2016 Scottish Open

[Big Splash!]

Well now (as DT would say), the Masters '17 has become very interesting. Selby goes into it as fave for me but Higgins and Fu are obviously in form, Ding has done well this year, plus the usual challenge from Judd. Smurf, Robbo look a bit weaker but Allen has won summat so will have confidence. Usually, we'd put Ronnie as fave but this year, I think there may be 6 faves. It could be a very competitive Masters after the first round.

Just as long as they can get rid of the smell of lager and pig swill from the darts, we're in business.

[shmeeko69]

Perhaps if the crowd didn't boo him for winning the last tournament he entered, he'd feel obligated to?

He's not the most entertaining, but it's out of order for any of the crowd to boo him for winning.

[shmeeko69]

I really don't see a problem with Selby not entering the event in Scotland. He has played more matches than most players, since he made it quite far at many tournaments. Therefore it's wise to skip a few tournaments, especially since there are so many events this season. I'm pretty sure that Selby would have played in Glasgow if he wouldn't have won the UK Championship. But after such a prestigous win it's clear that you welcome a rest and recharge your batteries.

A new home nations setup and your current world champion and no. 1 player doesn't enter 2 out of 3. I do have a problem with that and I'm sure the sponsors feel the same.

[shmeeko69]

I don't think he played it that way , bottom cushion to hit the brown . As more of the ball visible , no way he would have played that one cushion over that distance . If the balls were nearer he may have done .

Being the sporting guy that Fu is, he didn't acknowledge the shot as a fluke and I'm sure Higgins tapped the table.

[daffie]

A new home nations setup and your current world champion and no. 1 player doesn't enter 2 out of 3. I do have a problem with that and I'm sure the sponsors feel the same.

Well I'd suggest you speak to Barry Hearn about it...he's the one who makes the rules and calls the shots

[Neil Taperell]

A new home nations setup and your current world champion and no. 1 player doesn't enter 2 out of 3. I do have a problem with that and I'm sure the sponsors feel the same.

Yeah ,i see that point of view . Surprising . Trump pulled out of one , to prepare for the UK . But didn't seem to help him .

I suppose the players' do what they think is right , and what suits them at the time . I can see why Trump did what he did though .

[Odrl]

Players simply can't be fined for not attending events, because attending events is not mandatory. Should it be?

Well, a decade ago there were 7 or 8 events in the entire year, so the players hardly needed any encouragement to play in all of them. It was a little more controversial when they skipped one though, because the tiered system meant some players were seeded to play at the venue without qualifying, so pulling out late could create a big gap and unbalance the draw. Players also produced some suspicious doctor's notes at times, in an effort to keep the ranking points and prize money without actually appearing.

These days snooker is played almost every week, with extremely long distances between some of the venues, so forcing players to play in everything would be out of the question. I think players are well within their rights to take an occasional break, especially the top players who inevitably play more matches than anyone else these days. The only problem is that some events are quite clearly less prestigious and profitable than others, so a lot of the players will pick the same ones to skip. The Wuxi Classic and the Australian Open used to be quite poorly attended, and this year it was the Paul Hunter Classic that had the worse field. The Northern Ireland Open had some notable absentees as well, and I have a feeling the Gibraltar Open in March won't be attended by everyone either... In any case, I don't agree with the sentiment that skipping UK events in particular is any worse than skipping others. What makes the Scottish Open so special? It's a newly-established best-of-7 event, and its prize money compares unfavourably to the likes of the Shanghai Masters or the World Open, so unless I was Scottish, I too would much rather skip this than one of the Chinese events for example...

Selby ................ That's the guy who didn't enter the NI open in Belfast, then is fine for the UK in York and then
doesn't attend the Scottish open in Glasgow cause he's having an early Christmas. Hold on though, he's going to a snooker
exhibition in Slovenia with his mates 3 days before Christmas!

To be fair, that exhibition was originally scheduled for November, but the late inclusion of the China Championship in that calendar slot meant it had to be postponed. I'm sure the players don't consider late December to be ideal, but it's still better than cancelling it altogether.

[shmeeko69]

Well I'd suggest you speak to Barry Hearn about it...he's the one who makes the rules and calls the shots

Why would he listen to the likes of me? I have know influence on the sport. Mark Allen would be a better option :indecisiveness:

[shmeeko69]

Players simply can't be fined for not attending events, because attending events is not mandatory. Should it be?

