Archive for September, 2010

Ding Junhui into the last 16 at World Open

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608 days
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Ding Junhui booked his place in the next round of the snooker World Open in Glasgow by beating Jimmy Michie 3-1.

The reigning UK champion took the first frame after he made a break of 58, with Michie making a lot of mistakes. Ding was showing signs of playing well, and he went 2-0 in front thanks to a break of 109.

Like Ronnie O’Sullivan did yesterday, Michie jokingly asked the referee what the prize-money was for making a 147 maximum break, but that was where the similarities ended, as Michie couldn’t make the maximum.

In the third frame, Michie played one of the shots of the tournament, as he potted the black into the top-left pocket with the rest to screw back to the red on the right cushion, and he took the frame to only trail 2-1 despite not playing well at all.

The player ranked 56 in the world missed a great opportunity to level the match as he failed to pot a red into the middle-left pocket, and that allowed Ding to clinch the match with a break of 78.

Ronnie O’Sullivan may walk away after 147 madness

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608 days
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Ronnie O’Sullivan has hit back at his critics over his refusal to complete his 147 maximum break at the snooker World Open yesterday.

On his way to beating Mark King 3-0, he asked referee Jan Verhaas what the prize-money would be for making a 147, to which Verhaas said there would be no extra money on top of the £4,000 highest-break prize. With this is mind, O’Sullivan potted the final pink and refused to pot the 15th and final black. Verhaas persuaded him to do it, and the Rocket fired home the black to complete a record 10th official maximum break.

After the match, it was believed O’Sullivan refused to pot the black in protest of no additional money being made available, but speaking to radio station talkSPORT, he said: “I’m not going to change, I’ll never change. I was talking to Barry Hearn [World Snooker chairman] yesterday and I told him, ‘If you like, that can be my last game of snooker ever. I’m quite happy to walk away’ – and I mean that.

“I’m not going to change. I’m going to carry on doing what I do. I don’t hurt anybody. I love my sport. I’m not a cheat. I’m not into gambling. I play snooker because I love the game and try to play to the best of my ability. I said to Barry that I’m not the most confident person when I’m out there and it’s hard for me to get up for playing. That’s why I’m happy to walk away.

“I sometimes get frustrated with my own performance because I like to play at a high level all the time and, when I don’t do that, my behaviour can reflect that because I do strange things.”

O’Sullivan, who has dropped down to No.6 in the world rankings, will now play Jimmy White in the last 16, and has admitted he was just “having some fun” yesterday.

“I just thought I’d have a bit of fun. The money wasn’t an issue. I just thought I’d ruffle a few feathers to get everyone on their toes. The 147 was on and I fancied it, even though I’m not playing well. I don’t fancy myself to win this tournament because I’m not playing well enough, but I can make a maximum.

“So I thought I’d go for it and I didn’t mean anything malicious by it [the refusal to pot the black]. I really wasn’t going to pot the black but I can’t believe everyone’s getting so crazy about it.

“My biggest buzz in my sport was when I was playing at 16 in front of my hero, Stephen Hendry, and it was the first time he’d seen me play. I was playing James Wattana and I made a 140 break and decided not to pot the black. And Hendry just looked as if to say, ‘You know what, I like that.’ It’s something only other top sportsmen would appreciate.

“I’m a bit disappointed that everyone is finding the negative in it because it’s about entertainment and expressing yourself, and that’s all I was doing.

“It was about proving a point, not about the money. I’ll give the £4,000 to charity because it’s not the money. It would be nice if there was a bigger prize – I think there should be really – but I wasn’t losing any sleep over it. It’s just weird what some people read into it,” said O’Sullivan.

Mark Williams progresses to last 16

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608 days
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Mark Williams advanced to the last 16 of the snooker World Open after beating Ali Carter 3-1.

Two-time world champion Williams has been in fine form over the last few weeks, beating Mark Selby 4-2 in the Premier League last week and beating Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo in the first round here in Glasgow, and it was he who took the opening frame with two quick-fire breaks.

Carter, who won the first ranking tournament of the season in Shanghai, had a good chance to level the match, but after he made a couple of mistakes with a break just falling short of 50, Williams came back and doubled his lead.

