll watch it during the next interval... £59,000 already Mark's unless Neil can make one in this final, now that would be something to witness!

[stephenm2682]

Oh no, anyone but kiss ass Willie Thorne commentating!

[streamer45]

That's a pretty decent start.

[cyberheater]

What a fabulous potter Selby is. And what a good start.

I think Robertson is going to have to attack him if he want to that.
And what what an amazing century and clearance that was. Absolute top draw. Doesn't get any better then that.

[Odrl]

That's a terrific start, never looked like missing. :smile:

[scottley]

Nothing toxic about that start!

[brusque]

Fabulous standard thus far. Reminds me of how bad Walden was compared to this.

[Ethanat]

Hi guys, can anyone provide a link to watch this match?