NI Trophy Semi-finals discussion

[thunder]

Best match I watched so far at NIT :snooker:

[jaguarf1]

damn, Carter, how could you miss the last red.

[Rane]

Stupid shot from Carter. He could get 100 frames advantage, and ROS would still win. Its a mental thing.

And then this miss and of cause it´s hanging in front of the hole, so it´s easy to wrap up the match for O`Sullivan. I think O´Sullivan should relay on his game tomorrow the luck must be used up the past two days.

[Gothic35]

Ali bottles it against Ronnie yet again . He should have gone for that last red as soon as possible then their wouldn't have been as much pressure on it.

[rivercard]

Yes, this surely is a mental problem for Carter.. He tried to stay positive in the decider, and it looked like it paid off, but that last red (frame ball really) cost him. Ronnie did well to pot that red from a cushion and finish on the black, the rest was formality.

I'm looking forward to the final, should be interesting.

[Maija]

I disagree. This wasn't Ali bottling it against ROS yet again. This was Ali fighting every inch, he was just plain unlucky with the last red. A very bad point to be unlucky, but still. He fought back, and props to him for that.

Next time, Ali. Next time!

[toupihiggins]

didn;t look as Carter's problem was a mental one...but the last ball was difficult
imo Carter did nothing wrong..i'm very curios about the press conf

[Wim]

Osullivan didn't play too well this week. So I m not convinced the final tomorrow will be easy. And Carter well he didn't do again did he.

[toupihiggins]

Osullivan didn't play too well this week. So I m not convinced the final tomorrow will be easy. And Carter well he didn't do again did he.

didn't play good? maybe u forgot the last 3 frames from the first game..or the third game with hawkins or the 6-7 50+ breaks he made this evening...i don't know what is your definition for playing good then....he;s not a robot

[TheStranger]

I think this match is exactly what most people wished the Crucible final last year was like between these two very men!

Now, on to tomorrow...as Fergal O'Brien noted on TG4, "it's like cabbage and apples" as far as the relative styles of Harold and the Rocket are concerned. In a sense, it reminds me of another classic matchup, the Grinder and Alex Higgins at the 1980 world championships - except Higgins' showmanship was what cost him the match, while it will come down to Ronnie's psyche and determination here.

[rivercard]

This was Ali fighting every inch, he was just plain unlucky with the last red.

I wouldn't call that unlucky. If you get a kick, or your opponent flukes frame ball that is unlucky. Carter missed a tough shot at a crucial time, so he now lost 10 out of 10 against Ronnie. If that's not a mental barrier than I don't know what is. But yes Ali played very well today, and he could (maybe should) have won a match against Ronnie finally. This also might have been the best match of the tournament so far.

[Wim]

didn't play good? maybe u forgot the last 3 frames from the first game..or the third game with hawkins or the 6-7 50+ breaks he made this evening...i don't know what is your definition for playing good then....he;s not a robot

Fair point, he' s not a robot; I guess when you talk about Osullivan you always expect something 'exceptional'.

[adrift]

That last red was very tough and the pressure of knowing that it was the ball that could beat ROS must have been immense. Carter played well overall. Has he speeded his game since last season?

[Miss Walker]

My first post in a year - wow

Anyhoodle, Ali should have won the match, and I say this as a ROS-fan. Ronnie was extremely lucky to get this. I wish Ali had shown this type of play during the WC final, we would all have been a bit more happy.

As for tomorrow, I have no idea what will happen - I can see either Dave Harold or ROS winning this. Incidentily, my uncle is called Harold. Uargh.

[Maija]

Miss Walker!! GREAT to see you again!

Incidentily, my uncle is called Harold.

As long as he's not called Bob - or Bob Harold ;-)