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Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

SnookerFan wrote:You think Ali Carter is more likely to win the World Championship than Selby?


Yip absolutely, selby can play blinding snooker in a session and then fall apart the next. Too inconsistent to go all the way. I'm not a big fan of carter but I think he's a bit unlucky not to be a wc and I think he is capable of reaching another final. If he's not playing ronnie, who knows?

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Sickpotter

Ayrshirebhoy wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:Slightly changing the subject, how far do people thing Ding will go?

I still make Ronnie favourite, but you can't discount somebody who has won 5 ranking tournaments this season. Surely, that would be folly.

He's obviously broken his China jinx. Will he be able to do the same with Sheffield?

Even if it's not this year, surely a matter of time? Or am I too optimistic?


I don't think hel win it, IMO just doesn't have it great player thou that he is. I'm going for ronnie or Murphy or maybe an outsider. Players like mags, selby, ding, hawk will never win it. Carter Mibbe has a chance if he avoids ronnie.


I can't see how you can rank Carters chances as being better than Ding. :shrug:

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Ayrshirebhoy

Dings a great player but never fancied him at any wc and he's pretty much proved me right so far. Although carter is not as good a player he likes the venue and always does ok. I think liking playing a venue and being relaxed is a big factor.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby boris_the_butcher

SnookerFan wrote:You think Ali Carter is more likely to win the World Championship than Selby?


Carter's got a better crucible record then Selby.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

SnookerFan wrote:You think Ali Carter is more likely to win the World Championship than Selby?


At the moment yeah absolutely, as it has been said here, Selby has been way too inconsistent and can't score heavily these days, his scrapping game might be enough to see him win 1 or 2 matches but it will certainly not be enough to win the Worlds, it's no surprise his best results there have come in 2007, 2009 and 2010 when he was scoring very heavily and winning frames in 1 or 2 visits, he still had a fantastic safety game and could scrap it out if he had to, but the main diference was he could mix that with heavy scoring and that made him very dangerous. Also in 2011 remember he made those 6 tons against Hendry, only the 2nd player ever to do that in a match at the Crucible, Ronnie equalled that in the Final last year, but in 2011 unfortunately for Selby he then met Ding in the quarters and couldn't quite reproduce that sort of scoring, but nevertheless his game was all there and he had everything to win the World Title. Nowadays Selby doesn't have everything to win the world crown, so unless he sorts that out he will never be world champ.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

Also both Carter and Selby are set to meet in the Last 16, and I wouldn't be surprised at all if Carter beat him.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Snooker Overdrive

Selby's best chance to win the title was in 2010. Higgins was out, he just beat Ronnie and was the favourite to take the title going into the semis. I still don't know how Dott managed to beat him there.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Skullman

Andre147 PGC wrote: Also in 2011 remember he made those 6 tons against Hendry, only the 2nd player ever to do that in a match at the Crucible, Ronnie equalled that in the Final last year,


Technically he was the first as he did two years before.

But it's been far too long since he last played like that... :sad:

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Wildey

Selby has a better chance this year than most in the draw despite not playing that great.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Roland

Good initial piece Snooker Overdrive, think you're right in most of what you say. I had to laugh at the "x has got no chance of winning" summaries - blunt but accurate I'd say. Although I think maybe you under estimate Hawkins.

My personal feeling / preference is that my ideal final would be Selby v Ding because I think these are the two outstanding players yet to win a world championship, and if either did everyone would accept that given their standing in the game already, they deserve to win it and complete the triple crown set. Also it would be good to have a final without a previous winner just to balance it out so one doesn't have an advantage of already having won it. We've not had one since Murphy v Stevens and before that Williams v Stevens and both ended up 18-16.

Ronnie is the favourite, I don't think he's unbeatable by any means though. This time he's firmly installed as the favourite and that will give him different pressure to the previous 2 wins, this time everyone EXPECTS him to win. If he is to win it again I think it would be fitting in an ideal world that along the way he beats Murphy, Ding and Selby because then he'd have beaten all his main rivals (bar Higgins who on current form you'd expect him to prevail) in his last 3 wins.

I think Ding has more than just a good chance to win this year. For me he is the favourite outside of Ronnie. Yes Ronnie beat him in Wales, but Ding took that experience and dominated Robertson in the China final. I've a feeling Ding will settle quicker and play better against Ronnie than he did last time, and staying with Ronnie, swapping the lead with him and standing up to him is what it will take to beat him and I think Ding has got what it takes. His snooker is too good this season for it not to click in and pressure Ronnie in a 4 session match (they are seeded to and will probably meet in the semi-final). By that I mean his shot selection and tactical nous and ability to play the most difficult of shots with perfect control is something that this version of Ding has that the previous one who lost to Hendry twice didn't. And he's won 5 tournaments this season and knows he played poorly in the Welsh final but also must know if he played his usual game that day he may have won. You may disagree with that, but that's what he has to be thinking.