Carter looked odds-on to win the third frame, being 72-0 in front, but Williams managed to clear the table and level the score at 72-72, forcing a re-spotted black. To win the match, Williams tried an ambitious shot as he tried to cut the black from a difficult angle, but he left the ball over the pocket, allowing Carter to keep his hopes alive of staying in the tie.

However, Carter’s hopes were dashed within minutes as Williams sealed the match in style, making a break of 96 to complete a fine victory.

“Every time I was in the balls I felt as if I was going to make a decent break,” he said. “Starting off quickly in matches has not always been my strong point, I probably lose the first frame more often than anyone.

“It’s not easy to play well in these best-of-fives and you know you could go out there, lose 3-0 and not even get a poke. But so far I’ve done well. The last time I played best-of-fives was in a pro-am in Ilford when the top prize was £500, and this week we’re playing for £100,000,” said Williams.

Alan McManus wins in front of home crowd

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609 days
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Alan McManus overcame the challenge of Matthew Stevens by winning 3-2 to book his place in the last 16 of the snooker World Open in Glasgow.

Former Masters champion McManus won took the honours in the deciding frame after Stevens mounted a comeback after he was 2-0 down in the short format.

The Scotsman won the first frame with a break of 44 and doubled his lead after Stevens missed a red along the top cushion.

Welshman Stevens hit back with breaks of 52, 45 and 48 to level the score and take the match into a decider. Stevens was the first player to have an opportunity to clinch the match, but he broke down on a break of 35, allowing McManus to get himself back into the frame with a break of 56. After McManus missed an easy red, he managed to snooker Stevens on the final red and gained 15 points through fouls. McManus crossed the finishing line by potting the red to seal his place in the next round.

Meanwhile in the last match of the afternoon, Liu Song joined McManus in the last 16 after he beat Joe Jogia 3-1. Song, ranked 88 in the world, went ahead after both players showed signs of nerves. Jogia squared the tie after he knocked in a break of 79, but a break of 41 in the third and a match-winning 107 got the job done for Song.

Ronnie O’Sullivan pushes fans to the max

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609 days
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He performs miracles on the snooker table, but sometimes Ronnie O’Sullivan can really get on your nerves.

He recorded his 10th maximum 147 break at the World Open in his 3-0 win over Mark King today, and it was a 147 that had great shots, time to ask for some advice and drama at the end – showcasing everything you need to know about O’Sullivan.

O’Sullivan always brings in the crowds, and they were treated to something special. After he potted the first red and colour, O’Sullivan stopped to ask referee Jan Verhass what the prize-money would be for making a 147. When told there would be no additional cash to the £4,000 received for the highest break, he went on to play some tremendous shots and delighted the crowd at the SECC in Glasgow, especially when potting the 13th black and bringing the cue ball out of baulk to land perfectly on the penultimate red.

When he sunk the final pink, the crowd were about to witness another special maximum from the Rocket. Other players would have stepped up, potted the black and accepted the applause of the crowd. Not O’Sullivan. He refused to pot the black in protest of no extra prize-money being made available, but after being persuaded by Verhass to pot it, in true O’Sullivan fashion he slammed the black into the pocket.

Luckily for him, the black went in at that extraordinary pace, because if it didn’t O’Sullivan would have been slightly embarrassed at the end. In potting the black, he now holds the record of making the most maximums, one more than Stephen Hendry. There must have been some in the audience thinking if O’Sullivan was taking it seriously, because for a time it didn’t look as though he was.

“After potting the first red and black I wanted to go for it so I asked the referee if there was a prize,” said O’Sullivan. “It would have been nice to have £25,000 so I could go on holiday. I would have got a kick out of just making a 140 and leaving the black. I don’t think 147s are that difficult but everyone else thinks they are.”

O’Sullivan certainly tests everyone’s patience to the maximum when he plays.

Snooker launches anti-corruption unit

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609 days
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World Professional and Billiards Association chairman Barry Hearn has unveiled “zero tolerance” rules on betting.

In a press conference this lunchtime, Hearn said anyone in both snooker and darts – which he is chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation as well- who are involved in any form of betting will be given a lifetime ban.

