snooker world championship final

I noticed it last year and it annoyed me (and made me wonder how long they'd had it).

I wish I hadn't noticed it. Can't unsee. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

inspired

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_snooker_player_nicknames

Eurosport guys killin' it at the moment - about a missed red that was replayed a couple of times on screen: "I can't believe he missed it three times"

Didn't the Beeb show all of the one table matches live, completely? I don't remember having to swotch to eurosport for live coverage previously.

swItch, too

BBC live for much of the day or available on the red button - dunno if you get that in your part of Blighty. Final should be shown live in full.

No red button, only bbc 1, 2, entertainment and HD here in belgium.

Ronnie killing it this afternoon - breaks of 61, 62, 110, 98 and 90 in five successive frames.

Every time he's in the zone like this, it's almost unbelievable he's only the world number 12 at the moment and he's not in the final of every tournament he competes in.

Fuck work for missing this - but yeah, little like it in all sport when he's like this. Not too surprised he is no12. The WC is IT as far as snooker is concerned (now more than ever). Shame its against Stevens, who I'd love it if he won.

Unless Maguire gets through and is at his absolute attacking best I can't see anyone beating him -- bar himself, that is.

Fantastic entertainment, these two semi finals. Maybe no sustained brilliance from anyone, but great to watch.

Ronnie was awesome again last night -- its the most controlled and relaxed I've seen from him since he won in '08. Matthews came out, made a century break in the first frame and Ronnie blew him off anyway.

Reckon four world titles would suit him - quite a way below the somewhat (and this is not a diss) mechanical perfectionism of a Davis or Hendry, not less than Higgins (who he came through with at roughly the same time). More successful than a maverick should be - and, from what I can see, he's worked hard to try and combat the bouts of depression and the expectations placed on him for controlling the cue ball in a way only he can.

Fear Ali will play slow bullshit - and his potting is better than Edbon's, who is now advising him - to try and get Ronnie off his game. Hope it doesn't work.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/17972505

Not this again :-/ (although, Come Dancing? Is he just having a laugh?)

Carter's conservative containing shit against Maguire was painful to watch. Turning into Peter Ebdon is not a price worth paying.

Next to O'Sullivan, everyone looks slow - Carter's still a way off Ebdon's slowest period (that was over 3 minutes for every shot)

It's not his speed, it's his consistent refusal of mildly risky pots. He had a red to the middle there that every other top player would have rolled in but chose to play safe. He and Ebdon would point out that he won the frame and therefore made the correct decision, I would point out that they're a pair of boring cunts.

:-)

Ali is trying his best to slow and bog the match down but Ronnie coming up with the answers so far - that 90+ break to go 4-3 was **unbelievable**.

He then followed up with a 141.

Expecting something special tonight.

Onimo OTM though. This passive/parasitic gameplan of Carter's is pretty shitty - ok, he looks like he's clinging on, but not because of chances he has created himself.

Would anyone WANT to win like that? Where's the pride in winning only because your opponent let you in a couple of times? Meh.

Ronnie 10 - 7 at the end of a scrappy session, it could have been quite worse for Ali.

Mind winning ugly? Ronnie is so good but you also know that ppl have gotten into his head so you need to come up with ways to throw his timing off. Its about being World champion only, nothing else.

OK, that's true, but I want to see either a close match or a total walkover, not this let's-try-and-frustrate-the-other-one-into-mistakes kinda stuff.

As it is, whatever plan Carter has is not being executed to any degree.

12-7.

It's all smoke and mirrors. He's letting Ronnie have a couple of frames, but then... BAM!

Could be going home a session early - its that bad: 13-7

So sick of these cuts away to Peter Ebdon sitting in the dark stroking a cat.

LOL'ing at this bit they've been showing now and then:

- bombastic orchestral music
- heroic slo-mo shots of players descending the stairs
- monumental shots of the Crucible
- Ronnie: "meh, it's not that great a venue"

Reminds me of
"camelot! Camelot! CAMELOT!"
"it's only a model"

17 - 11, time for gameplan B

Today, news sites over here mentioned Ronnie O'Sullivan's win over Allister Carter and I was like, wait, who? But apparently that IS his name. (if only they'd said Ronald O'Sullivan as well)

Dear mr. Virgo, please stop shouting WHERE'S THE CUE BALL GOING between the whispering bits all the time. Thanks!

Moved by Ken Doherty's return...

damn you, why did you have to draw my attention to the fact the snooker was on? going to be tough getting out of this armchair now.

^

mind you, while o'sullivan is around every opportunity should be taken to watch him go about his work

Trying not to think about going back to work Tues - I don't want to move from my sofa for the next two weeks.

are doherty and bingham both trying to throw the match?

not sure who is going to succeed

That was horrible but looks like Ken is getting a grip on this match.

yeah while I've been watching (last two frames) he's been nothing short of excellent

two simultaneous last-framers. and some casual sexism from one of the commentators :/ think it might have been Thorne

"so nice to see so many women here! of course many of the men will be excellent snooker-players themselves"

absolutely breathtaking final frame between wasley and ding there. ding hideously unlucky, almost clawed it back with some phenomenal snookers (three with pink and black only balls remaining)

david gray, ian mcculloch, and now robbie williams! (and of course neil robertson)

100 * 100 = no handshake from Trump

Robertson has been terrific. Trump has hardly breathed from leading 11-9 onwards

Looked like Trump would force a decider after Robertson gets a bad white but he could only force a 35 break.

Robertson makes no mistake -- terrific green to brown -- and dumps Trump out of WC, 13-11

Robertson - Ronnie would be a terrific final. The former is the only that could touch Ronnie.

I said could.

playing like that, definitely could