World Championship 2006

[RaNeN]

Count down to world championship 2006.......17 days to go.
Tell us about who you think will be the world champion this year.
Let us know who will make it to the quarters(top 8).
and anything else you want us to know about the world championship.

[RaNeN]

Oh I forgot to tell you my top 8.
1)Steve Davis(I hope he beats Murphy)
2)Peter Ebdon
3)Ken Doherty
4)Marco Fu
5)Stephen Hendry
6)Stephen Lee
7)John Higgins
8)Ronnie O'Sullivan

I am sure Ronnie will bounce back in form.....he needs to.
I dont even know whats wrong with him....I least read some kinda injury in the gym.....is that right?

[Robert602]

He apparantly sprained his wrist slightly a while ago, he had it bandaged up for the Welsh Open but there was no sign of damage when he played in China.

My top 8, in order:

John Higgins (great season)
Ronnie O'Sullivan (great talent)
Stephen Hendry (great)
Mark Williams (coming back to form)
Ken Doherty (ditto)
Shaun Murphy (world champ, extraordinary potter)
Matthew Stevens (crucible man, top 16 spot to salvage)
Neil Robertson (got a feeling about him)

Obviously due to the draw they cant all get as far as the quarters, so my quarter final predictions are:

QF1: Murphy-White (White's ranking situation should motivate him past Gray and Ebdon, neither of which have been good this season)
QF2: Doherty-Maguire (weakest quarter imo, but I'll go with these two)
QF3: Hendry-Robertson (could be Hendry-Carter)
QF4: Higgins-O'Sullivan (looking forward to this one)

I hope Davis beats Murphy too, but after the thrashing he got last year I can't really see it happening. Murphy's very aggressive and difficult to lure into a tactical game. To beat him, Davis would have to score heavily whenever Murphy pushes the boat out, and he'd have to be on excellent form for that.

Last year, it was impossible to feel it would go to anyone other than Ronnie. He was a league ahead of everyone else, and I'm sure if he'd had a more 'normal' quarter final he'd have gone on to defend his title. This year, it's far more open.

Higgins started excellently. Since then he's been consistently 'good' but not brilliant. Williams is coming back to form, but I don't think he's quite there yet (and he has the toughest draw imaginable). Ronnie always has it in him if he's in the right mood. And then there's Hendry waiting in the wings, who I feel has his best chance in a long time. That's one half of the draw. The other is definately weaker. Murphy/Doherty/Stevens/Hawkins and even Davis are in with a shout in that top half. Whoever comes through the easier half will probably be a lot more fresh for the final, but then the bottom half has some higher quality players who are going to have had to have played some great snooker to get through.

Ach, so difficult to call, and I'm in serious danger of overanalysing the situation, so I'll leave it there.

[cueman]

My quarter final predictions are -

QF1 Murphy vs Ebdon - I think Murphy should come through the opening two matches, regardless who he plays out of Davis v Hicks. Ebdon always steps up his game for the WC, remember last year against Ronnie!

QF2 Stevens vs McManus - I think if Stevens wins his opening match he is likely to go on a run again, the Crucible brings the best out of him. McManus has a fairly easy draw, FU has done nothing all season, Maguire and King have struggled too so I can see him getting through to the QF.

QF3 Hendry vs Robertson - Can't see anything other than these two making it through, maybe Lee may beat Robertson but thats how I see it.

QF4 Williams vs O'Sullivan - I think Higgins may be suffering with losing his last two finals, thats why I see Williams making it through. O'Sullivan has a fairly easy draw and unless there is a major shock he is an absolute cert for the quarters IMO.

For me it boils down to two things, firstly if Higgins should beat Williams then I fancy him to get to the final, if not then Ronnie should make it through, the only player I can see beating Ronnie would be Higgins.
In the other half, Murphy on paper has an easier draw, if he gets past Ebdon (if he plays him) I can see him reaching the final again. However, my prediction is Ebdon vs O'Sullivan final.

My predictions are terrible though, and this is likely to be the year of shocks in every match!

[RaNeN]

16 Days To Go!!!!!!!

[RaNeN]

15 Days To Go!!!!!

[RaNeN]

I thought this would be a HOT topic since the world champs is about to begin. Very few people have selected thier top 8 players. Is something wrong arent you people interested in snooker anymore?

[cueman]

chill out ranen, I think people will have more interest when the championship is nearly about to start. If they are anything like me though, I bet they hate making predictions as usually they go wrong. In fact, I'm convinced I put a jinx on anyone I back for success!

[reverse_side]

seconded; the whiff of the chinese open is still in the nostrills and we'll be cranking up the posts when we get nearer the 15th; don't worry so.(is anyone else's text formatting unavailable? we're in the final of the doubles handicap - get in; newkie brown and a half pint pot - get in more!)

[RaNeN]

14 Days To GO!!!!!!!!!!

[RaNeN]

13 Days To Go!!!!!!!

[RaNeN]

12 Days To Go!!!!!!!!

[RaNeN]

11 Days To Go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RaNeN]

10 Days To Go!!!!!!!!

[reverse_side]

http://ep.laboremus.ws/registration.asp?comp=2006 for a free prediction contest on snooker.org. I've put mine up, Ranen's done his... along with 318 other people.