Interview

Ronnie’s big interview ahead of the 2021 English Open – Part 1

Monique Eurosport, Interview, Snooker ,

Eurosport did a long interview with Ronnie, ahead of the coming English Open and they have publised several “teaser pieces” touching on various themes that they discussed with the six times World Champion. Here goes for part 1

Please read with an open mind beyond the headlines and up to the last line before reacting and commenting.

About the youngsters on the tour

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN ‘BAFFLED’ BY ‘EGOS’ OF SNOOKER’S NEXT GEN – ‘THEY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES A BIT TOO MUCH’

“Some of the people I see on the tour, I wonder how they actually got there. Where do they find them, you know?” O’Sullivan told Eurosport in a special extended interview ahead of the English Open. “They are very inexperienced, they probably believe in themselves a bit too much for how good they are, and that can be a dangerous thing.“

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Ronnie O’Sullivan has explained why he is so ‘baffled’ by the next generation of snooker players arriving in the sport, and believes a lot of the issues stem from ego and a false sense of self-belief.

The 45-year-old, who has six world titles to his name, has long since doubted the credentials of the younger stars emerging without having much experience in the amateur or youth ranks before hitting the professional circuit.

O’Sullivan has admitted that he has not been overly impressed with the crop coming through and has observed that “they probably believe in themselves a bit too much for how good they are“.

“There are a lot of good players, but I think the problem with snooker now is the issue that I see with a lot of players,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport in a special extended interview ahead of the English Open.

“They come in, they haven’t really had an amateur or junior background and they turn professional and the ego kicks in: ‘I’m a professional playing Mark Williams in the first round’, and they’re not really that good.

“With some of these guys, they just turn up now because it’s open to anybody, really. They get peppered for the whole year and it’s very hard to then kind of like squash that ego.

“[Looking back] I think when you’re a kid, week-in, week-out, playing pro-ams, you might be in one week and you got beat the next two or three weeks and your ego was kept in check because you had a respect for the game and the players and the level to play at.

SOME OF THE PEOPLE I SEE ON THE TOUR, I WONDER HOW THEY ACTUALLY GOT THERE. WHERE DO THEY FIND THEM, YOU KNOW?

“They have no experience at amateur or junior level in some instances… honestly, I don’t know. It baffles me. That’s one of the reasons I don’t watch it.

“I do watch a lot of snooker but I don’t watch the modern day snooker because I think years ago, when you were a pro, you had earned the right to be a pro and basically had earned your stripes. Whereas now it’s just open to anybody. So yeah, it’s a tricky one. It is what it is.

“I think me, [Mark] Williams and [John] Higgins, we’re already past our best, you know, physically, mentally, we’re not the players we probably were six, seven, eight, 10, 15 years ago, there’s no chance.

“But what we do have is the experience, the pedigree, the ability to have faith in our ability; we haven’t come from this privileged sort of background, we’ve kind of had to go through the junior, the amateur circuit, we’ve had to be beaten, our egos put into place.

“So that kind of creates a character for a player, if you like, and the character that Williams and Higgins have got has come from a culmination of putting themselves through the hard yards.

“Today, there are a lot of players that are really good players, but they haven’t got that foundation, they haven’t gone through those stages to make them a player that’s going to be around for a long time.

THEY ARE VERY INEXPERIENCED, THEY PROBABLY BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES A BIT TOO MUCH FOR HOW GOOD THEY ARE, AND THAT CAN BE A DANGEROUS THING.

“I’d rather be a player that thinks he’s not as good as he actually is, whereas on the tour now you get a lot of players that think they’re better than they actually are, and that for me is the problem. Because that is a dangerous way of thinking, and you can only get true character if you have experienced all levels of the game and appreciate it.

“So in many ways, I think Higgins and Williams and me are around just because of that pedigree, not because we’re the best or we’re the youngest or the fittest, just that we’ve got a bit more to fall back on in many ways.“

I’m not sure why Ronnie (still) believes that the game is open to anybody, because even if that was the case when he turned pro,  it’s no more like that and it hasn’t been like that for a very long time.

Other than that, I think that he’s mainly right in his assesment, but what he fails to do, is to reflect and point out how and why we got to this situation. 

The core of the problem is indeed that the amateur game has gone backwards, whilst, at the top, the professional game is stronger than ever. The gap between amateurs and top professionals has widened.

