Snooker

[The Bear]

Yeah he's always good to listen to in both commentary and punditry. A bit too gushing when it comes to John Higgins maybe but otherwise faultless.

Hendry is another favourite of mine who is great on both comms and punditry.

Ronnie O'Sullivan is a surprisingly good pundit too whenever he's on Eurosport.

 

[Tom Hark]

Of course, Ken Docherty is wonderful, and Joe Perry speaks nicely.

Foibles aside, I think all the ex-players do a decent job, to be fair. The one (non-player) who really gets on my nerves is the twat who commentates in a mixture of Blackadder and Star Wars speak: 'The consequences of that shot were, methinks, far from those that must have been envisioned by the player while he was addressing the cue ball.' (I.e. 'And that's gone wrong.)

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Sounds like Phil Yates.

I wish the BBC would pension off Taylor and Virgo, they're well out of step with modern coverage. Davis and Foulds are still excellent though despite being broadly from the same era.

 

[The Bear]

Wow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1381361388552077313

 

[BillyDee]

I used to practice that shot all the time when I played pool regularly. Only ever got to actually use it twice, it worked one of those...

 

[Kenny]

Wow.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1381361388552077313

Almost as good as Dave Lister

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

 

[The Bear]

With the changes Higgins has made to his cue action and how he's been playing in recent tournaments, I expect him to go to the last 4 at least this year. I don't see Ronnie winning it, purely because he's getting a bit too flaky again. One bad session and he kind of chucks the towel in if his opponent is playing well.

Shame they are both in the same side of the draw, as it'd be hard to look past a Trump v Robertson final but for that. But given that, I'd go for these as the semis.

Ronnie v Higgins
Trump v Robertson

Robertson to beat Higgins in the final.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Been a weird year for Ronnie, five finals since he won the Worlds but won none of them, very unlike him. Been absolutely panned by Judd, Selby, Higgins and Robbo in four of them and lost the other to Jordan Brown (who?).

Robbo looked absolutely spot on in the Tour Championship. Hope he gets a haircut this week though...

 

[The Bear]

Think he said he's leaving the hair as his daughter loves it.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Pah, what kind of excuse is that...

Would love Maflin to do Selby over. Still amusing to recall the latter's bitter tears when he snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Ronnie last year and whined about Ron "not playing properly". He won, you lost, sit down.

 

[The Bear]

Selby has got a very tough theoretical route to the final.

Maflin - Allen - Williams/Higgins - Ronnie

Wouldn't be surprised to see him go out early. He bores me to tears nowadays any way so no great loss if he does.

 

[The Bear]

I noticed that the snooker hasn't bothered about the Philip's funeral.

Not that they could really change the schedule around, but still.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

I think they're briefly pausing but no more than that.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

With the changes Higgins has made to his cue action and how he's been playing in recent tournaments, I expect him to go to the last 4 at least this year.

3-6 down and playing horribly.

 

[The Bear]

Yeah just watching it now. Out of sorts. Can't see him pulling it back.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Didn't see it coming at all, as you said he was playing really well this season. So strange. Tian keeps giving him chances, it's not like he's being mercilessly outplayed.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

Back to 7-7, it's really bitty stuff though. Could easily have lost just now and gone 6-8.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

9-7 Higgins and finishes with a 122 break. Just one frame to go.

He's been largely mince but Tian is no good, he's had more than enough chances and kept messing them up.

 

[The Bear]

Tian has well and truly effed that up.