Well, a decade ago there were 7 or 8 events in the entire year, so the players hardly needed any encouragement to play in all of them. It was a little more controversial when they skipped one though, because the tiered system meant some players were seeded to play at the venue without qualifying, so pulling out late could create a big gap and unbalance the draw. Players also produced some suspicious doctor's notes at times, in an effort to keep the ranking points and prize money without actually appearing.

These days snooker is played almost every week, with extremely long distances between some of the venues, so forcing players to play in everything would be out of the question. I think players are well within their rights to take an occasional break, especially the top players who inevitably play more matches than anyone else these days. The only problem is that some events are quite clearly less prestigious and profitable than others, so a lot of the players will pick the same ones to skip. The Wuxi Classic and the Australian Open used to be quite poorly attended, and this year it was the Paul Hunter Classic that had the worse field. The Northern Ireland Open had some notable absentees as well, and I have a feeling the Gibraltar Open in March won't be attended by everyone either... In any case, I don't agree with the sentiment that skipping UK events in particular is any worse than skipping others. What makes the Scottish Open so special? It's a newly-established best-of-7 event, and its prize money compares unfavourably to the likes of the Shanghai Masters or the World Open, so unless I was Scottish, I too would much rather skip this than one of the Chinese events for example...



To be fair, that exhibition was originally scheduled for November, but the late inclusion of the China Championship in that calendar slot meant it had to be postponed. I'm sure the players don't consider late December to be ideal, but it's still better than cancelling it altogether.

I know there are a stack of tournaments, but he should have honoured the new home season events and especially
when his picture was being promoted, as part of the events.

He did say when asked by Hazel Irvine after wining the UK, if he'd be going up to Glasgow the following week for the
Scottish Open and he said he's having an early Christmas (fair enough), but can still disappear to Slovenia a few days before
Christmas for an exhibition.

There are a few sports people that do this "if it suits" and he's one of them!

[shmeeko69]

Yeah ,i see that point of view . Surprising . Trump pulled out of one , to prepare for the UK . But didn't seem to help him .

I suppose the players' do what they think is right , and what suits them at the time . I can see why Trump did what he did though .

There are so many tournaments you don't need to practice as much, you can use them for bigger events which O'Sullivan has already mentioned.

[Big Splash!]

I know there are a stack of tournaments, but he should have honoured the new home season events and especially
when his picture was being promoted, as part of the events.

He did say when asked by Hazel Irvine after wining the UK, if he'd be going up to Glasgow the following week for the
Scottish Open and he said he's having an early Christmas (fair enough), but can still disappear to Slovenia a few days before
Christmas for an exhibition.

There are a few sports people that do this "if it suits" and he's one of them!

If he should be mandated to attend any event, it should be the events abroad, not in the UK because we'll have a good chance to see him at the CoC, Master, English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish opens, UK, Players Championship, Coral shootout, Grand Prix, Worlds, etc. Other countries aren't so lucky. I smell some UK-centric focus that isn't befitting of the world game anymore. An exhibition isn't as tiring as an all week comp btw. Ronnie has been skipping events for ages but I haven't heard you complain about him. Are you seriously suggesting that all 128 pros should have to enter all WS comps?

[itsnoteasy]

No mention of Fu from Allen, Murphy, Robertson or Trump on Twitter. Gob****es Allen and Murphy silent for two days (unusual) and Robertson on about football (no mention of snooker in ages!) and Tramp talking the usual rubbish.

Congrats from Perry to Marco. Different class to the rest.

That's quite bad if true, it takes nothing out your time to say well done, so much for a game for gentleman.

[tomwalker147]

Could argue that players going out to different countries for exhibitions actually benefits the game as much as playing in comps.
Truth is the "home nations" events aren't as prestigious as they would have been when there were only 6/7 tournaments.

[itsnoteasy]

Watched hours of billiards over the weekend, didn't see one kick, saw one bad contact but not one horrendous kick, this was in a club that isn't that warm on tables with no heaters ,balls handled all the time by the players and there are only three balls so you would think because they are in play nearly every shot the chances of kicks would be much higher but there wasn't one.
All games were played with aramith pro cup billiard balls.

[Rane]

There are so many tournaments you don't need to practice as much, you can use them for bigger events which O'Sullivan has already mentioned.

That´s what O´Sullivan is doing this year, but it´s the first time in ten years he´s entering every tournament. I think it´s great that they are taking time off. I don´t think O´Sullivan would have been playing yet if he had to enter every tournament, and during the last years he´s usually been inspired to play when he shows up.