Ronnie O'Sullivan vs Mark Selby - Discussion

[doorag]

O'Sullivan - Allen would have been great.

Selby - Dott doesn't really do it for me I'll watch it anyway though praying Dott gets Selby out of there.

[Black_cat]

Selby deserved to win, that's unquestionable. He took his chances better and held on. And played more fluently than in other matches.
And Ronnie deserved to lose the match. Imperfect safeties, misses from the distance, misses when in, a bit of bad rub of the green, lack of focus..all these and many more.

And they both gave us a captivating match.

So, to me this World Championship means a good run to the quarters for Ronnie, one scintillating, breath-taking final session against Williams and an honourable defeat to an efficient player.
Thank you, Ron, thank you, Mark, for the greatness that was the last 16 match. When a competition can get your heart racing and you're amazed at the beauty of it, it's all worth it.
It was great.

Sheffield 2010 deserves good semis and a decent final, for the sake of snooker.
To me, it's back to everyday life. Snooker's back to being some cosy afternoon entertainment but not peering through my fingers, applauding in my chair, leaning back to enjoy a lovely clearance and sometimes punching the air.

Thank you again, Messrs. Williams and O'Sullivan.
*off to walk on memory lane*

[gavpowell]

I understand the animosity towards his behaviour as a person, such as the referee and the China press conference. I can even understtand the anger at him walking out vs Hendry.

What I don't understand is why people get so upset when he says he didn't play that well. This is a man who made a 147 in a little over 5 minutes, has made 9 147s, and is so good that after 3 reds with backs, people start to expect a 10th.

Everyone from Steve Davis to Steophen Hendry to John Higgins has been awestruck by his performances when he's in full flow. And yet, hypothetically, the game could be played even better. Alex Higgins seemed to have a similar ability to perform miracles on a snooker table, but whereas Alex didn't care at all, O'Sullivan cares a lot.

Imagine playing as described above, potting every ball on the table in just over 5 minutes and have the game come so easily you doon't even have too think about the shots, they just fall into place time aftert time.

Now imagine you've seen yourself do better - in an exhibition, in an earlier match, at home or on the practice table. How infuriating must that be, to know that 80% of your game gets you three world titles, where the game's two greatest players say "the man is a genius" but you can't ever seem to produce the other 20% when you want to?

Criticise O'Sullivan for his loutishness as you would any other player, but don't get angry at him for having high expectations.

[Masterdoctorgenius]

ronnie was unforune in the last frame

tow marvellous pots (long red and thin black) but the postion was spoiled by the yellow

had he avoided the yellow it would be a different match

luck as not on ronnie side

but mark deserves hat he gets congratulate

[FerruleFox]

Everyone from Steve Davis to Steophen Hendry to John Higgins has been awestruck by his performances when he's in full flow. And yet, hypothetically, the game could be played even better. Alex Higgins seemed to have a similar ability to perform miracles on a snooker table, but whereas Alex didn't care at all, O'Sullivan cares a lot.

How do you know? Ronnie doesn't seem to promise a lot.

[poolqjunkie]

It was a good match. Anyone can beat anyone on a given day at their level.
Ronnie obviously has very high expectation for himself, so he gets down on himself a lot when he is not winning or not playing to his standards. This is just the way he is.

[Monique]

It was a good match. Anyone can beat anyone on a given day at their level.
Ronnie obviously has very high expectation for himself, so he gets down on himself a lot when he is not winning or not playing to his standards. This is just the way he is.

exactly. I was in the press room and the last thing Ronnie was asked, already on his way to the door, was what he thought about Mark's game. His answer was "He played very well, very well" with a smile and thumb up. So, clearly, his comments on his own game are not aimed at rubbishing his opponents, it's just about how HE feels about HIS game.

You compare this with Hendry's reaction (I was there also).
Asked what he thought about Mark's game the answer was "It's easy to play well when you have no pressure"; asked how he thought Mark would do in his quarters match, his answer was "Who cares?", almost snapping.
Yet Hendry got no stick...

To be fair to Hendry, it was minutes after a heavy defeat, he was bitterly disappointed and the guys are only human. But the same is true for Ronnie. People who claim he doesn't care obviously don't know him at all. What I don't like is the double standards.

[cazmac1]

Yeah I agree. i'm a big fan of Ronnie's but I am bored of the same thing happening year after year, and his bad attitude.

I'll be avoiding the Dott v Selby semi like the plague, and I hope the winner comes from the other semi final.

Well said, I think your post reflex the way a lot Ronnie fans feel. He keeps banging on about how great he was at 17 Yet I can remember him doing interviews back then saying the same Bull. The man is a genius with a cue but that’s where it ends. I fear for his future, will he be the next PG or GB

[doorag]

Well said, I think your post reflex the way a lot Ronnie fans feel. He keeps banging on about how great he was at 17 Yet I can remember him doing interviews back then saying the same Bull. The man is a genius with a cue but that’s where it ends. I fear for his future, will he be the next PG or GB

PG = Paul Gascoine?

I think Ronnie will do just fine when he retires. He certainly seem to have left his problem with substance abuse behind him along time ago.

He looks physically as healthy as a horse, excersicing and staying in shape. And that helps you a great deal when you struggle with a mental illness. Talking from own experience.

[ore]

The only conclusion I draw from his defeat is YET again he falls victim to his own progressive safety,I dont see the point of the 'but I'm not putting pressure on my opponents safety if I give him an easy safety to play' when all your doing is prostituting frames and matches on your opponents potting if those safetys arent to the millimetre.This seems obviously Ronnie's approach even after all these years so if you were hoping he'd win I dont think you should feel too bad as at least it was a good to great match.

What do you mean by 'progressive safety'?
Something that either ends up perfect (snooker or close), but has a big risk of leaving easy-ish long pot attack opportunities if such safety shot does not work out to a millimeter?

[FOXMULDER]

You compare this with Hendry's reaction (I was there also).
Asked what he thought about Mark's game the answer was "It's easy to play well when you have no pressure"; asked how he thought Mark would do in his quarters match, his answer was "Who cares?", almost snapping.
Yet Hendry got no stick...

Because Hendry does it once every few years... Ronnie does this kind of thing almost every tournament.

[Monique]

Because Hendry does it once every few years... Ronnie does this kind of thing almost every tournament.

Well that's not true neither. Hendry has quite a history of being an ungracious loser.

[FOXMULDER]

Well that's not true neither. Hendry has quite a history of being an ungracious loser.

Yeah but that's because Hendry's a "winner", someone who is used to dominating the game. He's never been disrespectful to the game, as people often feel Ronnie has been.

[warren132]

Cant beleive why people are still talking about RONNIES match...just take nothing away from mark as he was 9-5 down and 50+ down in the 15th frame mark still won it...selby won it fair and square !

[Masterdoctorgenius]

Cant beleive why people are still talking about RONNIES match...just take nothing away from mark as he was 9-5 down and 50+ down in the 15th frame mark still won it...selby won it fair and square !

he wasnt 50 behind only 24 points behind
after that ronnie went in off

for me it was the tunring point