Month: January 2016

The Masters 2016 – QF – Ronnie beats Mark Selby by 6-3

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Ronnie came on top of a very anticipated clash with Mark Selby in the first quarter final of the Masters 2016. The key to his win was an excellent long potting. Both players played quite well – there were 11 breaks over 50 in 9 frames – but Ronnie’s 73 clearance to steal frame nine from 70-0 down, and take the match was something very special.

If you missed it or want to watch it again here is the match. Enjoy!

Here are the match details:

Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-3 Mark Selby

Scores (Ronnie first) : 91(63)-51; 51(51)-58(56); 85(69)-24; 112(54,58)-0; 16-85(61); 100(100)-0; 72-40; 18-72(68); 73(73)-70(70)
Match Progress: 1-0, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 5-2, 5-3, 6-3
Centuries: Ronnie O’Sullivan: 100
Referee: Jan Verhaas

RonnieSelbyMatchStats

Both players gave excellent press conferences, praising their opponent, not just about today’s performance but about the way they tackle the game in general. Lot’s of respect there!

The interview in the studio:

Also it was nice to see Mark Selby signing autographs and taking pictures with the fans despite the disappointment of losing.

MarkSelbySigning
Thanks to Matt Huart for allowing me to use his picture

Quotes from both players (excerpt from World Snooker match report)

 “I wasn’t feeling technically great out there but I still had to go for my shots and try to make things happen,” said O’Sullivan. “I wanted to keep attacking and keep my opponent on the back foot. My long game was really good and I stayed patient.

“Mark is the only player who can win tournaments when he’s not at his best because tactically he is unbelievable and he’s the hardest match player on the circuit. I watched all of his matches during the UK Championship and I realised how difficult he is to play for every opponent – he’s like granite. I realised he doesn’t only play like that against me. I admire his tenacity and his will to win, I’ve got massive respect for him. We’ve had a bit of grudge and needle over the years and I have probably taken it personally, but not any more because I know he’s a great player.”

Selby said: “I didn’t feel I played that badly. I missed a few chances early on. Ronnie’s long game was very good and he made a great clearance in the last frame, otherwise it would have been 5-4 and then it’s game on. He’s definitely playing well enough to win the tournament.

“I find it difficult to play with a tie on because the knot seems to get in the way and I was pulling it one way and the other. It was in my head for the first frame and a half. Every time I got down to a shot I was thinking about whether it was comfortable. From an image point of view I think the ties look a lot better, but the knot is a lot bigger than a dickie bow and it seems to press down on my cue.”

A short word ahead of this afternoon match

Monique This site

This afternoon, at 1 pm local time, Ronnie will play Mark Selby in the first quarter final of the Masters 2016. Going by what we have seen in the last 16, this will be a tough tough match for Ronnie to win. Mark Selby was impressive against Ricky Walden although he wasn’t really tested. Ronnie certainly looked vulnerable against Mark Williams and his long potting in particular wasn’t what it should be to compete at the highest level. Mark Selby is the favourite today.

That said, Ronnie was in the practice area for a long session yesterday: he was already there when I arrived around noon and only returned to the media room around the time the afternoon match finished. There is no doubts that he’s going to try his best, he prepared as well as he could certainly.

If Ronnie loses, please remember that this is only a match of snooker. If you are a Ronnie fan, you may be disappointed -he will certainly be – but get some perspective and refrain from slagging either players off. They are both out to try to win. The Selby fans will be happy, no doubts, and the same message goes on to them too. Ronnie and Mark are fierce rivals but they respect each other, they are very different persons, but they don’t hate each other. I’m asking the fans from both who wish to comment on this site to be fair to the players and civil to other fans.

And if Ronnie wins, happy days for me … but all the same, I won’t tolerate any disparaging comment regarding Mark Selby on this site.

The Masters 2016 as it goes … Day 4

Monique Professional snooker tournament

The last day of the last 16 round again saw two very different matches unfold.

