Stephen Hendry snooker blog
Archive for September, 2009
No Chinese victory in Shanghai
0875 days
by Elisabeth
in Uncategorized
Even though snooker fans know that surprises are common and that anything can happen in the game,
Ronnie O’Sullivan was still a big favourite for the Shanghai Masters final.
Both the English and the Chinese were quite convinced he would win even though hoping for anything else than a Chinese victory was impossible for the home crowd. The fact that Liang Wenbo made it to the final was a surprise in itself, and an important one for Chinese snooker.
With that, not only did he show that he has the potential of a world class player, but that he can hold his nerves to beat a top eight player like Shaun Murphy and reach the final of a ranking tournament. Playing on home ground probably helped a bit but we might need to get used to seeing Liang in the finals of these types of big tournaments from now on.
O’Sullivan didn’t play at his best, far from it. He seemed disappointed at not being able to clear the table at times, even though the frame was already won. Only one century was made – something we’re certainly not used to when it comes to O’Sullivan.
Liang seemed very eager to win. He was visibly pumped up, and most of the audience was on his side, but in the end his lack of experience forced him to surrender. After all, this was his first final in a ranking tournament. Shaun Murphy, this year’s winner of the highest break, said the day before that Liang had played too many “silly shots”.
Clearly, the ability to determine when to attack and when to play defensive shots is something that matures as players get a little more experience of big tournaments. The match ended 10-5 and moved Liang to the provisional world top 16.
At the closing ceremony when speeches were being held in both Chinese and English, O’Sullivan seemed a bit restless. As always it is the game of snooker that intrigues him the most, not the talk afterwards. Starting the season off by winning his 22nd ranking title, he has shown that he’s fit for a fight and that his fans can still count on him for another season.
China’s next big thing in snooker
0876 days
by Elisabeth
in Uncategorized
Liang Wenbo, whose first name is actually pronounced “Wenbooa”, is slowly becoming just as famous as fellow country-man Ding Junhui. Both players have had a huge impact on Chinese snooker the past few years and are essential for the growth of snooker in China. The country now hosts two important professional tournaments – China Open and Shanghai Masters, both which are ranking tournaments. It’s obvious that snooker is constantly gaining popularity in China and players like Ding and Liang are definitely one of the causes.
Up until the 2009 Shanghai Masters, Liang’s most memorable performance was probably in the 2008 World Championship. He was the third Chinese player to qualify and managed to reach the quarter final where he lost to O’Sullivan. Earlier in 2009 he also won the Beijing International Challenge which was his first professional title.
But it was when Liang reached the 2009 Shanghai Masters final that he really surpassed himself. With that he rose to thirteenth in the provisional world rankings, thereby taking Ding’s spot. However, Liang doesn’t want people to compare his playing style or career to Ding’s. They are good friends and have clearly stated that they want to represent their country in the best way possible. So far they have succeeded very well in doing so. Both are in the provisional world top 16 and are often seen in major events.
So, from now on, let’s follow Liang’s advice and focus on what China has to offer as a country as opposed to comparing the styles of different players. The Chinese definitely have something going on in this sport and may pose a healthy threat to the British players in the near future.
Are they guilty of the most unsportsmanlike deed?
0889 days
by Elisabeth
in Uncategorized
In December 2008, professional snooker players Jamie Burnett (ranked 40) and Stephen Maguire (ranked two) were suspected of match fixing. The incident happened during the 2008 UK Championship when a lot of bookmakers noticed heavy bets being placed on a 9-3 win for Maguire. New accounts betting on 9-3 were opened in Glasgow very far ahead of the match and bookies started getting suspicious. At first, odds were lowered but when that didn’t help, betting was completely suspended.
Investigators are especially concerned about the crucial black ball that Burnett completely missed. But both players knew what was going on before the match was played and claimed that it might have affected them to create a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.
Hard punishments are usually given to match fixers. Australian player Quinten Hann was found guilty of match fixing a few years ago after having intentionally lost a match against Ken Doherty in China Open. The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association banned Hann for eight years thus possibly ending his career.
Several months after the incident involving Burnett and Maguire, investigations have been taken up again. Hour long police inquirings have recently been held and the players still deny any wrongdoing.
There’s no question that this is a tough case. Involvement in fixed snooker matches can be extremely hard to prove. In the case of Quinten Hann, the accused was set up by undercover journalists that made him confess, something that is quite unlikely to happen again.
Both Maguire and Burnett make a living from snooker, from match winnings as well as sponsorship, and being found guilty of the above would probably be the end of their career.
Investigators work with video tapes of the match to determine if it can be used as evidence. Especially Burnett’s miss on the black ball that cost him the match is being thoroughly examined. It can’t be easy to form an opinion as hundreds of similar misses are made on the professional tour every year. Snooker is a sport where you have to be 100 percent focused throughout the entire match. Any player can lose concentration and miss an easy ball.
If a snooker player was to be found guilty of this incredibly unsportsmanlike behavior, a lifetime ban might only sound fair, but then investigators would have to be absolutely certain beyond a reasonable doubt that he is in fact guilty.