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This is the most exciting prospect of the tournament so far, and possibly of the entire season.
The way Selby and O'Sullivan played in their respective 2nd round matches, it would be difficult to see them losing against any other opponents. But sadly, they have to meet as early as the QF, with one player going out, and the other remaining as the favourite to win the title. But who will it be?
I've already written a lot about the match from Selby's perspective, and I'll do it again. Selby is a completely different type of opponent than Williams. He is smart enough to realize that his chances in an open, attacking game against O'Sullivan are much smaller than if the match gets a bit tactical. He is a master of dictating and changing the pace and the style of matches, and I'm sure he will try to push every one of O'Sullivan's "buttons". His performance against Hendry shows that he is capable of one-visit snooker, so I don't think he will make many unforced errors in the balls. He is also a great safety player, and although that in itself might not be an edge against O'Sullivan, I think he is better than O'Sullivan at switching back to potting mode after long safety exchanges. He also has a great ability to compete in the scrappy frames, so I don't see O'Sullivan winning any session by more than 5-3. Selby's youth should also help him hold his consistency through the two days, and I think he is ready to compete at any part of the day. Another thing that could come into play is the crowd. O'Sullivan is used to having the crowd behind him, but he seemed to lose a bit of heart when the crowd was behind Higgins at the Grand Prix, and perhaps also in the Masters final against Selby. I'm sure Selby will do everything he can to turn the atmosphere in his favour.
Now let's look at it from O'Sullivan's perspective... He knows that his long-potting is in great shape at the moment, probably better than it's been for years, and his scoring was very much there against Williams. His safety is also good enough to compete with Selby's, but I'm sure he won't want to play that type of game. He might have no choice though, and that's where the true test will come for him. He needs to keep his concentration and discipline throughout the match, and not get frustrated when his rhythm is broken. He failed to do so in the Masters final this year, but he did very well in the Masters final last year. And that's something he should try to repeat. He knows he is a frame or two stronger when they start exchanging one-visit frames, but that counts for nothing if he can't hold onto the lead when the going gets tough. He has a habit of losing the WC in one bad session, and Selby is just the kind of opponent who can inspire feelings of frustration in O'Sullivan.
So, I think it will be more of a mental test for O'Sullivan, and a "technical" one for Selby. Can O'Sullivan defeat his demons and compete against Selby's tactics and determination? And can Selby stick with O'Sullivan when he turns the scoring "magic" on? I think the answer to both is probably yes, to some extent, so I definitely think we're in for a close match. But when the pressure is really on, in the final evening session, I would give a slight edge to Mark Selby.
The way Selby and O'Sullivan played in their respective 2nd round matches, it would be difficult to see them losing against any other opponents. But sadly, they have to meet as early as the QF, with one player going out, and the other remaining as the favourite to win the title. But who will it be?
I've already written a lot about the match from Selby's perspective, and I'll do it again. Selby is a completely different type of opponent than Williams. He is smart enough to realize that his chances in an open, attacking game against O'Sullivan are much smaller than if the match gets a bit tactical. He is a master of dictating and changing the pace and the style of matches, and I'm sure he will try to push every one of O'Sullivan's "buttons". His performance against Hendry shows that he is capable of one-visit snooker, so I don't think he will make many unforced errors in the balls. He is also a great safety player, and although that in itself might not be an edge against O'Sullivan, I think he is better than O'Sullivan at switching back to potting mode after long safety exchanges. He also has a great ability to compete in the scrappy frames, so I don't see O'Sullivan winning any session by more than 5-3. Selby's youth should also help him hold his consistency through the two days, and I think he is ready to compete at any part of the day. Another thing that could come into play is the crowd. O'Sullivan is used to having the crowd behind him, but he seemed to lose a bit of heart when the crowd was behind Higgins at the Grand Prix, and perhaps also in the Masters final against Selby. I'm sure Selby will do everything he can to turn the atmosphere in his favour.
Now let's look at it from O'Sullivan's perspective... He knows that his long-potting is in great shape at the moment, probably better than it's been for years, and his scoring was very much there against Williams. His safety is also good enough to compete with Selby's, but I'm sure he won't want to play that type of game. He might have no choice though, and that's where the true test will come for him. He needs to keep his concentration and discipline throughout the match, and not get frustrated when his rhythm is broken. He failed to do so in the Masters final this year, but he did very well in the Masters final last year. And that's something he should try to repeat. He knows he is a frame or two stronger when they start exchanging one-visit frames, but that counts for nothing if he can't hold onto the lead when the going gets tough. He has a habit of losing the WC in one bad session, and Selby is just the kind of opponent who can inspire feelings of frustration in O'Sullivan.
So, I think it will be more of a mental test for O'Sullivan, and a "technical" one for Selby. Can O'Sullivan defeat his demons and compete against Selby's tactics and determination? And can Selby stick with O'Sullivan when he turns the scoring "magic" on? I think the answer to both is probably yes, to some extent, so I definitely think we're in for a close match. But when the pressure is really on, in the final evening session, I would give a slight edge to Mark Selby.
this is getting silly
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