John Higgins V Stephen Maguire

[Aggrolite]

JH always has been good friends with luck... I remember the recent finals with Ronnie... sometimes it was almost surreal...

Which are you referring too? The 9-2 trouncing with 4 concecutive centuries or the amazing clearence at 9-9 in the Masters?

[Wim]

4 frames ahead for Maguire, starting to reflect his supremacy - A dream final against Selby on its way given this semi finals ?

[PaulTheSoave]

Higgins was off in the long potting department, but it does not take anything away from Maguire. His long pottings were incredible and reminded me of O'Sullivans class at The Masters 2005. Top class!

Paul from Sheffield.

[moondan]

In an earlier post I said Maguire wasnt exactly on fire, How wrong can you be?
I dont think its over yet but John has got to up his game.
Fantastic snooker and its Hard to see the final living up to this match.
This has been a match for the purists.

[Marc]

Higgins is off today. This is not good news. If he loses, it means Selby must beat Murphy, or Murphy is world number 1.

COME ON HIGGINS AND/OR SELBY!

Murphy at world number 1 will be unbearable for a day nevermind a year

Hopefully this will not happen otherwise snooker will suffer badly

[RaNeN]

Why do I feel John is going to win???
I hope I am wrong!

Go anybody except Murphy!!!!

[Maija]

Ever so tense, this match, but we have seen some absolutely brilliant play from both Higgins and Maguire.

I think Mags will win, unless his temper runs away with him, should John start his comeback and slowly but surely take control of the match. John has to find his long potting, he had some horrible attempts of long pots yesterday. The way he is banking on his tactical safety play to eventually be that one little percent better than Mags', he really must take the chances that are presented to him. His "frame-stealing" hasn't worked wonders, either, like it did against Ronnie. All in all, it might come down to Mags being more hungry for the title, he certainly looks ready to win it. It would be absolutely well-earned if John won it again, he should have more than one world title, but I doubt it'll happen this year after all :/

@moondan: Yes, he is, and he has been for a little while. His last session against Hamilton, for instance, was sheer class.


(And C'MON SELBY!! 9-11 - you can do it!)

[Nina]

Go anybody except Murphy!!!!

LOL! Yes, that's pretty much the spirit, not fair to the other players though, is it?

[Wim]

Why do I feel John is going to win???
I hope I am wrong!

Go anybody except Murphy!!!!

Well JH is lucky he is 'only' 4 frames behind. Maguire definitely the better player with nice long pots and attacking play. But said earlier in this thread and not only by me he already proved that on such occasions 'luck', the roll of the balls, can be on his side so that 's why we feel he still can win. I would still prefer an attacking Magure in the final . He will stop Murphy if Selby already didn't, though I have nothing agaisnt Murphy or any other player personnaly.

[missneworleans]

Yeah well work Maguire, and if not his unluck it could be 15-9 easily! I think he will win today!

[WALTER-ITALY]

another 147 miss for John..but this century are the 999th in Crucible history..who will make the 1000th?

[Aggrolite]

Well JH is lucky he is 'only' 4 frames behind. Maguire definitely the better player with nice long pots and attacking play. But said earlier in this thread and not only by me he already proved that on such occasions 'luck', the roll of the balls, can be on his side so that 's why we feel he still can win. I would still prefer an attacking Magure in the final . He will stop Murphy if Selby already didn't, though I have nothing agaisnt Murphy or any other player personnaly.

Luck spreads itself out, as Maguire has found this session already. Frame 3, at least 4 awful shots, and he's got away with all of them.

[Maija]

John has woken up, though. He has already taken two great frames; one steal and then the 147 attempt. Mags is not really doing all too well so far today.

This match is alive and kicking!

[Nuieve]

it looks like JH is going to snatch the match... if he does so, I bet he'll be a champion again...

[Erwan_BZH]

Come on John !!!!

If he can storm back and grab the 4 frames of this sessions (and he just needs one more to do so), he will have taken a huge mental edge on Steven.

What a wonderful game anyway!