Who is going to win the 2016 World Championship?

[gavpowell]

I think he has zero chance. personal issues have done for him this year.

Do we know any details of his issues? I'm not a fan but I wouldn't like to think he was having any major issues - he seems to have led a fairly depressing life already.

[jonny66]

Do we know any details of his issues? I'm not a fan but I wouldn't like to think he was having any major issues - he seems to have led a fairly depressing life already.

What do you mean?

[gavpowell]

What do you mean?

His mum walked out on him when he was little, and he's barely seen her since. His dad died of cancer when he was 16(Selby promised him on his deathbed he'd win the world championship one day), he had a neck injury that looked as if it might end his career before he achieved that goal, and his father-in-law, who supported his career a great deal, died recently.

[ADR147]

Do we know any details of his issues? I'm not a fan but I wouldn't like to think he was having any major issues - he seems to have led a fairly depressing life already.

oops I may know more than is currently in the public domain

[JimMalone]

oops I may know more than is currently in the public domain

It's sad to hear, that he has some really serious problems again. Here's hope that he will bounce back in the future.

[streamer45]

excited for this as always

[DeanH]

blimey the first frame has just started and Virgo has ruined BBC coverage for me already, screaming down the mic!
Eurosport instead.

remember BBC red button is showing Ebdon/Fu and on Sky is channel 980 (anyone know the other systems numbers?) so you can record it

[thommo335]

Who is going to win the 2016 World Championship?

Where's the red ball going......ffs jv

[DeanH]

Where's the red ball going......ffs jv

not just that but the screaming and saying it twice! as you say ffs jv!



Bingham settling in - early days

[Odrl]

Thanks for voting everyone, I don't think we've ever had nearly as many votes as this year. :smile: I'm surprised how close it is, apart from O'Sullivan of course. Only Robertson is above 10%...

Personally, I've gone for O'Sullivan. I think all the big favourites produced superb performances in the tournaments they've won this season, so there is not much between them if they bring their best game here. O'Sullivan seems to do well in most tournaments he plays in though, whereas the other favourites have struggled a bit with consistency this season, so I think he is probably the safest bet. I think he has by far the easiest draw as well, so he should have a bit of time to play himself into the tournament, and I imagine he will be difficult to stop once he finds himself at the business end. :smile:

I'm very surprised that John Higgins is listed amongst the four "favourites". In my opinion, his form has declined much more than O'Sullivan's has, despite them being the same age. I don't see him winning another world championship (though given my recent track record of predictions, he will probably prove me wrong and go all the way this year!).

Well, I can't say much more about Higgins than I've already said in my opening post. I also have the feeling it won't be his year, but the form he's shown this season simply can't be ignored. He won the International Championship in great style in October, a tournament with very high prize money and second only to the World Championship in length of matches. He also won the Australian Open in the summer, playing his B-game for most of it. He was a frame away from getting to the China Open final two weeks ago as well, so it looks like his form is quite respectable ahead of this Championship.

This is a player who has struggled in the early rounds of the WC more often than other top players, but every time he got to the quarter-finals in the last 12 years he went on to win the title. The biggest obstacle in his quarter is Ricky Walden this time, so Higgins has a pretty good chance of reaching the business end of the tournament. His killer instinct is back now and he's got the taste of winning again, so he could be a big danger here. :smile:

[itsnoteasy]

I honestly don't see any players in the draw appart from Ronnie and Robbo, that could hold it together for the full fortnight and I'm not overly confident about them, we may see an outsider this year, someone who just has one of those runs of form from from the snooker gods kind of out the blue .

[Byrom]

blimey the first frame has just started and Virgo has ruined BBC coverage for me already, screaming down the mic!
Eurosport instead.

remember BBC red button is showing Ebdon/Fu and on Sky is channel 980 (anyone know the other systems numbers?) so you can record it

Could be worse I was watching the Ebdon Fu match Willie Thorn commentating ...turned the match off - that man is never quiet describes every shot and what they should have done - there really is no need - nothing interesting to say either talking about vegan diets and toilet breaks zzzzzzz, really uninteresting and rather irritating as well.

The man has no idea how to be a commentator

[ghost121]

Nightmare choice of Virgo BBC or Hallett Eurosport, both are complete idiots when it comes to commentary. And do those pockets look a bit generous or is it just me?

[Shockerz]

Nightmare choice of Virgo BBC or Hallett Eurosport, both are complete idiots when it comes to commentary. And do those pockets look a bit generous or is it just me?

The pockets are very receptive as one of our old players used to say, yes do look generous.....

[DeanH]

very receptive as they are all brand new cloths on the bed and rails