Selby did look a bit jaded recently but I think his scoring game comes when he needs it, and facing Carter and Higgins possibly would sharpen him up for the one table situation so if he can get that far then he becomes a serious contender. I do think his lack of scoring is down to a mental problem because it's there when he calls on it and gets in the right frame of mind. In the UK and World Open finals he had one good session and one very poor session and one was in session 1 and the other in session 2. What's telling is that in one he raced to a 5-1 lead and was playing the sort of snooker which wins world titles, then his opponent escaped only 5-3 down after that session and immediately went to 5-5 on resumption and he lost all confidence his game from blowing the lead. In the other final he fell massively behind playing awful, then in the second session his instinct kicked in and just when you thought he was going to get pumped he made of game of it and at one point looked like he was going to win.

Like everyone else, I can't help feeling that if he was coming in having not played since say February, I'd be a lot more confident of his chances to hit that zone. If he's snookered out and feels flat like last year then he'll be out first or second round and to be honest would deserve it for over playing. But then again you could argue that about Ding, and he concentrates a lot when he plays so could pick up the drain factor although for some reason I think this time he'll be alright.

Apart from those, well there are other contenders like Hawkins, Robbo (I really really hope he gets that 100th century), Murphy, Fu but I wouldn't look outside those and yes that includes Judd. It would be great if Judd did win, I'm a fan of how he plays and it's bloody great to watch. I just don't see it this year from him.

oh and

Wildey wrote:Andy Spark defines best by how many balls is potted multiply how many hours in the day divide by speed of play


That did make me laugh so worth a quote. No offence Andy, just Wild being a grumpy old mod.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

Wildey wrote:Selby has a better chance this year than most in the draw despite not playing that great.


He has a good chance of reaching the quarters or semis, but win it? No, far from it, his scrapping game just isn't enough to win this title and he'll be drained by the time he reaches quarters or semis and will lose like he often does when he plays that kind of game over and over again.

So his chances aren't great, unless he really starts scoring well, which atm I don't see possible, and if he meets Carter in the Last 16 I do fancy Ali to beat him.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Wildey

Andre147 PGC wrote:
Wildey wrote:Selby has a better chance this year than most in the draw despite not playing that great.


He has a good chance of reaching the quarters or semis, but win it? No, far from it, his scrapping game just isn't enough to win this title and he'll be drained by the time he reaches quarters or semis and will lose like he often does when he plays that kind of game over and over again.

So his chances aren't great, unless he really starts scoring well, which atm I don't see possible, and if he meets Carter in the Last 16 I do fancy Ali to beat him.

But on what evidence you think Carter will beat Selby?

more like you hope Selby doesent find form because he has the game to beat Ronnie if he does Carter hasent.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby vodkadiet

Murphy will win the title.

Bookmark this comment.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

Wildey wrote:
Andre147 PGC wrote:
Wildey wrote:Selby has a better chance this year than most in the draw despite not playing that great.


He has a good chance of reaching the quarters or semis, but win it? No, far from it, his scrapping game just isn't enough to win this title and he'll be drained by the time he reaches quarters or semis and will lose like he often does when he plays that kind of game over and over again.

So his chances aren't great, unless he really starts scoring well, which atm I don't see possible, and if he meets Carter in the Last 16 I do fancy Ali to beat him.

But on what evidence you think Carter will beat Selby?

more like you hope Selby doesent find form because he has the game to beat Ronnie if he does Carter hasent.


Why on earth bring Ronnie into this when everything I said didn't name him or has nothing to do with Ronnie? I think if he meets Carter Ali has a good chance to beat him because, firstly, Carter usually does well at the Crucible, when seemingly out of form the Crucible inspires him to get good results, secondly, we saw glimpses of good form in Haikou from Carter, and lastly, Selby form's hasn't been great recently, despite reaching some Major finals, plus Carter has a good record against Selby.

So you are the one who put Ronnie in all this, but if Selby were to somehow face Ronnie in the Final and show good form there, of course he has the game to beat Ronnie, no one denies that because he has done it before against him.

But if Carter and Selby were to meet I would like Carter to win because I like him more, just like you would want Selby to win against Ronnie because you like Selby more.

