2017 World Championship - Main Event

[PatBlock]

That you can't cite a single source tells a story.

Are you calling me a liar?

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[Dark]

Two excellent breaks by Ding, he is going nowhere, I expect Selby to win eventually but Ding is going to fight it out until the end. He needs to continue making excellent frame winning breaks to be in with a chance.

[magpie1892]

Are you calling me a liar?

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If you believe what you say to be true, then no, you're not a liar.

I question, however, the validity of your facts which is why I was looking for a citation.

You can't provide one, and I don't believe what you say to be accurate, but that doesn't make you a liar as per my first sentence.

[PatBlock]

If you believe what you say to be true, then no, you're not a liar.

I question, however, the validity of your facts which is why I was looking for a citation.

You can't provide one, and I don't believe what you say to be accurate, but that doesn't make you a liar as per my first sentence.

Oh, so it's my sanity you're questioning? LOL OK, fair enough.

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[narl]

. Playing very thin off a red in order to not open the balls up is a xxxxx game. Every player could play like that and its not a skill, its deliberate cagey snooker to stop the game from ever opening up. .

Bahaha, nearly spat my tea out while reading that.

[magpie1892]

Oh, so it's my sanity you're questioning? LOL OK, fair enough.

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LOL. I think it's a moot point now. The discussion here seems to have mutated into what separates 'negative' and 'tactical' play.

[jrc750]

Bahaha, nearly spat my tea out while reading that.

Exactly ! Surely that's the point of playing safe ? ie not to leave your opponent a chance lol

[narl]

Exactly ! Surely that's the point of playing safe ? ie not to leave your opponent a chance lol

Was referring to the type of game he called it Selby is notorious for this kind of thing though, he just slows everything down, messes the balls up and slowly picks them off.

[Neil Taperell]

I'm not advocating no safety play and the drama of a tense match is great. However the problem I have is negative play which is what we are seeing this morning. Even the commentators have mentioned it and usually they never criticise Selby. Playing very thin off a red in order to not open the balls up is a XXXX's game. Every player could play like that and its not a skill, its deliberate cagey snooker to stop the game from ever opening up. Good tactics and safety is opening up the balls, forcing your opponent into a pot and letting the actual skill of potting balls which is really what the game should be about. Safety and tactics have their place, but when its at the expense of balls being potted there really isn't much point.

User banned for one month for inappropriate language .

[Ronnie's tip]

Ding has just landed 3 amazing snookers in a row and got nothing out of it. Selby is by far the best i have ever seen at getting out of those and turning the tables.

[PatBlock]

LOL. I think it's a moot point now. The discussion here seems to have mutated into what separates 'negative' and 'tactical' play.

Beauty and negativity are both in the eye of the beholder.

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[billabong]

That was no tactical play, it was negative play from Selby, just to rattle Ding. Cueman was absolutelly spot on with his comments. It is a big difference between tactic and negative.
Of course..if you are a big Selby fan you will do and say anything to defend his crap.

If we are to believe the "experts & coaches", a great % of this lovely game involves what's going on in your head ( and your opponent's ), rather than just the pure mechanical process.

That being so, anyone trying to succeed at the game would be missing out on a great deal of material to take advantage of, by not playing mind games to some degree.

I think that's true of most sports.

[narl]

Ding has just landed 3 amazing snookers in a row and got nothing out of it. Selby is by far the best i have ever seen at getting out of those and turning the tables.

He's also the best at making me want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty Spork.

[richo]

Ronnie, Hendry, Davies and Higgo in their respective pomps would have potted their way out the 'Selby Style' and Davis would certainly have had the mental strength as well as the game to beat him. Selby's just the best out there at the moment. We just have to wait for another prodigy to emerge. I thought it was going to be Trump but he's flattered to deceive.

Ding showed last night he's got the game, but the question marks about his mental fragility over the long course remain - in my opinion.

Great post. Selby is the strongest right now, but I have been watching snooker 30 years and leaving Ronnie to one side who is a different player, in their prime, Hendry, Davis and John Higgins I feel would beat Selby at his own game fairly comfortably. He is a top player, but not a great.

[magpie1892]

Beauty and negativity are both in the eye of the beholder.

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Indeed. Be a boring world if we all shared the same opinion.