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Re: Selby and Ronnie have won 8/11 World Championships

Postby SnookerFan

Funnily enough, Givemesport has published another article about this year old news yesterday.

https://www.givemesport.com/88018441-ro ... m=internal

I don't know why they're suddenly so obsessed by a news story that hasn't been relevant for a year. But it's got us talking about it again, I guess.

Re: Selby and Ronnie have won 8/11 World Championships

Postby SnookerArcher

mick745 wrote:An agressive break off shot is likely to gridlock a frame, balls everywhere, reds on cushions, colours knock off their spots, likely to make break building more difficult. Although an opponent is likely to have a pot to go at of some sort. I think i remember Davis recalling Knowles once smashed up the pack against him, Davis came to the table thinking i'm going to make 100 here, and missed the first red!

The pros would in the main prefer all the reds to stay in and around the black spot if possible i would guess.


Yes it's true funnily, like a frame of Ronnie vs Selby in the 2018 SF NI Open. Balls unusually scattered, Ronnie got in first as Selby played safe, cost him the frame & the commentary said it, that frame epitomised the difference between the 2 players, Selby turned down a chance, Ronnie's chance was harder but he got it, his break was primarily in the baulk area taking lots of yellows lol, I think he made a clearance but it was one of the lowest clearances you'll see. Fascinating anyway with how unusual the balls were though the layman would think it's easy, just pot balls, they're spread so openly! But perhaps it throws most pros off cos they're used to playing a certain way & Shaun Murphy did say players are funny about keeping colours on their spots. The commentator said Ronnie excels at awkward tables, like he enjoys the challenge.

SnookerFan wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:I’ve seen footage of Hurricane doing it in the late 80’s. Trying to recall when…


I mean, the whole reaction to it was a bit daft anyway.

It was a perfectly good break-off, didn't really do anything to slow down the frame and Mark Williams trialled it in an attempt to make the traditional break-off less risky.

Now, I'm one who think this whole thing about the break-off risking leaving a shot on is made too much off anyway. It's not that often that professional players bungle the break-off badly enough to give their opponents a good chance. But at the same time, if Mark Williams (or anybody else) felt it was preferable to play that break-off, there's no good reason why they shouldn't. The commentators were dumping all over him for it, and there wasn't even any need to.


It's very hairy how pros even lower ranked can make 1 table visits so a good breakoff becomes more important with how fluent the tour is at scoring. Perhaps not in the 80s & before where they'd play safe after a 40break.

Yeah strange to bring up old news, with the season over they're bereft of snooker stuff to report I guess.
That was a strange season for Ronnie nonetheless, was like 2016-17, lots of finals no wins (Though Ronnie did win the Masters in 2016-17). Ronnie playing on to the last dead ball to make up for not practising outside of tournaments lol... The press likes to blow up stories & aren't above recycling old news, the amount of hype over shouldergate was stupid, to me they just walked past each other, it wasn't a rugby tackle! I know, snooker's a genteel sport, sneezing is outrageous there... I thought the McGill & Clarke altercation was juicier I enjoyed that in a bad way I admit, 'You want to dance, let's dance!' :happy: (Sadly Anthony's words over the eyeling thing clearly got to Jamie Clarke & he lost iirc 6frames in a row?)
Kurt Maflin giving the ball the finger for not getting into position for his maximum.
Ronnie's dig at the tour being bad that he'd need to lose an arm & leg to fall out of the top 50.
Selby calling Ronnie disrespectful... 2020 had a lot of crucible drama!

2015 was probably Ronnie's most eccentric campaign, with shoe trouble round 1 with him ironically wearing the shoes of the tournament director who he assaulted many moons before, nearly breaking his cue in round 2 & quarter finals putting his chalk on the table as an aid for working out his next shot. Doherty was furious saying he's broken the rules! I want to find Hendry's reaction to Ronnie saying he's not bothered about winning, Hendry had plenty to say, said typical Ronnie downplaying the importance of the event to him, he's after his record! Here we are today with him tying the record!

I'm sure the press had much fun with 2015, the one thing they like more than building someone up is to tear them down, Ronnie with his quirks AND losing to a then journeyman would have got their attention! Another Hurricane esque meltdown was what they were hoping for perhaps.