The announcement comes on the back of snooker’s latest scandal, in which John Higgins was found not guilty of match-fixing after a sting by the News of the World had footage of Higgins and his then manager Pat Mooney of apparently agreeing to throw frames for money at a future event.

Higgins was found guilty of failing to report a would-be corruptor to the sport, and was fined £75,000 and banned until November, while Mooney was deemed solely responsible for the situation and permanently banned from snooker.

Higgins has agreed to take part in a new educational programme which will teach players about the consequences of betting and make them aware of the standards set by the WPBSA.

“Over the next couple of weeks we have a build-up to a board meeting on October 7th, which will approve a while range of new rules which will clearly set down the parameters that we want to see professional sport under and I believe it will take us to the very top of the queue in terms of integrity issues in sport,” Hearn said.

“We will be making sure that all the professional players involved in darts and snooker are aware that it is totally against the rules for anyone to have any financial gain whatsoever from any betting activity in these sports. In other words, no betting on anything. And that would involve not just betting on matches, but betting on parts of matches. This would involve savers, insurance bets on prize money, laying off bets on maximum breaks or high breaks. It’s a total blanket on any form of gambling. Anyone that breaks these rules is an instant lifetime ban from the sport,” he added.

David Douglas – a former Metropolitan police detective chief superintendent- now in charge of disciplinary matters on the WPBSA board, will be joined by Lord Stevens, chairman of Quest, as well.

Hearn went on to say: “Integrity in sport should be zero tolerance. We should always remember the most important people, not just the television companies that televise our sport or the sponsors who sponsor our sport, the most important people is the punter that buys the ticket or the viewer that watches professional sport at home on television.

“These people have got to enjoy their sport in the knowledge that the sport is cleaner than clean, that everyone is giving a hundred per cent all the time and that no-one is involved in any financial benefit whatsoever other than the prize money they are playing for. In terms of gambling, it needs to be completely and totally outlawed.

“We will be setting up, under Lord Stevens’ guidance, private confidential emails and phone numbers so that anyone who has anything to report has the obligation to report that. Failure to report, once again comes back to a lifetime ban.

“It’s time for all sport to take a very strong grip and a look at itself. We live in a different world, we live in a world of temptation, a world that requires education on the pitfalls that can be there by trusting other people, by being gullible and naive. We need to make sure we have systems in place to help these people, we don’t want a problem we want to guarantee that we will never have a problem.

“Setting up the Integrity Unit is a process we started several months ago – before the John Higgins case came about – by bringing Douglas on to the board. Snooker is a sport associated with honesty and sportsmanship, we’ve all seen countless occasions where players have owned up to fouls not spotted by the referee.

“Unfortunately in recent months we’ve had some high-profile cases which have tarnished the image of the game, and it’s vital for the future of snooker that we stamp out corruption and make sure we are clean, and perceived as clean by the viewing public. We have made massive strides forward commercially this year with new and successful events with exciting formats. But that progress must not be hindered by any form of corruption.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan wins and hits 147 maximum break

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609 days
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Ronnie O’Sullivan hit his 10th competitive 147 maximum break on his way to beating Mark King 3-0 at the snooker World Open in Glasgow.

O’Sullivan will now play six-time world finalist Jimmy White in the last 32.

The Rocket took the opening frame after knocking in breaks of 38 and 75. King missed chances in the second frame, allowing O’Sullivan to take a 2-0 lead.

The clinching-frame saw the good and bad side of O’Sullivan, and after potting the first red on the way to the 147 break, he stopped to ask referee Jan Verhass what the prize-money for the maximum would be, but he was told there was no additional prize-money on top of the £4,000 for achieving the highest break.

After he potted the final pink, O’Sullivan shook hands with King, but Verhass persuaded him to pot the black and complete the maximum, which he did after he smashed the black into the pocket.

“I wasn’t going to pot the black because I asked and was told there was no break prize for a 147,” he told the BBC. “What’s the point of making a 147 if you’re only going to make £4,000? I thought Barry Hearn [World Snooker chairman] was supposed to be putting money in, not taking it out,” said O’Sullivan.

