Stephen Hendry snooker blog
Archive for April, 2010
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Mark Selby
0651 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
A repeat of The Masters final is in store at the last eight of the snooker world championship today. O’Sullivan is making his 12th appearance at a Crucible quarter-final, while Selby is looking to advance to the latter stages like he did in 2007.
O’Sullivan hasn’t won a world crown since 2008, but is now the favourite to win the tournament following the exit of defending champion John Higgins. The Rocket brushed aside the challenge of Mark Williams 13-10 in a high-quality encounter, with both players playing to their very best. A return to form for Williams was not enough to stop O’Sullivan from surging into the next round, and he sealed the win in great style with back to back centuries.
“It was nice to get through that game and come through against a top quality player. I’ve played too many up-and-down games over the years to get excited about it.
“It would be nice to keep applying the pressure to the opponent because that makes your job a bit easier. To be fair the last three or four years I’ve played better than I have in the previous twelve years, so it’s not all doom and gloom. It’s a big tournament and we all want to do well. There are a lot of nerves so it’s probably difficult to enjoy yourself,” said O’Sullivan.
Selby came through his last match unscathed against seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry 13-5. The Jester from Leicester won a couple of frames that proved to be turning points in the match. One of them he won after needing two snookers, and the other from 60-odd points behind. The first session was tied at 4-4, but Selby blitzed his way through the second session wining seven of the eight frames and lead 11-5, and only needed two frames in the evening to wrap up the win.
“In the second session I did most of the damage. I scored at every opportunity I had. I seemed a bit flat going out there in the evening session because I knew if I mind my work I’d get over the line so it was difficult but I got over the line,” Selby said.
Matches between O’Sullivan and Selby always produce great spectacles. The Masters final in 2010 went all the way, with Selby coming from the brink at 9-6 down to pip O’Sullivan 10-9 and win The Masters for the second time in three years. In the previous year at that tournament Selby lost to O’Sullivan in the final 10-8. In 2008, Selby won his first ranking event from 8-5 behind to win 9-8 at the Welsh Open. They also met at the 2007 UK championship semi-final, where The Rocket fired in one of the best 147 maximums in the final frame to win 9-8.
“If I approach a game differently and change my plan that will affect me as well. Ronnie hasn’t got many weaknesses so it would be hard to pick any out. I’d rather not play him at all, more often than not you expect to find Ronnie at the latter end of tournaments so if he’s in your half you expect to have to play him at some point,” Selby said.
Ali Carter v Shaun Murphy
Carter booked his place in the last eight with a 13-11 win over Joe Perry. The Captain is playing in his third quarter-final in the last four years. Carter was in a commanding lead over Perry, leading 10-6 overnight, but Perry managed to win five frames in a row to snatch the lead. However, the 2008 runner-up at Sheffield was not going to let the match slip away, and he took the next three frames to win.
“At 11-10, I was looking adversity in the face but I pulled it out of the bag. I felt flat going out in the last session, which doesn’t make a lot of sense but being behind kick started me. Wanting to win so badly makes you lose. You get in your own way. It’s only when you get older that you realise that,” Carter said.
Murphy, who battled past Ding Junhui 13-10, is next for Carter. Murphy was 5-3, 8-6 and 10-9 behind, but he began to find his form, and he powered in a winning break of 128 to go through.
“I’m very pleased and over the moon to win. There was a time in my career a few seasons ago when I played Ding and I came out on top. That changed and the last few times he’s won but here at the biggest tournament I’m glad to have won.
“This is where the rubber hits the road. The eight players that are left are probably the best eight in the game at the minute and I’m very excited to be among those eight. Last time Ali played me here he came out on top so I’ll be looking to turn the tables,” Murphy said.
Both quarter-finals begin at 2.30pm today.
Last eight for Davis at world championship
0652 days
by Ismail Vedat
in Uncategorized
Last eight for Davis at world championship
If you had offered Steve Davis the chance of playing in the quarter-finals of the snooker world championship before it began this year, what would he have done? He probably would have laughed and said “no chance.”
All joking aside, it is really happening, and on his 30th appearance at The Crucible, Davis is now the oldest player to compete at this stage for 27 years since the late Eddie Charlton, who was 53-years-old.
Going into the tournament as a 500-1 outsider, Davis’ odds have now been slashed following his magnificent triumph over defending world champion John Higgins to as near as 40-1. He completed a remarkable 13-11 win, and was playing snooker that was close to his very best.
“In the build up to the worlds all I thought about was to practice and get better and better. I thought all I’ve got to do is come to the Crucible and keep my head still. It’s a simple thought.
“Relief does come first and then the dawning realisation that I’ve knocked John out. Then he came over and wished me the best, he’s such a great champion and sportsman. You couldn’t beat a nicer bloke,” Davis said.
The 52-year-old doesn’t play the game with the same intensity as he used to when he dominated the 1980s. “This is a hobby to me now. There was a time it was my bread and butter and I didn’t look forward to it even if I knew I was going to win,” Davis said.
When he was at the peak of his game and winning almost everything, The Nugget had to deal with the boos from the crowd. Now, it is the complete opposite. Not as good as he used to be, he receives standing ovations and great applause from the fans, and he goes into the games now as a firm fans’ favourite. “I hated the process of having to prove I was going to win. Nobody thinks that now and people will be just pleased if I go through. There was a time when everybody booed.” said Davis.
A six-time champion of the world, Davis last won a ranking event 15 years ago at the Welsh Open, and it is 21 years since he won his last world championship. Despite being in the quarter-finals, he is not thinking about adding number seven to the list.
“I am not looking there. It is one round at a time, one frame at a time, one ball at a time. It’s just another match, that is the only way I can look at it. In one respect it is fantastic, but on the other hand, it is only the second round and there is a long way to go in the tournament. But for the time being, I will savour it,” said Davis.
Introduced as “he used to be called Nugget, now he is simply legend”, Davis is the ultimate ambassador for snooker, and is proving that he can still play at the highest level. “I’m probably the best player of the 1980s and it’s natural I’ve lasted the longest coming into another era. I should have outstayed my era and the fact I’m still turning up makes me delighted.”
Usually at this point of a tournament Davis would be on the sofa with the BBC team, but now, the sofa will have to wait for a little bit longer, as he prepares for his last eight match with Neil Robertson. Davis in the quarter-finals.
Could it be another golden oldie moment for The Nugget?
Williams battles past Ding to win 2010 China Open
0673 days
by Rob Swan
in Uncategorized
The home favourite, Ding Junhui, had the crowd behind him and looked the clear favourite to take the 2010 China Open in the final against Mark Williams.
The Welshman, though, valiantly battled back from 5-3 down to beat Ding 10-6 to secure his first title for four years.
The 35-year-old former world champion had been stuck in a rut during those four long years, struggling to make his presence felt on the snooker circuit.
However, this long-overdue win netted the “over the moon” Williams a winners’ cheque for £55,000 and provided the Welshman with a clear indicator that his snooker career is not over just yet.