In the afternoon debutant Liang Wenbo more than held himself in front of an excellent John Higgins. John made three centuries in the match but was almost forced to a decider. Liang missed an apparently simple green to the green pocket when he looked set to even the scores at 5-5. He later complained that the table rolled off.

The evening match was as one-sided as it gets. Neil won by 6-0 in no time. Marco’s shot selection and unusual clumsiness had people wondering before it transpired that the Hong Kong player was feeling really unwell and nearly pulled out, not being fit to play. But he decided to try, knowing that a 1500 crowd had paid to see a match. All credits to him and I hope he gets well soon.

You can browse through my photos here on Facebook.

And you can listen to the players postmatch interviews on my soundcloud channel

As usual cuetracker.net provides all the scores and details about the matches.

Here is Matt Huart (prosnookerblog) last 16 review:

Dafabet Masters 2016: Round One Review

14th January 2016 – 12:38am

Four days down at the Alexandra Palace and we now know the quarter-final line-up at the 2016 Dafabet Masters, with seven of the top eight seeds having made it through the opening round.

The exception to that pattern is 11th seed Mark Allen, who came out on top against defending champion Shaun Murphy in a match that will be remembered for Murphy losing its sixth frame under the ‘three misses’ rule.

That talking point aside however, Allen played well and made two centuries, despite having taken a 10 day break over the Christmas period that by his own admission left him feeling ‘terrible’ when he resumed practice last Monday.

Next up for him will be a familiar opponent in Barry Hawkins, the pair having twice gone deep over the best of 25 frames matches at the Crucible Theatre, most recently last year when Hawkins came out on top. Earlier this week Barry was able to see off friend Joe Perry in his opening match and is perhaps benefiting from closer management of his playing schedule this season.

Elsewhere, former Masters champions Mark Selby and Neil Robertson wasted little time in coming through their opening matches, each winning 6-0 against Ricky Walden and an off-colour Marco Fu respectively.

Selby, perhaps strangely for a world number one, came into this tournament somewhat under the radar despite semi-final appearances at the International Championship and Betway UK Championship this season, but declared himself extremely happy with his form following a barrage of big breaks against Walden.

Next up for the Jester will be a clash with five-time former champion Ronnie O’Sullivan later this afternoon in what for many was the most anticipated potential quarter-final match prior to the start of the tournament. Certainly the pair have history here, having previously met in three Masters finals (2-1 O’Sullivan), as well as a string of other high profile matches and it will be fascinating to see how the contest unfolds.

Neil Robertson meanwhile will face Judd Trump, in a repeat of their semi-final clash here four years ago won by the Australian en route to the title. Robertson looked strong during a surprisingly comfortable victory against Marco Fu (who we later learned had been struck down with a virus the previous night), while Trump survived a comeback from Stephen Maguire to win an entertaining match 6-4.

Another Scot in action this week was John Higgins and with three century breaks on his way to a 6-4 victory against this week’s sole Masters debutant Liang Wenbo, he clearly marked himelf out as a legitimate contender this week. He spoke after his match of just being happy to be feeling confident in his game following a difficult few years and it showed in his performance.

Higgins will now meet Stuart Bingham in his the quarter-finals, who has had a few days off since recording only his second ever Masters victory back on the opening day against the struggling Ding Junhui. Certainly on the evidence of their first round performances, Higgins will be favourite to progress but Bingham looks to perhaps be turning a corner after a patchy first half of the season and will be looking to record his best victory of the season against the Scot on Friday.

The pair last met at the Masters in 2014, Higgins running out a 6-2 winner on that occasion.

To view the tournament schedule for the remaining four days in London, please click here.

Ahead of tomorrow’s match …

Monique Media ,

RETURNING O’SULLIVAN ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS

January 13, 2016
RETURNING O'SULLIVAN ANSWERS SOME QUESTIONS

Ronnie O’Sullivan was keen to play things down after his first-round Masters win over Mark Williams, but he has already answered some questions after his latest sabbatical.

