UK Championship 2009 - final discussion

[spike]

I'm afraid yesterdays match might have left John emotionally drained. But let's see how the match unravels. Hopefully it will be tight!

John Higgins is one of the most mentally strong players there has ever been...i honestly dont think he will be drained from yesterday's epic match. Still we will see, only time will tell..

[hegeland]

Was there something wrong with the light?

I'm watching with the sound off as my girl thinks I'm studying, not watching snooker, and I would like her to keep thinking that! :P

[spike]

Was there something wrong with the light?

I'm watching with the sound off as my girl thinks I'm studying, not watching snooker, and I would like her to keep thinking that! :P

Yeah one of the tv lights was shinening in his eyes..

[missneworleans]

Doh i forgot to predict the final
Well done Ding

[Mignon]

John Higgins is one of the most mentally strong players there has ever been...

He is but sometimes he may need some time to remember that. Look how that little unpleasant moment in the 2000 Crucible semi-final affected him. He was leading 14-10 going into the last session and went on to lose that match 17-15. He spoke about that and explained how he couldn’t get out of his head the fact that Mark Williams broke off without shaking his hand. He thought that was unfair. I believe he thought the same about what happened last night.

[missneworleans]

He is but sometimes he may need some time to remember that. Look how that little unpleasant moment in the 2000 Crucible semi-final affected him. He was leading 14-10 going into the last session and went on to lose that match 17-15. He spoke about that and explained how he couldn’t get out of his head the fact that Mark Williams broke off without shaking his hand. He thought that was unfair. I believe he thought the same about what happened last night.

LOL
should have forgot that

[Mignon]

Higgins or I?....

[missneworleans]

Higgins...that's rudicilous to lose match cos of that
but not good from Williams anyway

[montoya10]

He thought that he did something wrong to make Mark pass the hand shake..Don't know, at least his explanation did tell so.. But it was not something to do with such at all.. Mark forgot and John felt uncomfortable about it. There was nothing unfair, neither in 2000 Crucible, nor yesterday in Telford..

But to make it clear, both collapses were connected to anything but his game.. More of an emotional blow rather than a mental one, I would call ...

[montoya10]

Ding played a shot needing 3 snookers..

Looks like we will have the spirit of a fight today..

[Mignon]

He must be a sensitive man. Yes, these are little things that can knock him off-balance. I believe that ‘mentally strong’ also means being capable of getting over such incidents and focusing on the game. What happened then shows only that he generally needs some time to do that....

The problem is not what happened but what he thought had happened.

[spike]

Ding played a shot needing 3 snookers..

Looks like we will have the spirit of a fight today..

Good for Ding...colours are nicely placed for Snookers..

[missneworleans]

Ding has good mental apart that masters final against Ronnie

[montoya10]

Good for Ding...colours are nicely placed for Snookers..

He played the pink, hoping for a free ball after a foul, did not pay off.

Still needing three..

I think he has shown his mental maturity so far

[Mignon]

Ding has good mental apart that masters final against Ronnie

What doesn't kill you, definitely makes you stronger.