Snooker

[Dannie Boy]

Si 14-5 up in the semi final. An almost impeccable performance so far, quite something. 94% pot success!? The youngest world champion ever is Stephen Hendry, winning in 1990 at 21 years old. Are we going to see a new record?

Hasn't one a game since I posted this. 11 in a row for Brecel.

Edit: fun fact, though we may not see the youngest ever finalist or winner, we might see the biggest comeback in crucible history here.

Indeed, the greatest comeback in snooker history rather than the youngest finalist.

Also pretty tense in the other semi with Selby leading 16-13 in what could be the last frame?

[Lost]

Si 14-5 up in the semi final. An almost impeccable performance so far, quite something. 94% pot success!? The youngest world champion ever is Stephen Hendry, winning in 1990 at 21 years old. Are we going to see a new record?

Hasn't one a game since I posted this. 11 in a row for Brecel.

Edit: fun fact, though we may not see the youngest ever finalist or winner, we might see the biggest comeback in crucible history here.

Indeed, the greatest comeback in snooker history rather than the youngest finalist.

Also pretty tense in the other semi with Selby leading 16-13 in what could be the last frame?

Yup, tactical battle been going on for a bit now. Selby usually the best in the business at these kind of games but Allen matching him at the moment.

[Dannie Boy]

I didn’t watch all of the match but what I did see, there was some very good snooker being played - high skill levels matched by high concentration. In the end Selby managed to just edge it and win 17-15, but pushed all the way by Allen.

[Lost]

So many snooker watchers hate Selby with a passion, saying his style of play is 'anti-snooker' but I enjoy watching him. Very much safety orientatated, always looking to stick balls on the cushion if he's surrendering a break but got a lead—all part of snooker. Good safety play is just as interesting to me as all out gung-ho potting.

Brecel, on the other hand, is an unorthodox, risky potter at all times, which may be the only way to beat Selby. He even admitted to being 'drunk as hell' as preparation for his game against Ronnie.

Mainland Europe's first ever finalist. An interesting final this will be.

[Lost]

Fun fact.

[Lost]

First ever 147 in the final! World Championship maximum clearance #14 dating back to 1983. What a treat of snooker we've been served up the last few days!

[Lost]

[PeteC]

Masters 2024: Ronnie O'Sullivan fights back to beat Ali Carter 10-7 for eighth title

https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/67975674. (Video)

Mr Q Masters

Venue: Alexandra Palace, London Dates: 7-14 January

Ronnie O'Sullivan fought back to claim a record-extending eighth Masters title with a thrilling 10-7 victory over Ali Carter at a raucous Alexandra Palace.

O'Sullivan, already the youngest-ever winner of the tournament, becomes the oldest-ever champion too, aged 48.

He trailed 6-3 in the evening session but then reeled off seven of the next eight frames to seal his win.

O'Sullivan's victory means he earns the £250,000 top prize, with Carter taking home £100,000.

The world number one, who collected his eighth UK Championship in December, had never previously won consecutive Triple Crown events in the same season.

However, he now has the opportunity to emulate Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams, who are the only players to have won all three in the same campaign, with Scotland's Hendry achieving the feat twice.

"I don't know how I won this tournament. I've just dug deep, tried to play with a bit of freedom tonight and just tried to keep Ali honest," O'Sullivan told BBC Sport.

"If he was to win, he would've had to scrape me off the table. I just wanted to see if he had it at the end and could he get over the line, that was my mindset coming into the evening.

"Ali didn't play great this evening, he played better this afternoon and he let me off the hook tonight. He didn't take on some balls I thought he would and that gave me belief. I just tried to take the most from it."

O'Sullivan goes through the gears as Carter stumbles

World number 10 Carter, a 2020 finalist, had talked of relishing the opportunity to face the man who beat him in both of their meetings in world finals in 2008 and 2012.

And initially he was able to back that up, compiling breaks of 106 and 122 as he opened up a 5-3 lead on Sunday afternoon.

He then made the perfect start as play got under way in the evening, with a fine cut on a long red to the top left corner pocket helping him to extend his advantage.