The Rocket spoke afterwards of a bad back, an old injury aggravated by a stint on a rowing machine a couple of months ago that saw him pull a disc.

There was little evidence of the trouble he complained of in getting on the shot earlier in the arena, as he shook off some rustiness just as Williams was slowly getting on top.

From 4-2 the Welshman, twice a winner of the Masters, did little wrong as O’Sullivan rattled in two centuries, taking his overall tally to 804, and a 60 to lead 5-4.

Williams took the five-time Masters champion to a decider, and but for a wild attempt at a plant having been in first he could easily have won.

But handed an unexpected opportunity O’Sullivan confirmed that his Crondon Park Championship League displays last week were a better form line than his German Masters qualifier loss to Stuart Carrington in December. His break of 62 proved decisive in a 6-5 win.

Just as at the World Championship in 2013 having taken a year off, O’Sullivan arrived at this year’s Masters as something of an unknown quantity for rivals, fans and bookmakers alike.

The class is unquestioned, but can he keep competing with and beating the very best even playing so much less than his rivals? Would it not get harder to do as you get older, and would the ‘40’ age barrier prove a problem?

The bookies clearly don’t think so because O’Sullivan’s price has halved since last week from 4-1 to 2-1, and he is the tournament favourite, albeit before Neil Robertson starts his campaign.

However, looming ahead in the quarter-finals is the spectre of world No1 Mark Selby. We will carry more on this match-up ahead of Thursday’s clash, but it is safe to say that both will be fired up for it.

Each has landed some big blows on the other over the past nine years, and many of the contests have been finals, semi-finals or at the Crucible with Selby more than holding his own.

Selby was highly impressive in a mismatch whitewash against Ricky Walden, making breaks of 71, 113, 66, 81 and 8-3 in a 6-0 victory.

The clash of personalities and styles makes O’Sullivan v Selby one of snooker’s most enduring and captivating rivalries, and will kick the quarter-finals off in fine style.

Photograph courtesy of Monique Limbos

The Masters 2016 as it goes – Day 3

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Day 3 saw two very different games played in front of a packed house.
Ronnie beat Mark Williams in a deciding frame, after a quite dramatic and thrilling contest. Marl Selby trashed Ricky Walden by 6-0, playing very, very well.

MissingClip 2016 The Masters: review of the Ronnie O’Sullivan – Mark J Williams match (BBC)

And Ronnie Wood from the Rolling Stones was in the house to support Ronnie, so BBC couldn’t miss the opportunity to interview him:

The big Interview with Steve Davis after Ronnie’s first match of the season:

You can browse through my photos here on Facebook.

And you can listen to the players postmatch interviews on my soundcloud channel

As usual cuetracker.net provides all the scores and details about the matches.

The Masters 2016 – Last 16 – Ronnie beats Mark Williams by 6-5

Monique Professional snooker tournament

Ronnie won a thrilling contest in front of a sell-out crowd this afternoon in Alexandra Palace. He lead 2-0, before spectacularly miscueing – sending the white jumping high over the black – when he looked set to take frame three as well. This looked like a turning point in the match as Mark Williams hit back and took four frames on the spin. But, from 4-2 down, Ronnie applied himself and won the next three frames, two of them with a century. He looked good to clinch the match when he made a 50 break in the next frame, but he broke down and Mark made a very good clearance to force a decider. Mark was first in the decider but could only make 28 of it; a missed long plant let Ronnie in and an excellent 62 break under pressure allowed him to take the match. Ronnie Wood (Rolling Stones) and Damian Hirst were in the house to support Ronnie.

This is an excerpt of the match report by Worldsnooker with both players quotes:

“We both struggled at times and missed a lot,” said O’Sullivan. “I didn’t feel nervous and it was nice to make a break in the last frame. I played a few exhibitions over the summer and I was playing well, but then I hurt my back and now I can’t get on the shot right. Maybe I’m just going through a period of playing poorly but that seems to have coincided with the back problem.

