The Snookerbacker Blog

Following on from Ali’s win earlier over Stephen Maguire hear what the losing semi-finalist Mags had to say here and then delight in the tones of a clearly determined and totally organically carroted up Captain here. 

So as we approach the final weekend of this year’s World Championship the annual discussion is underway, heightened this year by the growing Twitter snooker community as to how everyone has viewed the championship as a whole. Whether they have enjoyed it or not and the reasons why and the underlying discussion of how it can be made better. So this post is designed to give you your say.

For my part, I think so far it’s been a good, if not a great championship. The superb performances of Jamie Jones and the match between Ali Carter and Judd Trump being the stand out moments for me, of course Hendry’s 147 is also up there with one of the great Crucible moments, especially given the subsequent announcement later in the week.

Personally, I was disappointed not to see a few of the more established players bring their A-game along. In particular Ding Junhui and Mark Allen, who I was relishing meeting in Round 2. There were a couple of inexplicably bad performances from Graeme Dott and John Higgins and a forgiveable but still regrettable poor show from Mark Selby. Whilst the shocks in Round One made great headlines, I am still someone that likes to see the best players at their best in the showpiece and too many of them have been out of sorts.

So what do we put this down to? Fatigue? The long season? Or the fact that because everyone is playing more we are now a lot more likely to see the big names falling earlier? Is this increase in snooker the great leveller?

What about the World Championship format? Should the discussion be had about changing it? Well, as anyone who reads this blog regularly will know I would hate to see the format tinkered with in the same way as the UK Championship. The two, three and four session matches are what makes this championship great and to do away with these would be a step backwards for the sport. Thankfully, Bazza has given assurances that as long as the cash rolls in from the sponsors, the BBC and the city of Sheffield that the format will not change.

However, there is one stage that I think should change, namely, the semi-finals. In my opinion, they are too similar to the final and would be a better viewing spectacle as a three session match, slightly longer than the Quarter Finals. The first day yesterday was a bit of a nothing day and shortening the match slightly to say Best of 29, playing 9 frames in the first session would make the match really matter from the off. A 6-3 lead would really mean something with only two sessions left to play moving into a second session of 9 frames and a final session with a maximum 11 frames. I feel this would make the semi-finals a lot more dramatic than they are now and they would also lead to players feeling that bit fresher moving into the final, perhaps even giving them a day off beforehand.

I suggested this last night to Shaun Murphy on Twitter and he said he liked the idea. He also said ’I think the semi finals are now very similar to the final in length. Leads to fatigue in the final I think’. For me this is something that might be considered, ok, you might lose two sessions of ticket sales, but think of the publicity that can be generated with a whole day to hype up the final.

I’d be very interested in everyone’s thoughts on these topics.

Matthew is next up for Ronnie

It’s Semi-Final time at the Crucible and the players who have made the one table set up all have experience of this change in feel to the arena, with 3 times winner Ronnie O’Sullivan now assuming hot favourite’s position to lift the famous trophy on Monday evening.

For all the new players and young talent coming through in the game the final four has something of a retro feel to it and could be a final four from 6 or 7 seasons ago. Stephen Maguire is arguably one of the Crucible’s biggest underachievers with just the one semi-final to his name, Ali Carter was runner-up to Ronnie here in 2008 and a semi-finalist in 2010, while Matthew Stevens plays in this stage for the 6th time having twice finished runner-up.

Yesterday saw an early win for Stevens who polished off the two frames he needed against Ryan Day with the minimum of fuss, winning 11 frames on the spin without really ever looking in tip-top form, but winning by that margin when you aren’t at your best at the Crucible is something any player would take.

Maguire of course had already put himself through a day early with his demolition job on the retiring Hendry. The BBC (presumably) decided to put on an ermm, Ceremony/Guard of Honour for the 7 times champion before the afternoon session yesterday and it’s fair to say that a little more thought could have gone into it.

The half-baked spectacle basically consisted of Stephen coming out in his regulation BBC Team V-Neck sweater to shake hands with a few hastily cobbled together ‘legends’ of the sport and stand there looking uncomfortable while everyone clapped and waited to be told to stop clapping by Hzael. Hardly a fitting tribute to the undisputed King of the Crucible, he’d have been better off being asked to judge the result of that awful pub quiz that the Beeb seem intent on inflicting upon unsuspecting and frankly undeserving viewers all week during the mid-session intervals.

Maguire faces the Captain, Ali Carter who ended up weathering a storm to land in the semi-finals at the expense of Jamie ‘The Quiff’ Jones. Ali looked to be in cruise control in the match before Jones got into gear and a bizarre frame when Ali was 12-10 up extended the match by a further frame before the Captain got down to business in a match that he always looked like winning.

The match that every man and his dog were dubbing ‘The Final’ between Ronnie and Robbo was nicely poised going into the evening session with Robbo seemingly having played his way back into it after a woeful afternoon which saw him go from 2 up to 4 down in the sapce of just over an hour. At 8-9 he looked to have a great chance to level things up but missed just one too many balls and Ronnie came through a deserved winner in the end and now must surely be the man that will emerge triumphant. Gone are the thoughts that at some point his head will go and he will ‘beat himself’. He is relaxed, in fine spirits and playing as well as ever. We’ll see what develops but for me, he is now a huge favourite to lift his 4th world crown and who’s to say that more won’t follow, perhaps, just perhaps he has Hendry’s record in his sights after all.

