2019 World Snooker Championship

[alabadi]

i was at the Higgins Vs Bingham match, although i was routing for Higgins i think he got lucky. had Bingham took his chances he would have won comfortably. he got in first almost every frame at the night session, he kept breaking down on 50 or 60 and then Higgins mops up.
if Robbo gets in first with the same frequency , he wont mess up, he could surge clear. He's in such good form that he can win comfortably.
the only way i can see Higgins winning if he ups his game and cuts out silly mistakes plus Robbo would have to play with a bit less consistency than he has so far.

[Neil Taperell]

That sort of two step mumbling stumbling shuffle he does pre-shot bugs me when watching him, I cant un-see it now !!!

That and the rubbing the shaft with his hand pre shot routine [ which virtually every one does now ] drives me nuts ……...can't watch him play .

Ever since Ronnie started with cue wxxking ……….every bugger down the club now does it as well

[Odrl]

All in all, it was a very interesting 2nd round. The quality was different from match to match, some were fantastic, others mediocre, but 7 of the 8 matches were at 9-7 or 8-8 after the second session, which was great to see. :smile: Now, onto the quarter-finals...

Kyren Wilson v. David Gilbert: A repeat of the German Masters final this season, which was a close and high quality match, with Wilson prevailing 9-7 in the end. I'm expecting something similar over three sessions here. Wilson definitely had the toughest 2nd round opponent of all the quarter-finalists, but he played fantastically in the second half of the match and proved that his game and mentality are well suited to the longer format. Apart from maybe taking too long to warm up at times, I don't really see any weakness in his game at the moment. He competed with Hawkins in every department and even finished the match with two big breaks. He is also the more experienced in three-session matches, and he has become a common presence at the business end of the WC now, with four QF appearances in a row. Gilbert has been very solid himself in this tournament, winning both of his matches with a few frames to spare, without any fireworks. I was impressed by how he finished his match against Williams, taking his chances without much fuss, especially when you look back to how he had lost the World Open final at the start of the season. I think Gilbert will probably give Wilson a good game here, but I think Wilson is just the more solid player at the moment, in every element of the game. I will stick with my pre-tournament prediction in this quarter and go for Wilson to win, 13-9.

Neil Robertson v. John Higgins: I always look forward to this matchup after their many memorable matches in the past. I think Robertson is definitely winning that rivalry at the moment though, and I think he is the stronger player at this point in time as well. He is the only player who has breezed through the first two rounds without ever looking like losing, and his 2nd round match finished a while ago, so he should be fresh for tomorrow. Higgins, on the other hand, had a real battle tonight, and it was clear towards the end that he was running out of energy a little, so his poor physical fitness might prove to be his downfall in the second part of this tournament. It was great to see him making those two clearances to go 11-9 up tonight though, it was the kind of stuff Higgins regularly does when he is at the top of his game, so it was just a little reminder that he can still play to a high standard when he finds his form, just like he did last year and the year before. Who knows, Robertson has become the big favourite to win the title in many people's opinion, so the pressure on him has definitely increased now. It wouldn't be the first time for him to play his best snooker in the early rounds, then fail to reproduce it at the business end of the event. I have a feeling the real test for him will be against Wilson though, not Higgins. Robertson to win 13-10.

Ali Carter v. Gary Wilson: This one should be interesting to see, with just the one match between them in the past, Wilson winning 6-4 in the China Open last season. Wilson actually said that he wasn't quite playing at his best after beating Selby, but I don't know how much more he can possibly expect from himself. He took his chances very well and won without any fuss, much like Gilbert did against Williams. For me, Carter played much worse in his win over Zhou Yuelong, and it was kind of amusing to watch all of his sarcastic head shaking when things were going against him. :smile: He still came through with some decent snooker when he needed it most though, and there is no doubt he has a huge edge in experience in this matchup. And of course he is the superior player as well, although not necessarily this week. Carter to win 13-11.

Judd Trump v. Stephen Maguire: As I said before, it was nice to see Trump fighting like he did tonight. Most of the match was a real struggle for him, but he stuck in there until he finally found some form. Clearly he is not going to win this Championship unless he raises his game a level or two, but he is still in the tournament, so he has every chance of doing just that. I'm sure he was expecting to play O'Sullivan in the QF, so meeting Maguire instead is a bit of a bonus for him, but then again, he has a better record against O'Sullivan than he does against Maguire. :smile: I don't know why, but Maguire always seems to play some of his best snooker against Trump, and he rarely has those episodes of rage that cost him so dearly in other matches. He should have been out against Tian in the 1st round in all honesty, but after fluking his way to a victory there, he really has nothing to lose now. Everything he does for the rest of the tournament is a bonus. If Trump is slightly out of sorts again, I'm sure Maguire will sense his chance and make it a real battle. The pressure will definitely be on his opponent. Yet again I will stick to my pre-tournament prediction and go for Trump to come through, 13-12. :smile:

Fun couple of days coming up. :smile:

[mikeyd100]

Hey don't you go badmouthing my lovely Hazel now...

Spoke to her a few years ago when I went to the Crucible.
I used to think she was kinda cute before but her face is plastered in make up when close up !!

[mikeyd100]

I don't know why but I can't stand watching Kyren Wilson play for long... I'm just getting bored. Also I don't like his general demeanor. So... go Barry!

That sort of two step mumbling stumbling shuffle he does pre-shot bugs me when watching him, I cant un-see it now !!!

[qc2]

Ding went in full Ding mode tonight

[DeanH]

Alam’s Just said Higgins will be back tomorrow to play Robbo. The BBC website says they play Wednesday?

Ignore me.

yep tomorrow, 1430

[bobmikeking]

Alam’s Just said Higgins will be back tomorrow to play Robbo. The BBC website says they play Wednesday?

World Snooker site says the tomorrow at 14:30

[fkhan]

Well done Higgins, another step towards that trophy.

[Billy]

Alam’s Just said Higgins will be back tomorrow to play Robbo. The BBC website says they play Wednesday?

Ignore me.

[Philthepockets]

Convinced Ding hates playing JT

[jrc750]

When Jud won that first frame tonight, especially in the manner in which he did, I said to myself “13 - 9 to Jud” and stuck on a dvd instead. Is that what it finished by the way?

It did indeed, Judd rattled off 6 in a row

[fkhan]

I don’t know why Ding bothers to play snooker , he looks like he can’t be bothered and doesn’t enjoy the game .

I do not see Ding winning a world title in his career.

[Billy]

I don’t know why Ding bothers to play snooker , he looks like he can’t be bothered and doesn’t enjoy the game .

When Jud won that first frame tonight, especially in the manner in which he did, I said to myself “13 - 9 to Jud” and stuck on a dvd instead. Is that what it finished by the way?

[Billy]

Maybe she's been put out by the arrival of the new sexy bird

I don’t think she is (sexy). Hazel’s far more attractive.

Hey don't you go badmouthing my lovely Hazel now...

I’m doing anything but. It’s just not the same when Hazel’s not hosting.