Ronnie never had nothing to do wih this, just my opinion based on Selby's recent form and Carter's good record at the Crucible, so Wild :wave:

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Wildey

but its still true Selby can beat him Carter cant.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Skullman

Well considering the last/only time they played at the Crucible Selby beat Carter. Plus Carter isn't the type to overturn bad H2Hs and Selby bosses him about.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Skullman

May I just add, that I love how Selby is dominating the conversation despite being so off form.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

Wildey wrote:but its still true Selby can beat him Carter cant.


LOL Wild you never give up do you? <laugh> Of course he can, Carter can't like you say, not saying 100% Carter will beat Selby, jjust saying that an upset there wouldn't surprise me at all.

We'll just have to wait and see if both reach the Last 16.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

Skullman wrote:May I just add, that I love how Selby is dominating the conversation despite being so off form.


Well, it can't always be about Ronnie, right? <laugh> :-D

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

vodkadiet wrote:Murphy will win the title.

Bookmark this comment.


I think Murphy may have a good Worlds this year, but win it? No disrespect to him, but I can't see him doing it again, unless he were to have a very kind draw, which doesn't seem possible, at least this year.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Skullman

I'll be honest, I think I'd almost prefer two players out of the very top echelons aka Ding, Robbo, Ronnie not making the final, as all the match ups between them have been anticlimatic recently. But it would only work if they were knocked out early, because if only one survived we;d have another 2012 or 2013.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Skullman

Andre147 PGC wrote:
vodkadiet wrote:Murphy will win the title.

Bookmark this comment.


I think Murphy may have a good Worlds this year, but win it? No disrespect to him, but I can't see him doing it again, unless he were to have a very kind draw, which doesn't seem possible, at least this year.


He could do it, if and only if he were able to sustain the sort of form he had in 2005 or those last four frames against Carter from the last 16 onwards.
Last edited by Skullman on 08 Apr 2014, edited 1 time in total.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

Skullman wrote:I'll be honest, I think I'd almost prefer two players out of the very top echelons aka Ding, Robbo, Ronnie not making the final, as all the match ups between them have been anticlimatic recently. But it would only work if they were knocked out early, because if only one survived we;d have another 2012 or 2013.


So outside those, and apart from Selby <laugh> who else you would like to reach the Final?

Selby v Fu Final? Selby v Murphy?

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

In an ideal world, I'd like the 2 semis to be Ding v Ronnie and Robbo v Selby, and then a Final between Robbo v Ronnie as I dont' think if that Final happened it would be anticlimatic, I would expect it to be very close.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Skullman

Probably Murphy. I think most of the people I'd want to win are in the bottom half.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Skullman

Andre147 PGC wrote:In an ideal world, I'd like the 2 semis to be Ding v Ronnie and Robbo v Selby, and then a Final between Robbo v Ronnie as I dont' think if that Final happened it would be anticlimatic, I would expect it to be very close.


Depends on the Robbo that turns up. The Robbo of this China Open, it would be. The Robbo that made tons for fun this season? That would be great.

My only worry about Robbo is stamina. Robbo was pretty much dead on his feet in the 2010 final wasn't he? And that was in the bad old days of 6 events and the Masters...

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Andre147

Skullman wrote:
Andre147 PGC wrote:In an ideal world, I'd like the 2 semis to be Ding v Ronnie and Robbo v Selby, and then a Final between Robbo v Ronnie as I dont' think if that Final happened it would be anticlimatic, I would expect it to be very close.


Depends on the Robbo that turns up. The Robbo of this China Open, it would be. The Robbo that made tons for fun this season? That would be great.

My only worry about Robbo is stamina. Robbo was pretty much dead on his feet in the 2010 final wasn't he? And that was in the bad old days of 6 events and the Masters...


Yes he was you're right, Dotty wasn't much better after that marathon semi against Selby, so both didn't play their best in that Final, with lots of very long frames.

Robbo is a much better player now than he was back then, but I agree with would depend on the Robbo that turns up, he usually plays well against Ronnie though and Ronnie inspires him to play well I think.

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby Wildey

Last time Carter beat Selby was in 2011 in the championship league and you have to go back to August 2010 since he Beat Selby in a match of note the Semi final of the shanghai Masters he won 6-2 the last 6 times they have played Selby has beaten Carter including 3 times in Main Ranking events and the Final of the 2011 Wuxi Classic which was non Ranking back then.

There is literally nothing to go on to sugest Carter can beat Selby considering form this season even Carter has played in 18 tournaments and got past the last 16 Three times a PTC (Semi final), CoC (Quarter Final) and China Open (Semi Final)

Re: The Main Contenders

Postby SnookerFan

Andre147 PGC wrote:So outside those, and apart from Selby <laugh> who else you would like to reach the Final?

Selby v Fu Final? Selby v Murphy?


I wouldn't complain about either of those finals. :emb:


   

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