And so, this is the last day of 2017 … a year that in many ways has been a rollercoaster on the baize, with a terrific last three months for Ronnie’s fans.
For this blogger however, as some may know, it has been a very dark and difficult year on personal level. When certain things happen, affecting people you love, taking them away from you, you realise how futile most of the spats and fallouts are, be it on social media or in “real life”. So here is my first and most important wish for all who read this blog.
In 2018, and in every day in your life, I’m wishing you health and happiness. I’m wishing you to love and being loved. I’m wishing you to enjoy the little things that brighten everyday life: a good meal with friends, a lovely walk in the woods, the first flower in your garden, the smile on your child’s face, the hug of your partner … even the grumbling of your elderly parent. Don’t take things too seriously. Be yourself. Don’t worry about opinions, don’t try to please everyone, it’s just impossible. Be true, be kind, be forgiving …
I mean it, every word of it. Now onto more snooker drivel… snooker wishes and stuff!
picture shared by Worldsnooker on twitter
- Ronnie to win World title n°6 … yes, I know, yesterday on twitter Ronnie said, again, that he “might” (might, not will) give the World Championship a miss but he’s got nearly four months to think about it and change his mind a 100 times, something he’s quite prone to do. As a fan I’d love to see him do himself justice and equal Steve Davis record. However, in the spirit of what I wrote above, if he really does skip this year’s Crucible, I won’t go mad. We should never forget that it’s his life, his career, his well-being, his happiness. He owes us nothing. He’s not Worldsnooker employee either, he’s self-employed. He said that the World Championship isn’t his favourite tournament; I can understand that, the pressure and demands he gets there every year, since 25 years, are unreal. The fact that the press immediately jumped on those tweets is testimony enough of the expectations people put on him all the time. But, yes, I still dream and hope for n°6.
- A big “non betting” company/business to start to support and sponsor snooker … I have expressed my concerns about snooker’s reliance on the betting industry , and the ambiguity of their relationship, often enough, so I won’t repeat myself here. But yes, this is something I’d dearly want to see. It’s never healthy to rely on just one source of sponsoring, it’s even more risky when that source is an industry that is known to generate addictions as well as social and sometimes legal issues. Tobacco and alcohol sponsoring were clamped on. To me it’s only a matter of time before betting sponsoring is strongly “regulated” too.
- The Seniors Tour to succeed and flourish… Every sportsperson, even the very best, one day finds themself in that position: they still love it, they aren’t quite good enough anymore to compete on the biggest scene. What then? Jason Francis, from Snooker Legends, is trying to develop a “Seniors” tour, giving both 40+ and retired pros a circuit where they can play, entertain, compete, dream and … win! This January there is one qualifying event in Beijing that attracted 80+ players. Such is the demand. This is a big financial risk that Jason took, he’s now got the support of WPBSA, but there is still so much to do. Please, go and attend one of their events. You won’t regret it!
Yes, I know, Mark Selby probably won’t pray for my wish n°1 to come true, but I couldn’t resist the picture. And for all the fans who love to hate him … here is what Ronnie got to say about Mark in one of the last Worldsnooker features
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Sport thrives on great rivalries: Jack Nicklaus collided with Arnold Palmer, Bjorn Borg was pitted against John McEnroe and Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are frequently the main contenders for football’s Ballon D’or.
Selby and O’Sullivan is snooker’s modern day version of the clash of the titans. The pair met in an epic UK Championship final in 2016 which produced some of the most captivating snooker ever witnessed at the York Barbican, Selby eventually coming through as the 10-7 victor.
They have now contested finals in each of snooker’s Triple Crown events, with Selby having won three of the five showpiece meetings. However, he has some way to go to reach O’Sullivan’s tally of 18 Triple Crown titles and 31 ranking wins – currently holding 8 and 13 respectively.
The Rocket had previously referred to Selby as the ‘torturer’, but in recent times has come to relish his meetings with the world number one.
O’Sullivan said: “I like playing Mark now. We get on really well. I wouldn’t say we are best mates because I don’t want to be his best friend as we are still rivals. I’d rather keep it that way so when we get on the table there is an element of wanting to beat each other. I like his mindset and he is a winner.
“I see a lot of Stephen Hendry and a lot of me in him. I’ve learnt that his style of play isn’t just based on playing against me. He plays like that against everybody. That’s his game. If he brings that game to the table, you just have to try and break it down.”
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
Yes, Ute, you write it so well!
I’m a huge fan of Ronnie, but lately I realised, that I’m a fan of Monique as well. Maybe even bigger )))))))) pls don’t tell ronnieo147
Happy New Year!!!
I don’t blame Ronnie for disliking the WC, and I completely understand his feeling that it’s a waste of time unless you win. It’s not hard to see why Ronnie has excelled in the Masters, i.e. the Triple Crown event that requires the least amount of time and effort.