Snooker World Open last 32 takes centre stage

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609 days
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The snooker World Open in Glasgow is already proving to be popular amongst the players and the fans with the excitement set to continue as the last 32 matches kick off today.

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark King are the last players vying for a place in this round, and the winner will play six-time world finalist Jimmy White. O’Sullivan is always the blockbuster name in any tournament, and King will have his work cut out if he is to stop the Rocket.

White defeated Paul Davison 3-1 to seal his place in the last 32, and for a time it didn’t look as though he would. Davison, ranked 86 in the world, took the opening frame with a break of 60 and was in control in the second, looking good for a 2-0 lead, but failed to capitalise. White found his rhythm and managed to recover by taking the next three frames.

Providing O’Sullivan overcomes King, the Whirlwind is anticipating an exciting encounter against the Rocket.

“I would love to play Ronnie now. I’ve got a few days to reflect and calm down because I got so excited, it took me a while to stay still on the shot,” said White.

It has been a long time since White reached the televised stages of an event, and the hard practice is beginning to pay off.

“I just want to win because I want to play again, but I haven’t been involved at a venue for a while. I’m cueing well and the pink I knocked in to go 2-1 up showed that,” said White.

Home favourites Stephen Hendry and Stephen Maguire delighted the crowd by advancing to the next round. Hendry beat Belgian Bjorn Haneveer 3-0, while Maguire edged out Stuart Pettman 3-2.

Seven-time world champion Hendry will play Mark Davis and was satisfied with his win and the format of the tournament.

“To win 3-0 is all you can ask for,” said Hendry. “The drive here took longer than the match and it’s nice to come through unscathed. There was a very good atmosphere and it’s nice to have only one table. This is an outstanding event and there’s definitely room for it.”

Maguire was tied at 2-2 and on the verge of exiting as Pettman led 48-1 in the deciding frame. However, Pettman miscued a shot with the match in his hands, and missed two more chances on the final green, leaving Maguire at the second time of asking to win. “I should never have won,” admitted Maguire. “That’s the first match out of the way and hopefully I can settle down now.”

Mark Williams, a man returning to his best form, beat Brazil’s Igor Figueiredo in a comfortable 3-0 win. Williams came from 2-0 down to beat Mark Selby in the Premier League last week, and he brought that form to the SECC in Glasgow. The Welshman will certainly have a tougher match on his hands in the next round, as he plays recently-crowned Shanghai Masters champion Ali Carter, who beat Thai amateur Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 3-1.

Reigning UK champion Ding Junhui had no problems beating Adrian Gunnell 3-0, making a top break of 53 along the way. China’s No.1 player now plays Jimmy Michie in the next round.

The World Open began with a repeat of the World Championship final from the Crucible in May as Neil Robertson and Graeme Dott did battle in the best-of-five tie. Australia’s first official world champion Robertson prevailed 3-1, and is pleased with the way the tournament has panned out so far.

“It’s a fantastic format and good to have a repeat of the world final on the first day with a big crowd,” he said. The Thunder from Down Under remains a threat in the event and will now take on David Morris.

Peter Ebdon won the battle of the former world champions as he beat Steve Davis 3-1. Ebdon dropped out of the elite-16 last season for the first time in 16 years, and has desires on getting his place back where he feels he belongs.

“It hurt to drop out of the top-16 last season because I felt that I could stay in there for as long as I wanted,” he said.

“It’s time to re-focus and re-group now and I do have new impetus and motivation, not only to get into the top-16 but to be a serious competitor for the big titles,” Ebdon added.

A match against Fergal O’Brien awaits the 2002 world champion, while Matthew Stevens, who reached the Shanghai Masters quarter-finals in the first ranking event of the season, will play local player Alan McManus.

Joe Jogia plays Liu Song, while another Scotsman Marcus Campbell plays Mike Dunn. Stephen Lee plays Nigel Bond, James McBain takes on Ricky Walden, Martin Gould plays Matthew Couch, and Marco Fu plays Andrew Higginson.

Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby suffer shock defeats

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609 days
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Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby were the top players to fall at the first hurdle of the snooker World Open this weekend.

