2016 World Championship discussion

[jonny66]

Here ya go Snooker Buddies, the red getting errmmmm.... fingered -

He doesn't seem the type to cheat. The contact is almost exactly as he strikes the cue ball though, so I think his mind was somewhere else and he didn't notice.

Players must know that with all the cameras and the audience out there, to not call a foul on yourself on purpose is a direct route to the hatred of every snooker fan in the world.

[mikeyd100]

He doesn't seem the type to cheat. The contact is almost exactly as he strikes the cue ball though, so I think his mind was somewhere else and he didn't notice.

Players must know that with all the cameras and the audience out there, to not call a foul on yourself on purpose is a direct route to the hatred of every snooker fan in the world.

Exactly what I said to a friend regards cameras and zooming in all over the place, especially for a big tournament like this.

[JimMalone]

For the first time ever I have exactly the two players contend the final who I wanted before the start of the tournament to be there in the end. Whoever wins my dream final I'll be happy.
Usually I maybe like Selby a bit more and while I think he deserves a second world title Ding really deserves to win one more than everybody else. My only big wish for the final is that it won't be a one-sided affair.

On to whom I will think: Ding has played the far superior snooker so far and Selby has been luck to have had a relatively easy way to the final. For most of the tournament the Englishman played his B-Game, if not worse. Keeping just this level of play won't be enough, despite Selby still then will be hard enough to beat. If Selby goes on where he left in the last session against Fu though he has quite a chance to win the final, though with the late ending of his semifinal I guess Ding will have at least an advantage today.
As for Ding the big question as often with him at the crucible is the mental aspect. He now enters new territory with his first final and it would be understandable if he gets a little nervous now. It should help him though that he has beaten Selby at the world championship before and seems to handle Selbys game better than most players. My guess: Ding wins 18-14.
But may the better player win.

[ThePhantomPotter]

Dissapointed Selby is in the final. He's just hard work to watch. Hopefully Ding can overcome his nerves and play the fluent, high-quality snooker he's been delivering all tournament

To paraphrase Fletcher's advice to Godber in Porridge: "Don't let the bar-steward grind you down"

[itsnoteasy]

Congrats to Mark Selby, hung in there and deserved to win, let's hope for a good final.
Someone posted that Selby has been in some of the greatest WC matches ever and stated the Robertson match, I have to agree that was a cracker and he did play well ( better than well, the best I have ever seen him) in that match, and it is a modern classic of a match,fingers crossed he finds that form again.
If Selby can stay close he wins it, I have a doubt in my mind about Dings mental strength, with all the expectations on him from home ,it's a hell of a weight to carry,and let's face it if there is one thing you can never doubt Selby on its mental strength, I think Ding needs a four maybe five frame lead going into the last session.

[cally]

Yep, Selby is difficult to enjoy watching alright..

[Erwan_BZH]

I will be cheering for Ding all the way. Though I admire Selby's tenacity and grind, he just bores me to death when playing. I like my tactical players/frames/matches but boy, he drains you...
I hope he'll find some scoring for this final to level up with ding and offer us a great final.
But still, Ding is my boy on this one, I really want him to win his first title.

[screw-back]

As soon as I saw his finger move slightly towards the red, I was thinking he's going to foul this, and he did. I noticed it in real time straight away.

I was surprised Brendan Moore didn't see it, usually when a player is leaning over a ball or bridging over one they are like Hawks crouching down looking to see if a foul is being comitted . But here he was on the wrong side so he couldn't see it.

I don't want to say that FU cheated and will give him the benefit of the doubt , however it's pretty hard not to feel if u touch a ball with your finger.

My eyes were glued to Fu's bridge hand and so should the Refs. He was on the wrong side and unsighted. Moore is generally an OK Ref so this shouldnt be held against him. Lucky for him that Selby won the frame so had no impact on the outcome of the match.