It would be interesting to see what would happen if Ronnie were to win the Masters in 2018. He has never won the UK and Masters in the same season, and thus has never been in a position where winning the WC would give him the single-season Triple Crown. His fans would (of course) be pretty devastated if he were to skip the WC after winning the UK and Masters, but in Ronnie’s mind, he might very well feel like he could afford to skip the WC because he had already won “enough” earlier in the season. Plus, he might prefer to “quit while he’s ahead” rather than risk losing at the WC and ending the year with a bad taste in his mouth, especially if he were to lose a heartbreaker to Selby.
Thanks to Monique and Ronnie for providing a bright spot in an otherwise dark year…
I can see the reason for not liking the format of the WC, as it is really long and especially in the beginning it is difficult to get a good rhythm when a round is played for two days and then there is a rest for 2-3 days.Yet it is one of the (if not the) most important tournaments, so missing it is like a top tennis player missing a grand slam: weird. If it is correct, some business-decision is also part of it. I certainly don’t think it is motivated by the desire to avoid Selby: we don’t think he is destined to lose to him if they play, do we? (My partner keeps telling me I’m a bad fan, because I do get upset over lost frames and expect the worst but I still have faith in Ronnie being able to beat Selby. :))
But what would really make me upset is if he decided to skip the UK Championship to go to this celebrity-jungle thing instead. If he doesn’t wan to play, fine. But NOT THAT nonsense. And of course, before people say that it is his decision and he does what he wants, etc etc, sure, but like everyone I also hate if people I care about embarrass themselves.
On a different note I read Framed over the holiday: great read and would love to comment discuss… 🙂
hahaha Csilla … I’m not too enthused by the Jungle thing either but if Ronnie does it, I’ll try to watch it, only to see how a guy who loses his appetite when there is a cat in house, by fear of hair in his food, will cope with snakes or the prospect of eating bugs. Regarding “Framed” I did a short review here https://ronnieo147.com/2016/11/22/framed-a-personal-review/ … maybe you can discuss comment there? I’ll give it some visibility.
Yeah, thought posting sth there (also as a diversion from entertaining he family, hehe and a proof that I don’t know what to do with my time), but comments claim to be closed.
Yeah, I forgot, sorry… Comments are automatically closed after a while to avoid spams by bots.
Dear Monique, thank you for what you are doing on this blog for so many years. I wish you and your family a better year, full of health and happiness.
After Ronnie‘s win of the Uk I thought Now I don‘t want anymore by him, he has won everything. But sincerely I believe that his greatness in snooker deserve a sixth world title like Reardon and Steve Davis. Maybe he should win more worlds in the 2000 years and perhaps now it‘s too late, but he demonstrated at the English Open and at the Shanghai Masters that when he‘s at the best he‘s still the best and he HAS the game and the skills to be world champion again. If not, then it hasn‘t to be. A big hug! Bernd
And a happy New Year to all the readers of this blog.
Wishing you health, joy and love Monique. Thank you for this blog. You brighten so many days with it and we value all that you do.
Best love, Mary
Happy new year 2018 to everybody! A good health is still the most important in life for everyone,all the rest is a bonus.I also want to thank you Monique for all the years you shared all this info about my all time sporting hero.I hope on the personal side you will have 2018 filled with love,hapiness and enjoymentHopefully the saying after rain comes sunshine will come true for you.I myself have 3 sporting wishes for 2018 and your no1 dream is also mine.In January me and my girlfriend are going to The Masters again but this year we have tickets for all matches,I am really looking forward to that.Maybe we see you there someday?Happy new year Monique to you and all your loved ones.
Thank you, Monique and a Happy New Year to you, and to all the readers here. Hope, 2018 will be better for you that this year was and many thanks for writing this blog and keeping us updated on Ronnie/snooker news.
Dear Monique,
now there are just a few thoughts left I’d like to share with my fellows readers and above all with you:
Let me return all your good wishes. Let me tell you how very much I do appreciate these things you say, as to the little things and about being yourself. It’s really amazing how you always find the right words, touching words, words of wisdom, Words we actually should read and then should practice day by day.
Dear Monique, I dearly thank you for giving us this blog, despite all your private problems and sorrows.
May the sun shine a little brighter to you in 2018.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 to EVERYBODY!
Ute from Germany
Thank you Ute.
Ute, you already said it all; I could not express it any better.
Thanks to Monique,
who in so many ways, alwasy brings with her blog a bit of sunshine, joy, passion and reason into my day to day life. Especially as 2017 was a very dark year for me aswell and I really can relate to you in this respect..
Wishing a HAPPY NEW YEAR 2018 to all of you.
Silvry