The best-of-five format was predicted to cause an upset for some players, and surprisingly it caught out both Murphy and Selby.

Murphy, the reigning Premier League champion, could not get going against Dave Harold, and after a scrappy opening frame, it was Harold who took the lead. The 2005 world champion presented chances for Harold, and the Stoke potter knocked in breaks of 67 and 76 to seal a shock 3-0 win.

“The first frame was the key, then after that I made two good breaks and never let Shaun get his hand on the table,” said Harold. “I felt comfortable and put him under pressure. I think the lower-ranked players have got a great chance in this tournament.”

As is the nature of the World Open, the random draw has pitted Harold against the Shotgun Jamie Cope in the next round.

Reigning Masters champion Selby was the other top player to lose, losing 3-2 to Barry Hawkins last night in a tense match. Hawkins was in control of the tie after coming from a frame down to lead 2-1, but when he missed an easy black off the spot, he presented the chance to the Jester from Leicester to level and take the match to a decider.

Both players had opportunities, but it was Hawkins who held his nerve to book his place in the last-32 against former world champion Ken Doherty.

Snooker World Open contenders

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612 days
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The World Open starts this weekend, and there are a number of players who stand a great chance of winning the event.

The usual suspects will be competing for the £100,000 top-prize and the favourite, as he is heading into every tournament, is Ronnie O’Sullivan.

The Rocket missed the first ranking tournament of the season at the Shanghai Masters for personal reasons and was unable to defend his crown. He will be playing Mark King in the first round. Last season was one to forget for O’Sullivan, as he only won one ranking event, and by his standards, he should have done better. He lost in the Masters final to Mark Selby at Wembley after throwing away a 9-6 lead, and suffered at the hands of Selby once again in the quarter-finals of the world championship.

Two semi-final appearances at the UK Championship and Welsh Open were the best he could manage in ranking events other than his Shanghai win, and on both occasions he lost to John Higgins. Another defeat in a final, this time in the Premier League – where he was champion for five consecutive years – to Shaun Murphy came along as well.

O’Sullivan at times can be his own worst enemy, but if he is in the right frame of mind, then he will definitely be the one to beat. This season he has played twice in the Premier League, and has failed to win in both of them, drawing with Marco Fu and Ding Junhui.

Selby won the Masters for the second time in three years in last season, and he begins his campaign against Barry Hawkins. He has made a solid start to this season, winning a six-red tournament in Thailand and one of the new Players Tour Championship events as well. The Jester from Leicester is capable of going all the way to add to the Welsh Open -the only ranking event title of his career so far.

Reigning world champion Neil Robertson is certainly another contender for the World Open. The Australian began and ended last season with event wins – winning the Grand Prix at the start and becoming world champion at the end at the Crucible. The quick-fire format of the World Open – where matches are the first to three up until the final – will suit Robertson’s game. As world champion as well, he’ll have a lot to prove, and over the last few seasons he has become one of the more flamboyant players on the table.

Another contender is the in-form Ali Carter. He won the first ranking event of the season last week in Shanghai after beating Jamie Burnett in the final. Carter has been one of the most consistent players on the circuit over the last two seasons, which has seen him rise to No.2 in the world rankings.

Shaun Murphy is the reigning Premier League champion, and as that prestigious tournament is built on playing against the 25-second shot-clock, he should have no problems adapting to the best-of-five encounters here in Scotland.

A man who returned to form last season was Mark Williams, and last night he showed his true quality in the Premier League by coming back from 2-0 down to win 4-2. He won the China Open last season to end a run of four years without a ranking event win, and signs of the old Williams have been coming back. The Welshman is a dangerous opponent for anybody, and he could go far in this event.

With a tournament in Scotland, all eyes will be on a Scotsman winning the World Open at the end of the week. Stephen Maguire has won four ranking events in his career, but the last of them came in 2008 in China. At times he doesn’t play well, and this is his downfall, as he is not able to win the scrappy frames. Of the Scottish players – which also include Stephen Hendry, Graeme Dott, Alan McManus, Marcus Campbell and Jamie McBain – he is the most likely to reach the latter stages.

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