Tweet
Ssb - robertson's grand prize
I was pleased for Neil Robertson that he should tonight become the most successful non UK or Irish player by winning a fourth ranking title.
The Australian battled hard against Ding Junhui and won a crucial 57-minute ninth frame to seize a stranglehold on the match.
I very much hope he receives the media coverage he deserves in his native land, where his exploits go largely unreported.
Neil’s a good guy and what you see with him is what you get: he’s honest, open and engaging as a person and this is also how he plays.
It was a very nice touch to mention afterwards the girl who had been writing to him while suffering from cancer and to dedicate the title to her memory.
Ding’s concentration seemed to wander and that must be a worry but at least he was back in a major final and that must be a cause for celebration after three lean years.
The Grand Prix took its time to get going but the random draw threw up a John Higgins v Ronnie O’Sullivan second round tie, after which the event came to life.
The Robertson-Higgins semi-final was a classic and there was enough good snooker in the week to keep audiences in Glasgow and beyond entertained.
As ever, though, problems remain.
Why do these finals have to start at 8pm? Snooker dodged a bullet tonight even though the match didn’t finish until gone 11pm. Had it gone the full distance it would have been nearer 1am.
The sport needs to appeal to kids but they won’t be watching at that time. Also, Central Europe is an hour ahead and many viewers will have switched off before the end.
Crowds built up towards the end of the tournament but, early on, were embarrassing.
I’ve seen the WPBSA marketing and promotion plan for the event and it was comprehensive so it would be missing the point to simply blame the governing body.
You can’t force people through the doors – and some of the matches looked unattractive before a ball had been struck – but something has to give.
The problem as I see it is that snooker in the UK is seen as a bit old hat, as a sport that hasn’t changed in years.
I would be completely against messing about with the rules but peripheral cosmetic change may at least persuade the outside world that it is a game worth turning up to watch.
As I’ve written on this blog before, snooker tournaments need to feel like a sporting experience.
This is what has happened in darts, although the comparison is not completely fair because drinking plays a large part in that sport and the noise and atmosphere would not translate to snooker.
So if it means getting rid of waistcoats or playing music at the start or whatever...so be it.
Let's kick around some ideas instead of burying our heads in the sand and pretending there isn't a problem.
I realise some of this would appal traditionalists but all sports – from football to cricket to tennis – have over the years changed the way they present their product without actually changing the product.
I hope this is looked at seriously.
In the meantime the night, no the week, belongs to Neil Robertson.
The man introduced as the ‘thunder from down under’ weathered a storm in Glasgow and must now be considered as one of modern snooker’s most formidable performers.
More...
The Australian battled hard against Ding Junhui and won a crucial 57-minute ninth frame to seize a stranglehold on the match.
I very much hope he receives the media coverage he deserves in his native land, where his exploits go largely unreported.
Neil’s a good guy and what you see with him is what you get: he’s honest, open and engaging as a person and this is also how he plays.
It was a very nice touch to mention afterwards the girl who had been writing to him while suffering from cancer and to dedicate the title to her memory.
Ding’s concentration seemed to wander and that must be a worry but at least he was back in a major final and that must be a cause for celebration after three lean years.
The Grand Prix took its time to get going but the random draw threw up a John Higgins v Ronnie O’Sullivan second round tie, after which the event came to life.
The Robertson-Higgins semi-final was a classic and there was enough good snooker in the week to keep audiences in Glasgow and beyond entertained.
As ever, though, problems remain.
Why do these finals have to start at 8pm? Snooker dodged a bullet tonight even though the match didn’t finish until gone 11pm. Had it gone the full distance it would have been nearer 1am.
The sport needs to appeal to kids but they won’t be watching at that time. Also, Central Europe is an hour ahead and many viewers will have switched off before the end.
Crowds built up towards the end of the tournament but, early on, were embarrassing.
I’ve seen the WPBSA marketing and promotion plan for the event and it was comprehensive so it would be missing the point to simply blame the governing body.
You can’t force people through the doors – and some of the matches looked unattractive before a ball had been struck – but something has to give.
The problem as I see it is that snooker in the UK is seen as a bit old hat, as a sport that hasn’t changed in years.
I would be completely against messing about with the rules but peripheral cosmetic change may at least persuade the outside world that it is a game worth turning up to watch.
As I’ve written on this blog before, snooker tournaments need to feel like a sporting experience.
This is what has happened in darts, although the comparison is not completely fair because drinking plays a large part in that sport and the noise and atmosphere would not translate to snooker.
So if it means getting rid of waistcoats or playing music at the start or whatever...so be it.
Let's kick around some ideas instead of burying our heads in the sand and pretending there isn't a problem.
I realise some of this would appal traditionalists but all sports – from football to cricket to tennis – have over the years changed the way they present their product without actually changing the product.
I hope this is looked at seriously.
In the meantime the night, no the week, belongs to Neil Robertson.
The man introduced as the ‘thunder from down under’ weathered a storm in Glasgow and must now be considered as one of modern snooker’s most formidable performers.
More...