Who going to win it this year?

[Mr P]

Looking this season, do you think Selby is consistent enough? Williams has been one of the most consistent players this season. Also, he's done it before. Twice. So he knows all about it, what it takes to become a World Champ. Of course, as hotpot said, it's going to be tough. But it's tough for everyone. To say that he doesn't have a chance... Well I think he has a very good chance.

Time will tell I guess but I would put Selby ahead of Williams in the favourites list. Selby always seems to save his best for the Masters and World Championships - hence why he usually gets to the latter stages in both.

[1lawyer]

Well I think either Williams, Ding or Robertson this year. Cant decide....Robertson or Williams its all good:snooker:

[Mr P]

He has,nt been consistent enough because he,s been playing ****e for a few years , but when he,s playing well he,s as consistent as anyone , his record speaks foritself . If he had,nd slipped off the radar which was probably his own doing , then imo he would have won more titles than Higgins and O Sullivan .

Williams is one of the all time greats muck make no mistake about it and one of only a handful of players who can match Ronnie at his best .

No-one can match Ronnie when he is at his best. End of.

[hotpot]

I just think you dont like him muck . first you go on about how miserable he looks , then his consistency , next you,ll be telling me your not fussy on his shoes .

If his overall performance this week has,nt convinced you that he,s one of the favourites , then nothing will .

When Williams is playing like this he,s more than capable of beating an in form Ronnie , make no mistake muck , and vice versa of course .

[Mr P]

I don't just not like him, I hate him. He does look glum when in game, he is inconsistant (hence his form over the past couple of years). He is a great player though when on form, I can't take that away from him, but I will never like him.

[hotpot]

Your choice of course muck , Mark is one of the most likeable characters in the game , both within the circuit and the public .

And is always sporting enough to praise his opponent , unlike some .

So i think your in a minority , anyway lets look forward the the worlds , and let the best man win .

[Looki]

I don't just not like him, I hate him. He does look glum when in game, he is inconsistant (hence his form over the past couple of years). He is a great player though when on form, I can't take that away from him, but I will never like him.

Well, in that case maybe you should just rate the players based on their performances. The thing that "you hate" someone doesn't have anything to do with anything. Except maybe that you don't want that player to success. You've said the same about O'Sullivan in some other thread, that you "absolutely hate him" if my memory serves me... Based on that, do you think that doesn't have a chance either? He hasn't been too consistent lately

[Mr P]

Well, in that case maybe you should just rate the players based on their performances. The thing that "you hate" someone doesn't have anything to do with anything. Except maybe that you don't want that player to success. You've said the same about O'Sullivan in some other thread, that you "absolutely hate him" if my memory serves me... Based on that, do you think that doesn't have a chance either? He hasn't been too consistent lately

No - he dosen't have a chance either.

[hotpot]

No - he dosen't have a chance either.

It seems your paying to much attention to his face instead of his play . If you actually noticed the fantastic snooker he played this week , you may change your opinion .

[1lawyer]

I don't just not like him, I hate him. He does look glum when in game, he is inconsistant (hence his form over the past couple of years). He is a great player though when on form, I can't take that away from him, but I will never like him.

On his best form I think he is the best there is.

Snooker is very much a game of the mind and MJ is the coolest in this area. Nothing bothers him at all.
Mark has a very good dry sense of humor and one of the nicest people in the sport. A lot of people take him the wrong way...their loss...

[ore]

The China Open is a very short format throughout. The World Championship is first to 10 frames in Round 1. I am unsure weather he can play consistantly over the longer formats.

Well thats exactly how and probably why he has just won in China - he got going, just so heavily, in the 2nd part of the matches.

Or were you not watching again, just asking for results in SF/live event discussion thread?

If Williams form repeats in WC, Ronnie hasn't got much chance, he is making too many mistakes/giving too many chances to opponents these days, and Williams is scoring not less heavily, and is less prone to lose head in the later stages of the match, or so it seems after Williams China final and Ronnie Masters final.
Not sure what happened in the Masters between them though, was Mark feeling more pressure playing Ronnie than playing Carter or Ding in China? Anyways the last frame was quite a toss of a coin.

And with Selby... at his max composure he's very very tough, for anyone, but I think against Williams his not avoiding tactical game advantage isn't there, Williams is bloody good tactically & also pots crazy stuff so it's not that easy to play a decent safety against him. And then it's said Selby is a convenient opposition for Williams, those following snooker for a longer time happen to say this. I guess we both just can't know having seen not that much of snooker, but that sounds reasonable enough.

[Alex0paul]

Williams won't win it. The emotional relief of winning the China Open will definately take something out of him.

Since 98 the winner of the penultimate event has done the following at the WC;

1999 - Fergal O'Brien lost R1 10-4 to Drago
2000 - Ronnie O'Sullivan lost R1 10-9 to David Gray
2001 - Peter Ebdon lost QF 13-6 to Ronnie O'Sullivan
2002 - Stephen Lee lost QF 13-11 to Ronnie O'Sullivan
2003 - David Gray Did not Qualify
2004 - Jimmy White lost R1 10-8 to Barry Pinches
2005 - Ding Junhui Did not Qualify
2006 - Mark Williams lost QF 13-11 to Ronnie O'Sullivan
2007 - Graeme Dott lost R1 10-7 to Ian McCulloch
2008 - Stephen Maguire lost QF 13-12 to Joe Perry
2009 - Peter Ebdon lost R1 10-5 to Nigel Bond

So looks like either a Round 1 defeat or Quarter Final defeat for Mark Williams

[gettingbetter]

If I had to pick just one person to win, I think it would have to be Ding. I think his mental state is much better now. He lost to Robertson in the Grand Prix and came back to win the UK, and he has now lost to Williams in a best-of-19 (alike the GP). In saying that though, the break between the GP and UK was far more generous than China to the Crucible.

Other than that, his break-building is out of this world at the moment. He made around 8 or 9 centuries in China and probably 3-5 90s. His safety side has improved too.

In addition, he would obviously be heavy favourite to beat Pettman, and if he could get past Murphy in the 2nd round (he comfortably disposed of Murphy in the 2nd round in the UK - best of 19, best of 25 at the WC) he would have one of the easier draws to reach the semis.

I'll add my two cents between the hotpot and Mr P debate. I'll have to side with hotpot. Even if Williams didn't win in China, I would definetly not disregard him to win the WC. He has played really well all season and this is evident with him now being no. 3 on the 1 year list (above Ronnie and below Higgins and Ding). The only blip I can accuse Williams of is losing to Lines at the UK. Selby on the other is as good as any to win the title, he would surely be in the top 5 with the bookies.

At the moment, I would describe Selby as a player in the Mark Williams mode (with additional gamesmanship). Tactically, he is nearly as good as Higgins and better than most other players, but he often gets to cute for himself and even more so, he focuses on the safety too often. Williams on the other hand is probably the best exponent of shot selection in the game. Both can break build as well as anyone when on top of their game.

[crucible77]

I think it will be a Higgins-Williams final, with the scotsman winning the title

[gettingbetter]

History says no to Higgins winning it. If he did, I think there'd be honourable claims for Higgins being > O'Sullivan.