Cazoo Tour Championship Final !!!

Alex0paul wrote:The Robertson winning a major tournament every year since 2006 irks me as he only won a couple of PTC events in 2011

It's a tournament, and they all count I suppose.

To be fair when they say one tournament every year since 2006 I thought ranking titles or a good quality non ranker. PTC is only a minor ranker. Better than nothing obviously but doesnt feel like a real streak tbh.

It's a pity that it's yet another final lost by Ronnie. I'm ok with it though. Robertson was outstanding and would have beaten anyone tonight.

O'Sullivan won't win the World's without a big improvement. I wouldn't rule that out, but he really needs to give it 100 percent. And on today's form Robertson is a serious contender.

This could be Robertson's 2nd World title this year too good to not have won it 2nd time that was a crazy performance, throughout the whole tournament really.

I never thought Robertson would ever have this type of form since 2019 where he reached 6 ranking finals in that season, he's actually improved from that

My top 5 contenders order changes

1. Judd
2. Robertson
3. Selby
4. Higgins
5. Ronnie

As for Ronnie sucks to have lost a 5th final a great player like that doesn't deserve to have a bad stat like that, this isn't Murphy we're talking about, apart from Brown he lost to every top leading player this season so dunno how his chances will fare if he reaches a WC final against one of the top 5

he seems to be getting the jitters in finals lately and can catch up due to lack of confidence

Ronnies biggest weakness is simply his A-game which doesnt seem to exist atm. Hes getting to finals playing ok and does so with his B-game.

Thats enough to beat most players but when you then face a topplayer who is in great form like Robbo was he gets beat to easily and gets destroyed.

Higgins and Robbo played awesome and deserved to win but Ronnie really should have made it at least more competitive, maybe win 7 frames or so but he hasnt.

TheRocket wrote:Ronnies biggest weakness is simply his A-game which doesnt seem to exist atm. Hes getting to finals playing ok and does so with his B-game.

Thats enough to beat most players but when you then face a topplayer who is in great form like Robbo was he gets beat to easily and gets destroyed.

Higgins and Robbo played awesome and deserved to win but Ronnie really should have made it at least more competitive, maybe win 7 frames or so but he hasnt.

I think it was a bit more than his B game to come back against Hawkins.

McManusFan wrote:

TheRocket wrote:Ronnies biggest weakness is simply his A-game which doesnt seem to exist atm. Hes getting to finals playing ok and does so with his B-game.

Thats enough to beat most players but when you then face a topplayer who is in great form like Robbo was he gets beat to easily and gets destroyed.

Higgins and Robbo played awesome and deserved to win but Ronnie really should have made it at least more competitive, maybe win 7 frames or so but he hasnt.

I think it was a bit more than his B game to come back against Hawkins.

It wasn't. Hawkins absolutely bottled that match. The clearance from Ronnie was good but it came from the missed red from Hawkins. Hawkins also had 2-3 good opportunities in the frames after that and sitll couldnt get over the line.

Iranu wrote:Every year Robbo does enough during the season to be considered a favourite for the Worlds. And almost every year he fluffs his lines and gets knocked out in the early stages.

It’s foolish to consider Robbo a favourite. He’s an outside bet.

My thoughts exactly.

My order for favourites for the title hasn't changed, Trump being in 1st, Ronnie 2nd, Selby 3rd, Higgins 4th and then Robbo comes 5th.

Sorry but reaching the one table setup only once since 2010 doesnt give me confidence in him. He's been in this position before like you say, and bottled that chance.

Cant put Selby on 3 with the draw he has. Allen 2nd round possiblty and then Higgins or Williams in the quarters. All opponents who can beat him over multi session matches and dont care about his "tough matchplayer" reputation.

it will be a huge task for him to even get to the semis.

TheRocket wrote:Ronnies biggest weakness is simply his A-game which doesnt seem to exist atm. Hes getting to finals playing ok and does so with his B-game.

Thats enough to beat most players but when you then face a topplayer who is in great form like Robbo was he gets beat to easily and gets destroyed.

Higgins and Robbo played awesome and deserved to win but Ronnie really should have made it at least more competitive, maybe win 7 frames or so but he hasnt.

Bro his A game hasn't existed since Players Championship/ Tour Championship 2019, that was the last time he played on his A game on an overall level

2017-2019 was his last great run where he won like 10 tournaments and actually played Ronnie-esque snooker

he won the Worlds with his B game and first day vs Wilson he looked like he was at his C game, only 2nd day he improved.

Ronnie is known for his final night sessions where he ups his game, he's been horrible at them atm

TheRocket wrote:Cant put Selby on 3 with the draw he has. Allen 2nd round possiblty and then Higgins or Williams in the quarters. All opponents who can beat him over multi session matches and dont care about his "tough matchplayer" reputation.

it will be a huge task for him to even get to the semis.

