Grand Prix format...

[murdock]

Hi everyone.

Apologies if this has been discussed to death already (I briefly looked for another thread on this topic but couldn't find one) but what is everyone's opinion on the format of the Grand Prix?

I believe that it's a slightly desperate ploy to increase snooker's popularity and the low number of frames in each match is going to lead to lots of random results. I guess I'm a bit of a traditionalist and like to see matches with lots of frames (as the best player would win most of the time). I'd be interested to hear other people's views, though...

[dannyd0g]

Hi everyone.

Apologies if this has been discussed to death already (I briefly looked for another thread on this topic but couldn't find one) but what is everyone's opinion on the format of the Grand Prix?

I believe that it's a slightly desperate ploy to increase snooker's popularity and the low number of frames in each match is going to lead to lots of random results. I guess I'm a bit of a traditionalist and like to see matches with lots of frames (as the best player would win most of the time). I'd be interested to hear other people's views, though...

Dott was of the same opinion in a recent interview saying he thought anyone could beat anyone with these short matches.. However, as there are several matches, and judging by the qualifying rounds this was largely not the case - ie only the best players or at least the most inform players in general came through. Maybe one or 2 exceptions but that seemed to be the case.

In fact it could be argued that the round robin system is actually more fair than a single knockout match.

[rambon]

My particular opinion is, where possible sports need to vary their formats to prevent things going stale:

Golf does it with Matchplay and Strokeplay and team formats, but not enough in my opinion, though that's another story

Snooker does it to a certain degree with longer format for the Worlds, and this Round Robin, plus Pot Black and the Premier League. The World Team Cup plus a doubles tournament would be good additions for that reason (again in my opinion).

The cream will rise to the top whatever the format of the game (if it can be bothered to rise to the top...)

Let's reserve judgement till after the tournament (or after the round robin phase anyway). Personally though, I can't wait for it to start!

[murdock]

Maybe you're right.

However, I just look at the number of shocks you get in first to five frame matches as opposed to first to ten frame matches and it makes me wonder how random first to three frames would be. A player would only need a bit of luck and a match could be over very quickly.

[rambon]

Well there certainly seem to be some fresh names at this stage of a tournament, which could be due to the randomness of the format, or simply due to the fact that they were less tense due to them always having another chance if things were to go wrong...

[dannyd0g]

Maybe you're right.

However, I just look at the number of shocks you get in first to five frame matches as opposed to first to ten frame matches and it makes me wonder how random first to three frames would be. A play would only need a bit of luck and a match could be over very quickly.

Yes if it was just 1 match it could be very random. But because there are 6 matches, most of the randomness gets evened out - at least judging by the qualifying round anyway.

[murdock]

Yes, you may be right. We'll just have to see when it gets started, won't we? I wouldn't be surprised if we had a few shocks...

[chasmmi]

Would anyone have had a problem if this was just an experimental invitation event a bit like pot black. Then it would have just been or the entertainment value.

I think maybe some people are not keen on this format being used for a ranking event. Especially as it is untried.

[hegeland]

I think it's a great idea. It will be more decisive and thus more fair to the players, as they will have more frames to play.

[edinmis]

I think it is a good format, and believe it is fair for everybody. Especially it will give the low ranked player more chances to play with the top player.

Given the limited number of tournament today, the low ranked player has only very few chances to play with a player from top 16. It is very difficult for them to develp the match practice and experience which is required to win a tournament.

When a low ranked player can qualify from the first group stage, he will have chances to play at least 2 players in top 16 in front of TV. that will be certainly very helpful for them.

[rambon]

As I said, the more formats that are tried the better in my opinion; the World's best snooker player should be judged over all lengths of matches, from best of 5 to best of 35 and covering all lengths in between....

[murdock]

I agree to an extent, but surely the lower number of frames you have the more random it'll be? It's bound to be. I mean, you could take it to an extreme and have a competition where the winner is the first person to pot a ball. I reckon even I could beat Ronnie O'Sullivan about one time in a thousand in that format!

[hegeland]

I agree to an extent, but surely the lower number of frames you have the more random it'll be?

I don't understand? There are more frames this time than compared to a regular competition. Usually the winner of a ranking event have to win 30 frames. This time it's 40 frames.

[murdock]

Yes, but normally they would be spread over far fewer matches. Yes, you may have to win more frames overall to win the tournament, but a lot of those are first to three frames. So you have to play a lot more matches, but in each one, you have very little time to find your feet and play yourself in - my fear is that all of these first to three framers will produce lots of shock results. Granted, once you get to the last 16 stage you would expect the natural order to be restored, but I wouldn't be surprised if a fair few of the top 16 don't make it to the last 16 stage. I guess we'll find out in the next few days!

[hegeland]

Personally I think spreading out the frames on more matches is better because then you will have a chance of improving if you dont get going in one match. We'll have to agree to disagree, I think. Like you said, time will tell.