Masters 2018

[andy-w]

Disappointed! 😩

[MrRottweiler]

I missed the match but glad Higgins won and fingers crossed he will get to the final. I'll make sure the fridge is full of Guinness for that.

[andy-w]

You need Mcewan’s Export - not Guinness!! 🍺

[MrRottweiler]

You need Mcewan’s Export - not Guinness!! ��

Guinness has become like a tradition for a final but I'm always open to new ideas I have to admit I don't do it as much now but in the 90s when Higgins getting to a final was common I would treat it like the Superbowl and plan everything carefully. Sometimes even taking the Monday off work hoping it would be a late finish with vast amounts of ale and hot dog sausages consumed.

[Billy]

So it´s Trump - Wilson and Allen - Higgins. I find it hard to pick a favorit there, except I think Kyren Wilson has to play a lot better than yesterday if he´s going any further.

Trump doesn't respond well to being attacked, and that's exactly what Wilson will be doing.

[JimMalone]

So it´s Trump - Wilson and Allen - Higgins. I find it hard to pick a favorit there, except I think Kyren Wilson has to play a lot better than yesterday if he´s going any further.

Two interesting semifinals indeed. My guess is that Trump will prevail though. In the other semi I really don't know. Gut feeling is that Mark Allen will go all the way this time and will the title.

[P.Smith]

I'm hoping it's Trump's year this time. I thought the same in 2016 though...

[Odrl]

It should be a good weekend of snooker. :smile:

Allen and Higgins have had a great rivalry over the years, with a pretty even head-to-head record. Allen prevailed all three times they've met in the Masters, including a very high-quality game last year. Higgins, however, won their most recent meeting, 13-9 in the last16 of the World Championship last season. I thought that was really harsh on Allen actually, because he was easily among the best players in that tournament, but he ran into such an inspired opponent relatively early on. There has been some quality snooker from both of them this week... When players beat O'Sullivan on the big stage, there is always a danger they will underperform the following round, because they feel like the most difficult work has already been done. I hope Allen is experienced enough now not to let that happen to him. If he plays one-visit stuff like he did for most of the match against O'Sullivan, he can hold his own against anyone left in the tournament. Higgins had a pretty easy game last night, so it remains to be seen how he will react when someone plays really well against him. He does tend to raise his game at the business end of tournaments though, so I think he will be fine. I would fancy Higgins in a two-session match, but a best-of-11 against these two could go either way. Higgins to win 6-5.

Trump against Wilson is a much less common pairing, although their one and only match of note was of course the Shanghai Masters final a couple of seasons ago, which Wilson won 10-9. I'm not sure what to expect here... Trump is the sort of player who can produce an uninspired performance from time to time, perhaps putting himself under pressure a little once he reaches the business end of an event. He is the better player at this point in time, but Wilson is not an easy player to crack, and Trump doesn't really have that "Selby quality" of enjoying close and tense battles. I think Wilson is a little better at that, as his cringeworthy nickname suggests, so I can see this one going either way. I think the fact it's an afternoon session will suit Trump better though, so I'll go for Trump to win 6-4.

Bring it on. :smile:

[ADR147]

Trump doesn't respond well to being attacked, and that's exactly what Wilson will be doing.

I agree - actually I think Wilson might win it.

[Shockerz]

I howled at the wasp incident, not because of Murphy's antics, but when JV said, "On a more serious note, if the wasp does catch you and stings you in the eye..."

I was there and it was pretty light hearted, the wasp definitely had it in for Murphy and it was edited a bit shorter!.

[Shockerz]

I've been up to the Master for the last 2 days and watched all the quarter final matches.

If you haven't been to the Masters I'd give it a go. The venue is great and the atmosphere superb and plenty going on outside the arena with snooker coaches.

They do a great job up jeeing the crowd up.

Tickets in sale already for next year!

[DeanH]

I've been up to the Master for the last 2 days and watched all the quarter final matches.

If you haven't been to the Masters I'd give it a go. The venue is great and the atmosphere superb and plenty going on outside the arena with snooker coaches.

They do a great job up jeeing the crowd up.

Tickets in sale already for next year!

great crowds in for every session every day through the week, it was difficult to see an empty seat!
been a while since we could say that through weekdays

[Odrl]

A big thanks to Eurosport for not covering the semi-finals of the Masters. We have highlights of yesterday's Bundesliga match on one channel, and a repeat of women's biathlon on the other. Makes sense...

[Rane]

A big thanks to Eurosport for not covering the semi-finals of the Masters. We have highlights of yesterday's Bundesliga match on one channel, and a repeat of women's biathlon on the other. Makes sense...

AGTV on facebook covers it.

[P.Smith]

Interesting. Judd almost guaranteed to go 2-0 up and gets a horrendous kick gifting kyren the frame. Shame that the most crucial part of the match so far is decided by a kick...