World Championship 2012 1st Round Discussion

[mrbluejay]

Anyone notice how quickly Selby got to the table in that last frame. The balls were still rolling and Hawkins was still down.

[daffie]

Allen has issued a statement...finally :

http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/New...747883,00.html

Imo a little too late. He should have seen his errors and made a formal apology right away the day after. Now it comes across as trying to wiggle his way out of a sanction...and I think he probably is. However the apology should count for something as well.

[breakman16]

Great result for Hawkins, deserves that scoreline, in a great position, as good as could be hoped, to beat Selby tomorrow now!

[daffie]

Great result for Hawkins, deserves that scoreline, in a great position, as good as could be hoped, to beat Selby tomorrow now!

Interesting match...good safety play as well. Looking forward to their 2nd session...

[Odrl]

Finally ladies and gentlemen, midnight snooker in 2012. In Central Europe anyway.

And I really enjoyed it as well, particulary the penultimate frame in the Selby-Hawkins match. There is nothing better than a good battle on the colours. Phil Yates said it was 27 minutes since the last pot when they were on the last red. I think the previous longest safety battle ever was something like that, between Selby and Hamilton in the 2009 Welsh Open. Was that record beaten? I reckon so.

So, Selby is another seed it trouble. I hope people don't start going on again about how everyone is playing really well because of the extra tournaments. Some of the players have been really mediocre. I'm sure Selby will be determined to turn it around tomorrow though.

A bit of a shame Stephen Lee didn't turn up to this event, but then again, it's always a good feeling to be proved right.

[montoya10]

Finally ladies and gentlemen, midnight snooker in 2012. In Central Europe anyway.

And I really enjoyed it as well, particulary the penultimate frame in the Selby-Hawkins match. There is nothing better than a good battle on the colours. Phil Yates said it was 27 minutes since the last pot when they were on the last red. I think the previous longest safety battle ever was something like that, between Selby and Hamilton in the 2009 Welsh Open. Was that record beaten? I reckon so.

So, Selby is another seed it trouble. I hope people don't start going on again about how everyone is playing really well because of the extra tournaments. Some of the players have been really mediocre. I'm sure Selby will be determined to turn it around tomorrow though.

A bit of a shame Stephen Lee didn't turn up to this event, but then again, it's always a good feeling to be proved right.

Extra tournaments surely had an effect. Top players played more matches than they've ever played throughout the season.
Now, they're all out of gas.

[Ronnie's tip]

Wow I can't believe Trumps luck here. His run to the semi finals might be the easiest of all time - Dominic Dale, Ali Carter and Andrew Higginson. That is ridiculous. Compare that to O'Sullivan who will probably have to beat Ebdon, Williams and Robertson.

Even Maguire has an 'easy' run to the 1/4 finals now that Murphy has gone. The top half of the draw is insanely easy for anyone who really wants it.

The bottom half still has ROS, Williams, Robertson, Ding and Selby whilst the top only has Trump and Higgins and maybe Maguire.

[cueman]

I don't think anyones draw is particularly easy as the form that the players that have gone out wouldn't have made much difference. Better for Trump to face an in form Higginson rather than an out of sorts Lee, ditto everyone else really. Don't think for one minute that just because they are qualifiers they can't play. I said after day one that IMO its a big advantage now to go through a qualifying round and get yourself match sharp, rather than come in cold like the seeds do. I said that there was a real possibility that for the first time in the history of the championships that more qualifiers than seeds would progress to round two, that is looking a very realistic possibility now. 5 through already with 5 seeds with 6 matchs remaining, Perry on the brink and Day and Hawkins very well positioned to advance.

[armstm]

am pleased that andrew higginson progressed. he was unlucky not to beat ronnie at the german masters and its good he's put that behind him.

[johnsusername]

Really enjoyed the snooker last night. Well done Higginson. He's local-ish to me so was happy to see him go through. The Selby/Hawkins match was a real dingdong battle! I just don't like Selby, something about him rubs me up the wrong way. Come on Bazza, finish him off!

Have to say as well, I love late night snooker!

[johnsusername]

Really enjoyed the snooker last night. Well done Higginson. He's local-ish to me so was happy to see him go through. The Selby/Hawkins match was a real dingdong battle! I just don't like Selby, something about him rubs me up the wrong way. Come on Bazza, finish him off!

Have to say as well, I love late night snooker!

[crocodile]

I don't think anyones draw is particularly easy as the form that the players that have gone out wouldn't have made much difference. Better for Trump to face an in form Higginson rather than an out of sorts Lee, ditto everyone else really. Don't think for one minute that just because they are qualifiers they can't play. I said after day one that IMO its a big advantage now to go through a qualifying round and get yourself match sharp, rather than come in cold like the seeds do. I said that there was a real possibility that for the first time in the history of the championships that more qualifiers than seeds would progress to round two, that is looking a very realistic possibility now. 5 through already with 5 seeds with 6 matchs remaining, Perry on the brink and Day and Hawkins very well positioned to advance.

Yes, would be great to see even more non-household names in the last 16, thus stirring up the established world order a bit and making the tournament more interesting. And Higgins was within a whisker of being booted out too.

[crocodile]

Wow I can't believe Trumps luck here. His run to the semi finals might be the easiest of all time - Dominic Dale, Ali Carter and Andrew Higginson. That is ridiculous. Compare that to O'Sullivan who will probably have to beat Ebdon, Williams and Robertson.

Even Maguire has an 'easy' run to the 1/4 finals now that Murphy has gone. The top half of the draw is insanely easy for anyone who really wants it.

The bottom half still has ROS, Williams, Robertson, Ding and Selby whilst the top only has Trump and Higgins and maybe Maguire.

How do you know that Trump's going to make it to the semi-finals?

And snooker's far too unpredictable for anyone to maintain that the top or the bottom half of any given draw is "easier".

[Odrl]

So, another Maguire-Perry encounter. I don't think Maguire will be particularly happy with this, as Perry has proved to be something of a bogey player for him in the past. I bet he won't be underestimating him this time though.

[breakman16]

COME ON DING!!! Well done Joe, nice efficient job there, do feel for Graham though!!