2014 World Championship - Discussion

[cueman]

So the Ronnie 'fans' applying their usual tactics...coughing loudly just when Selby delivers the cue...typical losers mentality that.

I think that is the stuff of conspiracy theorists. Anyone can cough at an inopportune time. Selby could have got back up off the shot as the cough happened at least a second before he delivered the cue.

Hendry used to play in tournaments when people were saying miss whilst he was on the shot and it never put him off!

[daffie]

I really can't understand the hate for Selby.
Sure, everybody has his own preferences when watching snooker. But after all he has proven often, though not in the first two sessions of the final, he is a great break-builder as well.

As for myself I love watching Selby. He is a great all-around player. He is able to score high, when needed, but is also a great tactician and plays excellent safeties.

Selby vs. Robertson in the semifinal was probably the best match I've seen in the last two or three years.

Agreed 100% with all you said. Btw there are a lot of Selby 'lovers' in here as well

[jrc750]

Looking like 11-10 to Selby
Edit: what a let down that was

[trains]

So the Ronnie 'fans' applying their usual tactics...coughing loudly just when Selby delivers the cue...typical losers mentality that. Just wait for the phones start ringing on Mark's shots...

So who coughed in the same place when Robertson looked back? A Selby fan?

[billabong]

I'm not one bit bored or one bit tired!

+1

You have to play to your strengths imho. Unreasonable to ask players to change their strategy

in order to entertain more ( personally I find this match entertaining to watch as it is ).

That'd be like asking Mayweather to stop boxing defensively , and go for an early round stoppage in every fight .

Not gonna happen. .

Far more entertaining to have a clash of styles ( in many sports ), than 2 sportspersons with similar styles .

[stephenm2682]

ronnie's safeties are on par with murphys in this final!!

[Masterdoctorgenius]

unbelievable. simply cant believe this

[Ronnie's tip]

I really can't understand the hate for Selby.
Sure, everybody has his own preferences when watching snooker. But after all he has proven often, though not in the first two sessions of the final, he is a great break-builder as well.

As for myself I love watching Selby. He is a great all-around player. He is able to score high, when needed, but is also a great tactician and plays excellent safeties.

Selby vs. Robertson in the semifinal was probably the best match I've seen in the last two or three years.

I don't think anyone doubts his quality, it's just his style. He kills the match and then rebuilds it in his own way. He has the ability to make 100 breaks for fun, but in the big matches it seems like he puts emphasis (perhaps unintentionally) of killing the tempo/style of the match for his opponent.

It's smart, and if it works good on him. But as a fan I hate it.

[montoya10]

I really can't understand the hate for Selby.
Sure, everybody has his own preferences when watching snooker. But after all he has proven often, though not in the first two sessions of the final, he is a great break-builder as well.

As for myself I love watching Selby. He is a great all-around player. He is able to score high, when needed, but is also a great tactician and plays excellent safeties.

Selby vs. Robertson in the semifinal was probably the best match I've seen in the last two or three years.

Oh well, as for myself, I don't need excuses. I'm a Ronnie O'Sullivan fan, and Mark Selby is a frustrating player whenever he plays O'Sullivan. If he played the same way against everyone, I'd probably feel more like okay with that, though.

[daffie]

I think that is the stuff of conspiracy theorists. Anyone can cough at an inopportune time. Selby could have got back up off the shot as the cough happened at least a second before he delivered the cue.

Hendry used to play in tournaments when people were saying miss whilst he was on the shot and it never put him off!

Normally I would agree with anybody that says coughs will happen at any time, as well as other disturbances during a game. But...sometimes these disturbances are just not random. They especially happen when Ronnie or trump play...the kind of 'fans' they attract sometimes are the ones that do apply such tactics. Very unfortunate.

[zombieman]

I don't see that his head has gone at all - he's been playing relatively poorly all tournament but why is it that if Ronnie plays badly his head has just gone, whereas everyone else has been exhausted by the schedule? Maybe the other finalists over the yeears have struggled with the pressure?

I can't believe I have to spell this out on a snooker forum...

Because he's an exceptional player... exceptional in his ability and also his mood swings, getting bored easily, and not even wanting to be there. It has nothing to do with exhaustion or mental fatigue as evidenced by the fact that he's played in 5 world finals and played with no exhaustion in pretty much every one of them.

As with other players... is it a coincidence that Dott '06, Ebdon '06, Carter '08, Robertson '10, Dott '10, Carter '12 (and I could go on) all played their worst snooker in the final? And two of the above won the final. Many of them even admitted to exhaustion in their post match interviews.

[trains]

Ronnie's been knocking the black safe on his break off shot so I don't see why people think Selby is slowing the game.

[luke-h]

Selby as usual suffocating an opponent! Hopefully he will come out with renewed vigour after the interval.

[wemba]

You have to admire Selby. And the best part is we have a player who is not bottling it against Ronnie.
Great final.

[JimMalone]

I don't think anyone doubts his quality, it's just his style. He kills the match and then rebuilds it in his own way. He has the ability to make 100 breaks for fun, but in the big matches it seems like he puts emphasis (perhaps unintentionally) of killing the tempo/style of the match for his opponent.

It's smart, and if it works good on him. But as a fan I hate it.

Well, to each his own.

I love seeing some good tactic battles.