[shmeeko69]

I will be cheering for Ding all the way. Though I admire Selby's tenacity and grind, he just bores me to death when playing. I like my tactical players/frames/matches but boy, he drains you...
I hope he'll find some scoring for this final to level up with ding and offer us a great final.
But still, Ding is my boy on this one, I really want him to win his first title.

I'll ditto that. I've tried to enjoy liking Selby over the years, but his brand of snooker just doesn't do anything for me and isn't easy on the eye. Yes, his determination and will to win is exceptional, but I just hope over the next couple of days Ding can avoid get involved in unwanted scraps and lift the trophy.

[cueman]

I think Fu needed to beat Selby for Ding to stand a chance.

I cannot see anything other than a Selby win. The guy wants this so much, his determination last night was the most I've ever seen from him. When he wants it he nearly always wins, Ding will have to score even better than he did against McManus, because he's going to need to compete in a lot of tactical frames and with the pressure of the whole of China on his shoulders, I think that will wear him down.

For Ding to win he has to build up a big lead today, if he doesn't hold a lead of more than 4 frames going into the final day, I just see Selby playing tough match snooker and I think Ding is still vulnerable when the pressure is really on.

[shmeeko69]

I think Fu needed to beat Selby for Ding to stand a chance.

I cannot see anything other than a Selby win. The guy wants this so much, his determination last night was the most I've ever seen from him. When he wants it he nearly always wins, Ding will have to score even better than he did against McManus, because he's going to need to compete in a lot of tactical frames and with the pressure of the whole of China on his shoulders, I think that will wear him down.

For Ding to win he has to build up a big lead today, if he doesn't hold a lead of more than 4 frames going into the final day, I just see Selby playing tough match snooker and I think Ding is still vulnerable when the pressure is really on.

That sound spot on. Ding will be feeling the pressure of China on his shoulders and how will he cope with that? I think he'll need at least a 10 -6 lead going in to Monday or Selby will grind him down and bore him in to oblivion

[vmax4steve]

Determination my arse, his only aim to to bring his opponents down and break their concentration with his endless walking around the table, pointing his cue at something, getting down, getting up, getting down again, getting up and taking yet another walk to point his cue where he has already pointed it, taking breaks between every frame, playing deliberately to invoke the miss rule to gain points with shots to nothing so he can play the roll up snooker.
I absolutely detest the way he plays and the I absolutely detest the referees who let him get away with it. Will be hard for me to get any motivation to watch the final, hope Ding hammers him, but if the ref allows it, as he will, then he will do exactly the same to Ding.

[Erwan_BZH]

To me, Ding is as strong as Selby, defensively speaking. He can snooker an opponent like no one so I think it's a draw in that sector. Both are master tacticians. Where Ding has a huge advatange is that he is much more of a heavy potter than Selby is. This is is strength: a murderer at the table when in amongst the balls. Selby, as good as he is, doesn't have that potting quality. Ding is by far a much more complete player than the Englishman.

Now that being said, true the kid will have the whole bloody China watching him but from what he could say in his latest interview, he doesn't really listen to it and doesn't pay too much attention for now. He knows for sure people will watch it overseas but it looks that Terry Griffiths is doing a tremendous job to keep him away from that pressure, to really compartmentalize him and making sure he's not distracted by anything else than his objective...He used to succomb to the pressure in the past but during this WC, so far, he has been transformed. I have never seen him smile so much...He breathes confidence for now and I think it's the key. Mark, in all honesty, will grind his arse out again, as usual, but he looks the least confident of the two, the way he has played so far. It is kind of a miracle for him to be there....

[DeanH]

Since Fu hasn't a nickname yet, what about Marco the finger Fu?

three have been listed for him over the years but not that good really
Hong Kong Fuey, Full of Eastern Promise, Cue-Man-Fu

[DeanH]

the only person that can ruin Ding's chances is Ding himself

I hope for a cracking competition today/tomorrow
we know Selby has the game, Ding is the unknown at the centre of the Crucible

1hr 11 mins to go....