I put him 3rd favourite and Higgins 4th. Robbo comes 5th for the reasons I explained. I've seen this before a lot of times and he didn't make the most of it.

Robertson has a good path to the SFs

Will crush Lisowski, Hawkins at the Worlds and Wilson won't have the game to match Robertson's scoring power

His biggest hurdle is SF

Well played Robertson for this brilliant win and perfomance as well, and tough luck to O'Sullivan for his 5th final loss this season! But they are still 2 potential strong candidates to the World Championship.

Acé wrote:Robertson has a good path to the SFs

Will crush Lisowski, Hawkins at the Worlds and Wilson won't have the game to match Robertson's scoring power

His biggest hurdle is SF

You're talking about someone who's lost twice to Robert Milkins there, and was playing brilliant in first couple of rounds in some editions and came up short in the Quarters. And if he has a tough qualifier who knows... he might draw Milkins again!

Andre147 wrote:You're talking about someone who's lost twice to Robert Milkins there, and was playing brilliant in first couple of rounds in some editions and came up short in the Quarters. And if he has a tough qualifier who knows... he might draw Milkins again!

Was Robertson the same player then as he is now? no that was all before 2019 when he had to rely on a choke from Cao Yupeng to win a ranking tournament. He wasn't winning this many tournaments or had this form against the top players

He lost to Higgins and Selby in the last 2 editions, he doesn't have the same calibre of players in the draw at at all until the SF

All I'm saying is you shouldn't get your hopes too high from someone who's only reached the table setup once there since 2010.

I was the same until last year when Ronnie reached the one table setup since 2014.

I bet Judd Trump is going to draw Stuart Bingham 1st round.

Andre147 wrote:All I'm saying is you shouldn't get your hopes too high from someone who's only reached the table setup once there since 2010.

I was the same until last year when Ronnie reached the one table setup since 2014.

Fair point, I'm not getting my hopes up too high, as I said earlier, but...after beating ROS in a multi-session final that he's never done before....omg he can do it....my hopes have just gone back up :)

I think Neil made an excellent point tonight about the lack of crowd. Ronnie hasn't won any of the finals he's played without crowds - and indeed who knows how many of this year's matches would have been different in that case.

I wonder if his lack of 'inspired play' in the evening sessions at finals - which has been a trademark - is because he hadn't had that immense buzz that a crowd gave him. He delivered on the final day at the World's in front of a crowd. Also, his opponents may have dipped their form if they had to deal with external influences...

Bluestraw wrote:I think Neil made an excellent point tonight about the lack of crowd. Ronnie hasn't won any of the finals he's played without crowds - and indeed who knows how many of this year's matches would have been different in that case.

I wonder if his lack of 'inspired play' in the evening sessions at finals - which has been a trademark - is because he hadn't had that immense buzz that a crowd gave him. He delivered on the final day at the World's in front of a crowd. Also, his opponents may have dipped their form if they had to deal with external influences...

You're forgetting the WC last year, but otherwise you might be on to something.

Of course he CAN do it but a number of players can do it, Trump, Selby and O'Sullivan are probably as likely.

And every few years we have a surprise winner, or at least one that wasnt amongst the favourites such as Taylor, Johnson, Murphy, Doherty, Ebdon, Dott and Bingham.

It could well he one of those years.

But there is only one winner every year.

Robbo is a brilliant player when he's playing his A-game. He can make the game look so easy.

As I said yesterday, been following Ronnies career since 2003 and I hardly remember anyone who played to this level against Ronnie in a multi session match.
John Higgins is the only one actually. Pretty sure Hendry did it as well but that was pre 2003 obviously.

It was just savage scoring and very high level from start to finish. His level didnt drop a single bit at any stage of the match.

Bluestraw wrote:I think Neil made an excellent point tonight about the lack of crowd. Ronnie hasn't won any of the finals he's played without crowds - and indeed who knows how many of this year's matches would have been different in that case.

I wonder if his lack of 'inspired play' in the evening sessions at finals - which has been a trademark - is because he hadn't had that immense buzz that a crowd gave him. He delivered on the final day at the World's in front of a crowd. Also, his opponents may have dipped their form if they had to deal with external influences...

You're right. You can maybe say the no crowd situation suited him in the earlier rounds at the Worlds but in the long run it definitely wont help him. The crowd creates an extra buzz and Ronnie has always thrived on that and produced his best Snooker.

Its definitely not easy for the other player to play him in front of a huge crowd when they know majority want Ronnie to win. The likes of Neil are obviously experienced enough to handle that but someone like Brown I doubt would.

Willo saying that Robertson is up there with 'trips' as the best long potter. And by 'trips' he means Trumpy