PTC Grand Finals

[coomsey76]

Well played Stephen Lee......

[Hal]

Great match, I am happy for Stephen, he seems like really nice guy .... And deserved it, cause of his results in last months ....

[jrc750]

Yep played very well

[PatBlock]

Not a big fan of the whitewash, always feels like someone's picked my pocket, but that was about as entertaining as they come. Nice to see Lee reaping the rewards of his persistence, wasn't he talking about retiring a year or two ago? So well done to him. Shame Robbo didn't really get going, but I believe he gave as good as he could on the night.

All in all, a very enjoyable four days snooker.

-

[gazza147]

Yes well done Stephen my Tip came in should have just Done Straight Bet on Him but Big Bet Now going on World Championship!!


Gaz.

[Mr Snooker]

Well done Stephen Lee definately one to watch in The China Open and World championships he is playing brilliant snooker at the moment

[cain29]

I am really disapointed cos i recorded last nights snooker on Eurosport with the intention of watching Ronnie's match this morning only to find he has pulled out YET AGAIN. What exactly is this 'health' issue he is having? Physical or mental? It had better be physical cos i have just about had enough of Ronnie not turning just cos he is 'depressed' and can't be bothered.

'Depressed' and can't be bothered are not the same thing. For you to suggest that his cited depression is merely a cover for him for not being bothered is laughable. Not because it is or isn't true but because how on earth would or could you possibly know what is going through his head or what is going on in his life, mentally or physically? All I am saying is that depression and any other mental illness should be given as much credence as any other affliction one may suffer. You would do well to remember that as it may placate your 'disappointment' when he can't attend an event in the future.

[ferret]

Here is the press release from World Snooker

Lee Takes Galway Glory


Stephen Lee won his first ranking event for six years by beating Neil Robertson 4-0 in the final of the Betfair Players Tour Championship Grand Finals in Galway, Ireland.


The 37-year-old from Trowbridge outplayed Masters champion Robertson at the Bailey Allen Hall to win the trophy and £70,000 top prize. It's the fifth ranking title of Lee's career and first since the 2006 Welsh Open.


Lee dropped out of the world's top 16 in 2008 and appeared to be in freefall down the rankings. But he has found a second wind in his career and is now pushing for a place among the top eight. Perhaps more than any other player, he has benefitted from the explosion in the number of tournaments on the snooker calendar over the past two years. By playing competitively week-in week-out, he has found fluency in his game and the results have followed.


Australia's Robertson saw his perfect record in televised finals broken as he lost for the first time in ten attempts. The 30-year-old Cambridge-based potter had to settle for the runner-up prize of £35,000.


A tense 47-minute opening frame came down to the colours, and it went to Lee as he trapped his opponent in a snooker on the green and from the chance that followed potted green, brown and blue.


Robertson had two clear scoring chances early in the second frame, but first missed the pink with the rest, then a red to a top corner. His second miss let Lee in for a run of 52 which proved enough for 2-0.


Again Robertson had the first opportunity in frame three, but he scored just 22 before running out of position. He later played a weak safety which let Lee in for a run of 47. A fantastic long pot from Lee on the last red sealed the frame and brought him to the brink of victory.


A break of 66 in frame four put Lee close to the winning line, and he potted the match-ball penultimate red only to see the cue ball drop into the opposite corner. Robertson cleared up to force a respotted black, but after a safety exchange he left the black over a middle pocket and a relieved Lee slotted it home for victory.


"I didn't let Neil get going, and in these short matches if you don't settle in the first couple of frames then you can lose 4-0," said Lee, who has been the world's most consistent player in recent weeks and reached the final of the Haikou World Open earlier this month before losing 10-1 to Mark Allen. "It’s a cracking feeling, it makes all the hard work and travelling worthwhile.


"A big thanks goes to Barry Hearn because he’s got all the lads buzzing about the game again. I knew I was good enough, I just couldn’t cope with playing six tournaments a year. There was so much pressure on every event and it was a horrible feeling.


"The game is in a great situation now and I just wish I was ten years younger. I’ve got the belief in myself back and I've beaten top players which is very satisfying. I appreciate it more now I’m older."


Robertson said: "The first frame set the tone, I had chances to win it but just couldn't take them. All the other frames were similar, I just lost the cue ball or missed something tricky when I was in the balls. Stephen's safety must be the best in the world at the moment and the way he's been playing recently it would have been a travesty if he hadn't won a tournament. Good on him because he looked dead and buried a few years ago but he has resurrected his career.


"It's disappointing to lose a final but it doesn't feel as bad as I thought it would. I've won nine out of ten finals which is still a good record."


The Grand Finals was the culmination of the PTC series which featured 12 other tournaments across the UK and Europe.

Stephen Lee.jpg

[SnookerFan]

Didn't see the final, but glad Lee won. The ways he's playing this season he deserved a title.

It'd be good to see him win in China too.

[daffie]

Not a big fan of the whitewash, always feels like someone's picked my pocket, but that was about as entertaining as they come. Nice to see Lee reaping the rewards of his persistence, wasn't he talking about retiring a year or two ago? So well done to him. Shame Robbo didn't really get going, but I believe he gave as good as he could on the night. All in all, a very enjoyable four days snooker. -

Agreed. Very well done to Stephen Lee...he really deserved a title win. It's also somewhat good & sobering for Neil to loose his first final. I have enjoyed this PTC Grand final very much, much more than any other tournament lately, on a par with The Masters. Good snooker and tense matches. A bit sad like you said, the whitewash...but the Final was of very high quality and tense stuff...I like 'm that way On to the China Open and after that...well 17 days of continous snooker *and* long matches again...I can't wait!!!

[SnookerFan]

Very much looking forward to the China Open this year, even though there's no really exciting first round matches. I just got the week off, so gonna kick back with some beers. (For the afternoon matches, not the 6am matches, lol.)

I always like watching China, last chance to get some form before the big one. Look at Judd last year. Really came of age in the CO, and then lit up the World Championship.

[SnookerFan]

Saying that, you got to hope Jimmy wins his wildcard match, haven't you? Imagine a Judd vs Jimmy first round match.

[Rane]

Even though he beat my favorit it´s very deserved that Stephen Lee finally got a title after playing well for a long period.