“I’m not in pain but I don’t feel balanced on the shot, there are too many moving parts. I’m not able to rip into the ball the way I like to, I’m tentative and I’m dollying the ball rather than punching through it. If I keep playing like that then there’s no point. I got away with it today but I can’t keep playing like that and expect to win. I got out of jail today and I just have to do my best with what I’ve got.”

Williams said: “It was a good game – I tried to hang in there but Ronnie was the better player. I was unlucky a few times but overall the best man won. I hardly got a shot from 4-2 to 5-4, and he finished it well in the last frame. If the plant had got in then I would have won, I knew I was sending the reds everywhere. It was a chance I had to take. I hit it at the right angle and I thought it was in.

“No one else can pull a crowd like Ronnie can.”

You can watch the match (again) here:

Here are the match stats:

ROSWilloStats

Ronnie O’Sullivan 6-5 Mark Williams

Scores (Ronnie first): 80-1; 55-47; 35-71(64); 27-67; 47-71; 5-68; 104(104)-0; 83(60)-12; 130(117)-0; 50(50)-85(50); 63(62)-28

Match Progress: 1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 2-2, 2-3, 2-4, 3-4, 4-4, 5-4, 5-5, 6-5
Centuries: O’Sullivan: 104, 117
Referee: Colin Humphries

Mark Williams throws a bombshell

Monique Interview

‘PAY O’SULLIVAN WHATEVER HE WANTS’

January 12, 2016
'PAY O'SULLIVAN WHATEVER HE WANTS'

Mark Williams reckons World Snooker should start paying Ronnie O’Sullivan appearance money to keep him turning up for the big tournaments.

The Rocket is back on the big stage today, taking on Wales’s Williams as he bids for a sixth Dafabet Masters title at Alexandra Palace.

And that comes shortly after another long O’Sullivan sabbatical, with the 40-year-old taking an eight-month break before returning to action at the German Masters qualifiers in December.

Williams, also 40 and with a couple of Masters triumphs of his own, has never hidden his admiration for his long-time rival.

And he insists O’Sullivan’s star quality and box office appeal should see every effort made tempting him into competing while he is still near the top of his game.

Williams, who once went 12 years without beating O’Sullivan in a match of real significance, said: “He could sell out any big venue, he is the only one really. The time we played at the Masters a few years ago was a good match but I lost again – 6-5 I think.

“He hasn’t played much but every player knows in their heart he is the best. He doesn’t even have to be at the top of his game to be the best, that’s how good he is.

“I am one of the ones that appreciates exactly what he is, and what he does for our sport.

“I think World Snooker should do a money deal with him to pay him whatever he wants to appear at tournaments, whatever it costs.

“Every tournament he is in is better for every single player, there is no doubt about that.

“At any venue in the world, and trust me I have played them all, Ronnie turns up and there is a buzz around the place and it will be packed.

“Some players might be jealous or disagree, but in the long run it would be better to pay him what he wants and have him there while he can compete.”

For his own part, Williams has been heartened by his own improved form over the past two years.

He added: “For me, I have played all right the past couple of years. I had fallen down the rankings a bit, into the 20s and 30s, but I have got to quarters, semis and the PTC final against Joe Perry.

“I have been knocking on the door but I don’t get disheartened any more by losses, I just get on with it and I think that has helped me.

“I got back into the top 16 to qualify for this. I can’t say I will win this week, but I might not be a bad outsider bet if I find my game.

“I haven’t won a big one for a few years, probably the German Masters a few years back.

“I got close after beating Ronnie in Chengdu in 2014, losing to Mark Allen 9-8 in a brilliant semi-final, that was the best I had played for years.

“My game is not what it was, but you get for these occasions. Those outside the top-16 and event winners don’t play in a one table set-up often any more.

“There is a lot of playing in Barnsley with 128 players on loads of tables, but the chance of this type of match against Ronnie at the Masters is what you play for.

“It will have been a long time since I played in this set-up with a crowd of almost 2,000 like this.”

Photograph courtesy of Monique Limbos