Robbo v Ding final????

[World_No_1]

Dont know about Neil Robertson being in the final but i think Ding has the potential to be in there.

I have to agree with the guy who said the more experienced players usually win the tournament for me, Neil Robertson has only won one ranking event not enought to see him through until the end (although i maybe wrong)

For me the only "outsider" that could possibly win is Ding Junhui.

Ding, Ronnie, Hendry - i think one of the three will take home the "Hunter" trophy (as it should be known)

[Wim]

Robertson is not an outsider, he played great snooker against williams !!! So yes he can win the Masters

[World_No_1]

I think if you asked John Virgo, Willie Thorne, Dennis Taylor....they'd all think Neil Robertson is one of the outsiders that "could" nick the title.

Hes a major threat agreed, but i think a 6-0 whitewash over a very poor Mark Williams could of been achieved by a select few that are also still in the tournament.

[cap]

Yes he is, but I don't think you've actually read what I said. He's not very experienced - that's all I'm saying. When he won the UK, he beat Jimmy White, Paul Hunter (who was very ill at the time - I was in the audience for that match and he really struggled), Neil Robertson and Joe Perry, on route to the final against Steve Davis. It's hardly the same as if he beat 4 top 16 players on route to the title as he would in the Masters. If he won this tournament, he'd really deserve to be classed along with the very top players. Do you understand my point, Stunrunthru?

Didn't he beat Anthony Hamilton, John Higgins, Ken Doherty, Stephen Lee and an in-form Ronnie O'Sullivan to win this season's Northern Ireland Trophy. All of them are top 16 players.

[Caroline]

Murdock, I think you also better check which so and so players he did beat en route to win his first title China Open that year.

Yes he is, but I don't think you've actually read what I said. He's not very experienced - that's all I'm saying. When he won the UK, he beat Jimmy White, Paul Hunter (who was very ill at the time - I was in the audience for that match and he really struggled), Neil Robertson and Joe Perry, on route to the final against Steve Davis. It's hardly the same as if he beat 4 top 16 players on route to the title as he would in the Masters. If he won this tournament, he'd really deserve to be classed along with the very top players. Do you understand my point, Stunrunthru?

[murdock]

Murdock, I think you also better check which so and so players he did beat en route to win his first title China Open that year.

Granted, he beat Doherty in the semis and Hendry in the final, but a quarter-final against Marco Fu and a last 16 match against Stuart Bingham (which he scraped through 5-4)? And I believe he even benefitted from a wildcard which enabled him to skip the qualifying rounds.

Sorry, I concede. Marco Fu and Stuart Bingham are two of the world's greats, aren't they?

I think people should note that I never said Ding wasn't a good player, or had a chance of winning, but that the masters is a tournament that's much more difficult to win than any other. In EVERY round you have to play a top player. Not just the semis and final. It's much more difficult as you have to be on top of your game in every single match, as there are no games against lesser opposition.

Ding may well win the tournament and if he does he deserves it. The point I'm making is that if he does, he will have beaten several of the game's big names throughout the tournament, which will make him a very worthy winner.

If you ask any top 16 player, they would agree that the masters is just about the hardest tournament to win, for the reason that I have mentioned above.

[Mitsuko]

Any winner of a tournament deserves it. No match is an easy match, and the players don't choose who they play.

[murdock]

Any winner of a tournament deserves it. No match is an easy match, and the players don't choose who they play.

I agree. But do you at least understand the point I'm trying to make, Mitsuko?

[cap]

But he has done it before (as in beating 5 top 16 players enroute to win a ranking tournament, at least 3 big names in the list).

Didn't he beat Anthony Hamilton, John Higgins, Ken Doherty, Stephen Lee and an in-form Ronnie O'Sullivan to win this season's Northern Ireland Trophy. All of them are top 16 players.

[murdock]

But he has done it before (as in beating 5 top 16 players enroute to win a ranking tournament, at least 3 big names in the list).

Boy do I wish I'd kept my mouth shut!

The irony is, I like Ding, I've got lots of respect for him as a player, and I wish him lots of luck (though I still want Steve Davis to win the tournament, as unlikely as that may be!). I just made a comment that the Masters was difficult to win for the younger players. I wish I'd just kept quiet!

I'm sorry if I've caused offense to anyone. It wasn't intended. I'll keep my thoughts to myself in future!

[cap]

murdock, no one was trying to have a go at you and your opinions are welcome. You point (i.e. Masters being a hard tourney to win) was probably valid but was supported by incorrect/incomplete facts. People were only trying to point out these errors.

[edinmis]

no argument that the master is most difficult to win, and Ding still need more experience for win more tournaments.

He was straggling in the qualification rounds in the previous sessions, but this year, he can play most of tournaments, so he have more chance to play the top players and gain more experiences.

So, the master is really good for him.

[murdock]

murdock, no one was trying to have a go at you and your opinions are welcome. You point (i.e. Masters being a hard tourney to win) was probably valid but was supported by incorrect/incomplete facts. People were only trying to point out these errors.

Incomplete facts maybe (no one can quote every fact about a player when putting their point of view across).

Incorrect facts, I don't think so. I merely said he was yet to win a tournament when he'd played top players all the way to the final. That's true. You can't claim that Marco Fu and Stuart Bingham are top players. Maybe there's a bit more of a case for the Northern Island trophy.

Sorry, it did just feel like I was being ganged up on when I merely stated that the masters is a very hard tournament to win! A point which is not only "probably" valid but "definitely" valid.

[Caroline]

Marco Fu was within the top 16 at that time in fact, and Murdock you should not forget to say that Ding also whitewashed Ebton in the 2nd round in that tournement.

Well said Cap by the way!

[RaNeN]

Robbo's been knocked out today. Ding??? 20 hours to go!!!!