2017 World Championship - Main Event

[kligu]

Carter is a different league to Dott in my opinion - should be a formality.

I have to disagree - at least it is not a formality for Carter. Dott played really well in his last qualifying match against Jamie Jones scoring 6six 50+ breaks in the last 8 frames. He looked very determined and knows how to perform at the Crucible. So I expect a very tight match.

[JimMalone]

The seeded players are 7-1 so far and Higgins and Ding will likely make it 9-1. It's going to make for some amazing matchups in the second round and quarter-finals.

Of the remaining first round matchups, I can see only a couple of possible upsets. Dott and Carter is a tossup and Xiao has a good chance of beating Day. We could end up with 13 or 14 seeds advancing, which would have to be close to the record.

Well, it's just as I initially thought that those qualifiers are not that strong. And some of the best of them then had unfavorable draws like Gould being up against Higgins, Yan against Murphy, Wilson against O'Sullivan or Zhou against Ding.
Just Maguire and Xiao got good draws. We know what Maguire did, so it will be interesting to see how Xiao performs.

In the meantime Stuart Carrington has the chance of an upset, as he leads Liang 5-4 after the first session.

[JimMalone]

I tend to agree with that. A lot of people are saying that this is one of the matches where the seed could have problems, but there is quite a dramatic difference between the two players this season. Carter has been to the business end of several major events, including a win and a final, whereas Dott hasn't done anything notable in well over a year. Dott is an experienced player and a great competitor, so I would by no means rule him out here, but I think Carter is still a strong favourite at this point in time. :smile:

Dott isn't the player he once was and Carter is definitely the favorite, but if you were looking for upsets at the beginning of the tournament, this loomed as one of the more plausible ones.

[JimMalone]

It's just great to see Zhou Yuelong playing. I'm always a really hesitating to forecast a players future and career, cause so much can happen. The last steps are always sooo difficult and the difference between the very good and the best is mostly mentally and it's hard to look into young players minds as they don't have had that much important games yet. But with Zhou and Yan I'm pretty confident that they will get into the elite.

[Odrl]

Dott isn't the player he once was and Carter is definitely the favorite, but if you were looking for upsets at the beginning of the tournament, this loomed as one of the more plausible ones.

Perhaps, although I wouldn't have put it right at the top of my list. Maybe in 6th or 7th place... :smile:

[shmeeko69]

Carter is a different league to Dott in my opinion - should be a formality.

His best days a probably behind him, but Dott will certainly give Carter a game.

As for him being in a different league, well..............

[JimMalone]

Perhaps, although I wouldn't have put it right at the top of my list. Maybe in 6th or 7th place... :smile:

That sounds about right, maybe I'd have it slightly higher. Probably as 5th. Though so far I didn't waste a thought about ranking them
I know though which one would have been my #16 on such a list and Trump is already leading McLeod by 3-0...

[cueman]

The table in the bottom half of the draw is certainly playing a lot harder than the other table. It seems much slower which is making the pockets play tighter and generally the standard of scoring has been much lower.

Watching Trump v McLeod and its noticeable how much hard work it is even for Trump to move the balls around. Wonder if this is a deliberate ploy to help the top half players play better as on paper they are more entertaining?

[Billy]

I just cracked up watching the taxi thing with Ding.

SD: "Have you heard the word 'bucket list'?
DJ: "Buck list?"
SD: "Bucket list. Bucket... it's like a.. thing that.. it's a bucket."

:congratulatory:

[JimMalone]

The table in the bottom half of the draw is certainly playing a lot harder than the other table. It seems much slower which is making the pockets play tighter and generally the standard of scoring has been much lower.

Watching Trump v McLeod and its noticeable how much hard work it is even for Trump to move the balls around. Wonder if this is a deliberate ploy to help the top half players play better as on paper they are more entertaining?

That seems pretty improbable. If anything they would make it for the bottom half a bit easier, so those players can entertain the spectators as well. Don't think this happens, just saying that you could see it this way as well.

But tables don't play always the same. I remember last year was also much noise about the cushions of one table were extremely strange (which I think was fixed later in the tournament).

[Byrom]

Stuart Carrington made 3 centuries back to back - got to say not many players have done that at the Crucible.

[cueman]

That seems pretty improbable. If anything they would make it for the bottom half a bit easier, so those players can entertain the spectators as well. Don't think this happens, just saying that you could see it this way as well.

But tables don't play always the same. I remember last year was also much noise about the cushions of one table were extremely strange (which I think was fixed later in the tournament).

Well its hard to argue that the other table isn't playing easier though. I looked at the century break list and on this table there has been just 7 tons, and 16 on the other table. Even Stuart Carrington, not a prolific scorer made 3 consecutive tons today on that table, so far the highest break Trump has made, 55, the leading century break builder this season.

I just find it hard to believe that considering the cloth all comes from the same roll that the tables can play so differently. Something is amiss, this table is certainly playing tighter, how can that be!

And to make matters worse they reclothed the cushions which is making it difficult to judge the pace as the bed is quick and the cushions bouncing less. World snooker are bloody idiots, you have to change the bed if you change the cloth on the cushions!

[JohnF14722]

Well its hard to argue that the other table isn't playing easier though. I looked at the century break list and on this table there has been just 7 tons, and 16 on the other table. Even Stuart Carrington, not a prolific scorer made 3 consecutive tons today on that table, so far the highest break Trump has made, 55, the leading century break builder this season.

I just find it hard to believe that considering the cloth all comes from the same roll that the tables can play so differently. Something is amiss, this table is certainly playing tighter, how can that be!

Even though the tables are meant to be the same there will always be some difference. I think if anything the other table is just playing really easy, some of the balls that have gone in on there have flabbergasted me, in both the middle and corner pockets.

[JimMalone]

Ding is through. Not as good in the second session as in the first. Hope he can lift his game.

[cueman]

McLeod is having such a run of the ball today. Can genuinely see him winning this, the pressure of everyone talking up Trump winning the title maybe getting to him.