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The snooker season starts early this year with qualifying for the Northern Ireland Trophy starting later this week. Three of our local Northern Snooker Centre boys are playing in it - Kuldesh Johal, Peter Lines and David Grace and they should all give a good account of themselves and have a decent chance of qualifying for the event proper. Peter Lines has been playing particularly well in the Pontins World Pro-Am series beating Pinches and Bingham on the way to beating Trump in the final and David Grace has been in superlative form winning The European Championship, Pontins Open and English Amateur Championship recently. Johal has been particularly unlucky with his pre season preparation coming up against Judd Trump and Mark Allen but he is supposedly quite a talented player and should not be dismissed.
A few more to note -
Poor old Jimmy White has to beat 4 players to qualify. The first 29 year old Thai Atthasit Mahitthi he should beat but Paul Davies will not be an easy opponent followed by the improving Tom Ford and then Barry Hawkins.
Steve Davis only has to win one match but it won't be an easy one against either Wenbo (overrated IMHO), fellow vet David Roe or the aforementioned Peter Lines.
Judd trump has a fair chance to go through v Stephen Lee in the final round if he can beat Joyce or Wallace in the previous round.
Mark Williams shouldn't have a problem qualifying v Campbell/Delaney/Spick/Mehta.
Youngster Vinnie Muldoon is one to watch but don't really expect him to qualify against experienced players Couch,Norman, Dunn and finally McCulloch but he could well take a few scalps along the way.
Surprisingly Liu Chuang who took 5 frames off Ronnie in the first round of the World Champs has to play 4 rounds of qualifying and he has a reasonable chance of doing so v Saenla, Milkins, Gilbert and then Judge.
Ken Doherty may struggle to get straight back into the top 16 if he has to keep playing the likes of Gerrard Greene (presumably) to qualify.
Jamie Cope could be a shock non qualifier if our man David Grace can get past Simon Bedford, David Gray and Jimmy Michie to face him.
That will do me for now. "Lets get the boys on the baize!!". Ooh I've gone all giddy :snooker:
A few more to note -
Poor old Jimmy White has to beat 4 players to qualify. The first 29 year old Thai Atthasit Mahitthi he should beat but Paul Davies will not be an easy opponent followed by the improving Tom Ford and then Barry Hawkins.
Steve Davis only has to win one match but it won't be an easy one against either Wenbo (overrated IMHO), fellow vet David Roe or the aforementioned Peter Lines.
Judd trump has a fair chance to go through v Stephen Lee in the final round if he can beat Joyce or Wallace in the previous round.
Mark Williams shouldn't have a problem qualifying v Campbell/Delaney/Spick/Mehta.
Youngster Vinnie Muldoon is one to watch but don't really expect him to qualify against experienced players Couch,Norman, Dunn and finally McCulloch but he could well take a few scalps along the way.
Surprisingly Liu Chuang who took 5 frames off Ronnie in the first round of the World Champs has to play 4 rounds of qualifying and he has a reasonable chance of doing so v Saenla, Milkins, Gilbert and then Judge.
Ken Doherty may struggle to get straight back into the top 16 if he has to keep playing the likes of Gerrard Greene (presumably) to qualify.
Jamie Cope could be a shock non qualifier if our man David Grace can get past Simon Bedford, David Gray and Jimmy Michie to face him.
That will do me for now. "Lets get the boys on the baize!!". Ooh I've gone all giddy :snooker:
shame he was whitewashed in 47 seconds tho.
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