Thursday May 3

1pm
SF1 Stephen Maguire v Ali Carter

Head to Head: 2-1 to Carter

Two players who have had quite different championships up to now meet first up. Maguire has been solid throughout and has never looked in danger of losing any of his first three matches against Brecel, Perry or Hendry and you have to say there are not many players that have enjoyed such a straightforward ride to this stage. Ali on the other hand had to come back from 3 down with 4 to play to beat Judd Trump before having to withstand the momentum behind Jamie Jones and fight his way over the line. The question is, how much have his matches so far taken out of him? Maguire has had the best part of two days off whereas Ali was still battling away a few hours ago. I haven’t seen the Captain cueing this well since he was runner-up here and I can see this one perhaps developing into a Crucible classic semi-final. It could also be a great spectacle as they are two of the most volatile players in the top flight so I’d expect plenty of cuebangs, wrapped knuckles and glares at the table when things go wrong from both of them. Maguire is a deserved favourite for the match given his form coming into this and the season he has had, while there was nothing to indicate that the Captain could make an impact on the championship coming it, but make an impact he has. It’s a real heart against head match for me this as I would love to see the Captain win but I think Maguire will be lining up in the final, so it’s an interest bet only for me here and I’ll be cheering the Captain on to land the plane safely in Finalsville.

Recommended Bet: 1 point on Maguire to win by 3 or 4 frames at 5/1 with Ladbrokes

7pm
SF2 Ronnie O’Sullivan v Matthew Stevens

Head to Head: 12-4 to O’Sullivan

It’s back to business for the Rocket and this time it’s the experienced Matthew Stevens who stands between him and a fourth final. Ronnie has actually lost 5 out of the 8 semi-finals he has played at the Crucible over the years but the three he has won have seen him go on and lift the trophy. Matthew’s Crucible semi-final record is played 5 won 2 and lost 3, but for him the two he has managed to win have seen him go on to lose tense finals to Mark Williams in 2000 (18-16) and Shaun Murphy in 2005 (18-16). As I said above Matthew has got here without playing his best but he’s still showing patches where he doesn’t look like missing and for me remains one of the most naturally gifted players in the game. But again this is a heart against head match and as much as I would love to see Matthew join Ali in the final I just have a feeling we may be witnessing The Ronnie Show from now on, Ladbrokes are offering an interesting centuries price for anyone that really think the Rocket will lift off in this first to 17 frame encounter, they are giving odds of 12/1 on him having 6 or more centuries in the match, which the way he is playing is not beyond the realms of possibility, particularly seeing as you can back this up with a 10/1 saver that he only makes a mere five. But I think the bet for this match will be that Matthew won’t win more than 11 frames in the match so.

Recommended Bet: 3 points on O’Sullivan -6.5 frames at 2/1 with Apollobet. 1 point on O’Sullivan to make 5 centuries (10/1) and 1 point on him to make 6 or more centuries (12/1) with Ladbrokes.      

Click the banner below to open an account with Boylesports and receive a FREE £40 BET when you place a £20 bet

Ali Carter made it into the semi-finals last night with a hard fought 13-11 win over the surprise package of the championship Jamie Jones. You can hear what a clearly relieved Captain had to say here and listen to Jamie on his overall experience here.

It’s the classic match that never was. Ronnie was in sublime form at times today but Robbo really let himself down in the second session and for me now, the World Championship is Ronnie’s to lose. You can watch his press conference here and hear from Robbo here.

Matthew Stevens returns to the one table set up for the first time since 2005 having completed an 11 frame winning run to beat his fellow Welshman Ryan Day 13-5 this morning. He awaits the winner of Robertson and Ronnie. You can hear what the defeated Day had to say here and what Matthew told the assembled press here.  

A quick thread for anyone involved today in what could be a dramatic day. Matthew Stevens is just 2 frames from a semi-final place this morning having won last night’s session 8-0. Ali Carter and Jamie Jones are in a tight battle as are Ronnie and Robbo, in what I’m sure will be a thrilling conclusion. Stephen Maguire is already through of course after his demolition job on Hendry. 

10am
QF2 Jamie Jones 7-9 Ali Carter
QF4* Ryan Day 5-13 Matthew Stevens

2.30pm
QF1* Stephen Hendry 2-13 Stephen Maguire
QF3 Ronnie O’Sullivan 3-5 Neil Robertson

7pm
QF2* Jamie Jones 7-9 Ali Carter
QF3*  Ronnie O’Sullivan v Neil Robertson

Stephen Maguire has beaten the King of the Crucible with a session to spare and Hendry has announced his retirement. You can hear what Maguire has to say here and you can hear what Hendry has to say here.

It’s true. But we’re trying to get a Rescue Greyhound sorted out tonight so it’s highly inconvenient.

So I reckon you should just Google it and when you’re done and a bit bored of every spin going on the story, you might want to remember how brilliant he was by clicking here and then go to a way-off prediction post that I did here last year. But like I say I will leave the news to the serious journos, like the ones that went on about that wedding proposal on the same day that Hendry beat Higgins.

Hendry = Legend.

After last night’s matches all the players appeared before the assembled hacks at the Crucible and you can hear what the always entertaining Mark Williams had to say here after his defeat to Ronnie O’Sullivan who speaks here. In the other match qualifier Jamie Jones came through and tells it how it is here and his gracious opponent Andrew Higginson can be viewed here.