A refocused O'Sullivan, who was guilty of playing several over-adventurous shots earlier on, responded with two half centuries as he won the next three frames to level the match at 6-6 going into the interval.

Having seen his three-frame lead evaporate in just 37 minutes, Carter delivered a magnificent riposte with a difficult red to the right middle laying the platform for a record ninth century break of the tournament, surpassing the mark set by O'Sullivan in 2007 and 2009, with a wonderful 127.

But 40-time ranking event winner O'Sullivan took a nervy 14th frame and the pivotal 15th frame after Carter agonisingly failed to execute a superb attempted cannon on two reds and then missed a pink into the left middle.

A break of 89 put 'The Rocket' on the brink of victory and he converted that as a clearly deflated Carter missed the chance to prolong the match beyond the 17th frame.

"Obviously I'm gutted I lost. It's the final, it's all about winning. Before I rocked up here I would've taken the final but I've got good things to come for me and I'm heading in the right direction," said Carter.

"Ronnie played very well, he missed a few at the end and the crowd got excited. When you play Ronnie, you have to play the crowd, you have to accept it. I did my best but it just wasn't good enough."

[Lost]

Only caught the backend of the final. Ronnie was 1 behind when I tuned in. Will definitely be watching in December to see if he can take the lot this year.

On a side note, the crowd was annoying me last night. Given a stern talking to to behave a few times. It's not the darts. The balance between an active crowd vs drunk idiots needs to be found in my opinion.

[Big Boy]

On a side note, the crowd was annoying me last night. Given a stern talking to to behave a few times. It's not the darts. The balance between an active crowd vs drunk idiots needs to be found in my opinion.

I went to the Hendry/White final at the Crucible many years back. I don't remember the year (about 93 or 94?), but it was during the digital watch boom - you must remember, they went beep beep every 15 minutes.

Well, it was the most boring sporting event I've ever been to. The highlight of the weekend was everybody's watches sounding off at the same time, stopping play for a few seconds every 15 minutes whilst watches did their thing. Those were the only sounds to be heard whilst play was on. How times have changed.

[Lost]

I went to the Hendry/White final at the Crucible many years back. I don't remember the year (about 93 or 94?), but it was during the digital watch boom - you must remember, they went beep beep every 15 minutes.

Well, it was the most boring sporting event I've ever been to. The highlight of the weekend was everybody's watches... those were the only sounds to be heard...

There's the balance that needs to be made. What a treat that should have been, Hendry/White final at the Crucible! But. Silence.

Ronnie's fan base is always more vocal but yesterday was too much.

[PeteC]

Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Judd Trump 10-7 to win World Grand Prix final

https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/68049760

Ronnie O'Sullivan came back from 4-0 down to beat Judd Trump 10-7 in the World Grand Prix final.

Trump took all the frames of the first session but O'Sullivan recovered to end the afternoon's play 5-3 down.

The world number one fell 6-3 behind before reeling off six frames in a row with the help of Trump missing a black in frame 14 and a brown in the next.

O'Sullivan, who won the Masters last Sunday, lost the next frame but took the 17th to seal victory in Leicester.

"I enjoyed that," O'Sullivan told ITV4. "The start of the week, I was feeling a bit rough and then I bought myself an air fryer and a smoothie maker. I started eating a bit better.

"I don't like eating junk food, it sort of puts me in a funny place. I started to feel better as the week went on.

"I played some of my best snooker ever against Ding Junhui [in the semi-final]."

O'Sullivan won £100,000 for a victory which gave him a 41st ranking title.

"Judd blasted off the table to go 4-0 and I thought this could be an early night, like a 10-1 job," added the 48-year-old.

"I managed to nick a few frames this afternoon and 5-3 gave me a bit of optimism.

"You have to battle against Judd because he is a warrior. For me, he is the favourite for the World Championship this year - he is strong."

O'Sullivan was also 6-3 behind in the Masters final before beating Ali Carter 10-7 to win the title for a record-extending eighth time.

"I've got a lot of experience now, I've won a lot of tournaments and been around a while. I've learned a lot about the game and I'm just probably a better all-round player than I have ever been."