shanghai masters 2008

[SD147]

I can see Williams winning the world champs again. If John Higgins won it after 9 years why can't Mark do it aswell?

I have to agree there. Williams at his imperious best was just a wonder to watch and I think he is/was in a different class to Higgins. Williams is the only player that really dominated for a period(small) since Hendry. Ronnie has never managed to dominate the game.
I would love to see Mark back to his best and it would be great to see him lift another World title.

[t.lavery55]

Does anyone know if they will be any wildcards playing in the event this year?
The draw on the Global Snooker Centre doesn't leave room for any, and neither does the draw on 'snooker.org'.

[jw147]

re

Go On Jimmy!!!

[Monique]

No wildcards.

[wildJONESEYE]

No wildcards.

you know that fer certain monique because the wild card round arent shown on draws until much nearer the tournament.

i hope thats the case because i think china has outgrown wildcards now.

[geoffbrooking]

Does anyone know how many (if any) wild cards are taking part in this event?

[crucible77]

Does anyone know how many (if any) wild cards are taking part in this event?

I sent a pm to Global Snooker yesterday and she said there would be 7 wildcards involved in this tournament...

[jw147]

Anybody know if jimmy has to play a wild card or will he be playing mark king? It would be very unfair if he had to play a wild card

[Capelito]

I think that the lowest ranked qualifiers will be the ones that play wild cards. If so, Jimmy will have to win another match before he playes Mark King

[leeroygor]

Jimmy definitely has to play a wildcard. The draw was out yesterday although I havent seen site of it. I know Ricky Walden has to play Zhang Anda and I think Tom Ford has Yu Delu. They are the only 2 i know at present. I didnt recognise the chinese wildcard that Jimmy has drawn against

[Monique]

I'm a bit surprised that there are still wildcard rounds in those tournaments. I had read that "wilcards" had been used to promote the local players while the game was still in development phase in the country but that, with more and Chinese players now obviously competing on the main tour, this was no more necessary. Especially in the light that last year most wildcards had been no match for the pros at all.
Do the players who would lose to a wildcard get their first round loser points? And in any case it seems unfair to me that some have to play two matches to get through while others don't, without reward.

[jw147]

Its definitely not fair that wild cards can be given the chance at this stage of a ranking event...in that case why dont they give wildcards to up and coming players in ranking events in the uk?? The match against king is very important for jimmy..and now he has to play another high risk match beforehand..should he lose, it would be unjustified.

[matoski]

I agree that wild cards are unnecessary, but on the other hand wildcard players are no real threat to the qualifiers. Their standard is so low.

[geoffbrooking]

Thank you very much for getting the news on the wild card numbers.

[Odrl]

I agree that wild cards are unnecessary, but on the other hand wildcard players are no real threat to the qualifiers. Their standard is so low.

Are you serious? Ok, in the China Open last season, none of them got through. But before that, 3 got through in the Shanghai Masters, and 5 in the previous China Open. And something similar in 2006 and 2005 aswell.

And that's exactly why we have wild cards. Because there are better players out there than those who qualify. Yu Delu won several of his wild card matches and still didn't get on the main tour. Unlike Chris McBreen or Wayne Cooper(random names, no disrespect intended).

Unfair to the qualifiers... the nerve! If they are better they should win, shouldn't they? If they win, they get extra match practice, and if they lose what's the point in them playing in the last 32, if they can't beat the wild cards?