Snooker

[Brazilian Villain]

Good to see the fans back with a full house planned for the final. Will be cheering on Ronnie, David Gilbert and John Higgins.

[cdbearsfan]

Robertson twatting Liang 10-3 is a bit ominous. Can't really see anyone outside of ROS, Robertson, Trump or Selby winning. I have money on ROS, Selby, Gilbert and Yan.

[devilla]

I'd love to see Gilbert win it although he'll be playing Trump in the next round assuming he beats Liam Highfield.

Gilbert came so close to beating Higgins in the semi final two years ago and he's certainly overdue a ranking title.

[Brazilian Villain]

Love his nickname "The Angry Farmer".   I know he's from Tamworth, is he one of the Chosen?

Really enjoyed McGill's billiard style pot onto a red over the corner pocket. Even had Davis and Taylor purring about it.

[Gareth]

Matt Selt who starts tomorrow is a Villa fan

[cdbearsfan]

Didn't know that, hope he wins. Hawkins is tricky at the Crucible, though.

Ding v Bingham could be a classic second session, tomorrow afternoon.

[waynejames]

Matt Selt who starts tomorrow is a Villa fan

Met Mr Selt a few years ago at the Atack Snooker Club in Nuneaton, he was based in Atherstone for a couple of years and practiced in Nuneaton.
He had a trial at Villa and was a half decent footballer as a youngster.
I played one shot on his practice table when he demonstrated to me how tight the pockets were on the pro tables.
I got it in the 'ole' and quickly returned to the bucket table i was playing on..........
That means my pot success on a match table is 100%

[cdbearsfan]

Ding vs Bingham deciding frame due at half eight on BBC4. I love a Crucible decider. ☺

[Exeter 77]

Ding vs Bingham deciding frame due at half eight on BBC4. I love a Crucible decider. ☺

Tension  is getting both of them before a ball is even potted.

[cdbearsfan]

Poor Ding is never gonna win the World Championship. Shame, he's my favourite. I do like Gilbert and Selt, too.

[cdbearsfan]

It's been an absolutely shite First Round for those of us that like to see the underdogs do well.

[Rory]

Poor Ding is never gonna win the World Championship. Shame, he's my favourite. I do like Gilbert and Selt, too.

I know, Ding is far from one of my favourites, but I do feel sorry for him. The weight of expectation must be huge.

He's a cracking player, has achieved loads in the game, but is only ever judged on whether he's the first Chinese chap to win the World Championship.

Not only is it unfair to put the pressure on of expecting him to win (when so many fantastic players haven't), but with so many top players coming out of China & Hong Kong, he has the added pressure of knowing, should one of those guys win at the Crucible before him, they'll be seen to have usurped him.

He seems a nice bloke, and he broke through when the sport wasn't as global as it is now. He put the work in when pretty much every tournament was based in the UK. He deserves huge credit.

[cdbearsfan]

You could argue that, just as the players of the eighties owed much of their wealth and fame to Alex Higgins popularising the game, so today's players owe much of their increased sponsorship and prize money to Ding and the explosion in popularity he gave the sport in China.

I think it'll be a shame if he never wins it, but he still has a chance. Forty seems to be the new thirty in snooker so you never know.

[Rory]

You could argue that, just as the players of the eighties owed much of their wealth and fame to Alex Higgins popularising the game, so today's players owe much of their increased sponsorship and prize money to Ding and the explosion in popularity he gave the sport in China.

I think it'll be a shame if he never wins it, but he still has a chance. Forty seems to be the new thirty in snooker so you never know.

True enough, he'd be relatively old for a first time winner, but he's not old as a player, and the sport has changed a lot over the past ten years.

[Mortimer's Bear]

I quite often play on the table next to Dave Gilbert in Tamworth (lockdowns permitting), fair to say his frames don't last quite as long as ours do.

Would love him to win it, will be tough against Trump though.