Wuxi Classic - June 23 - 29

[DeanH]

just as game resumes we have the mother of thunder and lightning storm directly over head and Sky drops out

oh it's back...

oh no

[Byrom]

what a nice clearance from Perry that was

[DeanH]

I missed that frame due to the storm
back on now
Perry at the table

[Byrom]

sorry you missed that Dean it was a thing of beauty as was that 1 visit long pot - all over stuff from Perry just then. 4-2 so far Glad I tuned in for the end of this one - reckon him n Neil are going halves? 5-2 back to the wall time for Gould

[robertmac]

Now its 5-4. Close.

[Byrom]

Yeah Martin had a bit of running in last two frames - another decider maybe?

Scrap that good solid win for Joe bit twitchy at the end there though

[j6uk]

after perry played that nightmare safety on the yellow with chipping the pink out and leaving the yellow over the middle, i can't believe martin after potting the yellow and green didn't go for the brown in the middle

[DeanH]

after perry played that nightmare safety on the yellow with chipping the pink out and leaving the yellow over the middle, i can't believe martin after potting the yellow and green didn't go for the brown in the middle

did he not need one snooker still? I lost count

[j6uk]

did he not need one snooker still? I lost count

i don't think so, cus perry went in-off from being 28 ahead the shot before

[j6uk]

conditions didn't look that great. but sill too many chances missed.. who cares anyway i'm not picking up a winners or losers cheque so

[robertmac]

Some great and exciting snooker in this tournament
and more to come in the finals. I am pulling for
Robertson to repeat as winner here but he needs
to play extremely well.
Too many complaints about the conditions to be
ignored I believe.

[Odrl]

I've been really sleepy all day, so I'm going to bed a little earlier tonight. But just a few final thoughts... :smile:

It's obviously a final between two players who know each other's game very well. They are good friends and practice partners, so Perry maybe won't have the kind of fear of Robertson that someone else in his position could have. Having said that, they played twice in the major events last season, in Australia and in the UK Championship, and Robertson won comfortably both times.

I think the early rounds this week showed Perry in a better light, playing close to his best snooker and barely dropping a frame, while Robertson struggled a bit. But the last two days saw Robertson raise his game, while Perry looked pretty nervous, even though he was in control most of the time. I think David Hendon made a good point during commentary, when he said Perry becomes an underdog again for the final, and perhaps that could relieve the pressure somewhat.

Perry was close to a major result all season in 13/14, reaching a series of quarter-finals and semi-finals, but this is almost new territory for him now, his first major final in 13 years. His story is similar to Stuart Bingham and Barry Hawkins in recent years, they both managed to finally capture a major title, both in the early-season tournaments, and they've both stuck around as major contenders after that. Could something similar happen with Perry? We know he likes playing over multiple sessions, and has achieved some of his best results in the long-format tournaments, including the semi-finals of both the UK and the World Championships. He pushed Ronnie O'Sullivan very close in a three-session match two months ago, so there is no reason he couldn't do the same against Robertson.

Robertson has a terrific record in major finals, having won 9 out of the 13 long ones, if I've counted correctly. He came back from behind on a couple of occasions, particularly in the more recent past, but most times he was able to dominate matches right from the start. He has shown good scoring at times this week, like in the first half of the match against Hawkins, but it's mainly been his B-game so far, and he has competed very well in all the fragmented stuff and battled against difficult conditions. It's tough to find a better pressure player, or a better big-occasion player, so Robertson surely must be the favourite. I would love it to go all the way, but something like 10-6 in Robertson's favour seems more realistic. :smile:

[robertmac]

Yes both Bingham and Hawkins have come a long
way and winning will certainly give you the confidence
in yourself which is a key ingredient for all players.

Perry has also come a long way and perhaps this will
be his tournament.

Robertson however is a tough opponent in the finals
so he should win but its not going to be easy I believe.

[SnookerFan]

Finally getting a chance to watch snooker this week. Bring on the final.

[Odrl]

Finally getting a chance to watch snooker this week. Bring on the final.

Good morning. :smile:

Slow start then, both players having about seven scoring visits, and Perry eventually takes the first frame on the pink. Will this set the tone for the rest of the match?