There are many reasons for that and Barry Hearn is partly responsible for creating this situation. Let me explain.

When the “class of 92” turned pro the game was indeed open to anybody able and willing to pay a fee to become a professional. It was however a recent situation, the game was “opened” in 1991. This means that, until 1991, players like Ken Doherty and Peter Ebdon, for instance, were amateurs, despite being better that most of the professionals at the time. The amateur scene was massive, with lots of quality events. Ronnie and Mark Williams have often spoken about how they were playing every week in amateur events, and they were quality events. As juniors, they had the opportunity to play the likes of Doherty, Ebdon, Parrott … and they learned a lot from them.

It’s all diffrent now, and the young amateurs are mainly playing amongst themselves, never or very rarely exposed to the level of the professional game. The best of them dominate that amateur scene and indeed may, and actually often will, develop a perception that they are amongst the best, something that transpires in their quotes, right after earning their first tour card. They are the best, but only in their peers’ group. The professiomal circuit is something else entirely and they are not prepared for it, neither “technically”, nor mentally.

They are not helped by the way the system has been shaped by Barry Hearn. Since the disappearence of the tiered system, there is no progressivity, no development path. All of a sudden, from being serial winners amongst the amateurs, they become serial losers amongst the pros. It’s hard, it hurts, and many – I would even say most – go from being over-confident to being completely dispirited, depressed and feeling worthless. A return to the tiered system is needed, maybe not in all events, but in most.

It doesn’t help them either that they struggle badly financially. The whole “rewarding” system is far too top heavy. I have written this before, and I will write it again here: you need two to play a match of snooker, by playing both players bring value to the tournament, the sponsors, the venue, the broadcaster, WST and the watching fans. They deserve something for their work. They are professionals. At the very minimum, doing their job should not cost them. First round losers should get paid at least enough to cover their basic “professional” expenses.

Barry Hearn also has a responsibilities in the decline of the amateur scene. There are several factors to consider here.

First, when he created the PTCs, that were actually pro-ams, it attracted a lot of amateurs, lured by the prospect of meeting and playing the best in the world, and the possiblity to gain a tour car via this route. As far as I remember, the latter never happened. Playing in those PTCs was not cheap, it was also time consuming. As a result, other pro-ams, some of them with a long history, were disregarded and many disappeared. When the PTCs were ditched, they didn’t re-appear…

Next, Worldsnooker/WST negotiated contracts with top broadcasters, and we have more snooker on our screens than ever. I’m not complaining about that. However, I believe that things went too far when it comes to “exclusive rights”. When a charity event, happening in the middle of the summer, with no pro event on, is asked to stop streaming the one main table because they were not granted permission by Worldsnooker, and participating pros would be in breach of contract… something is not right. When qualifiers for the Seniors tour – that can do with as much exposure it can get – are restricted to stream matches for the same reason something is not right, especially when WST itself has agreed on the right for older lower ranked pros to play in these events. Surely a more reasonable agreement on these issues can be negotiated with broadcasters? Because, in this age of  ubiquitous social media, being able to stream is a key factor in any amateur event prospect to succeed and survive.

And finally, on a normal year, the professional calendar is so full, with so little down-time in the summert that pros have neither the time, nor the energy to participate in pro-ams anymore. This renders these pro-ams less attractive, to both the public and the amateur players, but more importantly, it also means that they no more provide the amateurs competing in them the opportunity to pit themselves against pros and learn from that experience.

Don’t get me wrong, Barry Hearn worked wonders for snooker and I’m grateful for it, but not everything he did was right. The only people who are always right are those who do nothing. But when something isn’t right, and problems are identified, changes are needed.

And, one last point that I won’t discuss again here, but will still mention: the main professional qualifying route, the Q-School is inadequate.

 

 

Interview avec/with/met Stephane Ochoiski – EBSA European Championships 2021

Monique Interview, Snooker ,

Stephane Ochoiski a accepté de partager son experience des récents Championnats d’Europe de snooker au Portugal. Merci Stephane!

Voici la transcription de l’interview, en français, la langue originale, en anglais et en néerlandais.

Les traductions n’ont pas été faites par des professionnels… mais j’espère tout de même que les lecteurs anglophones et néerlandophones apprécieront le témoignage de Stephane.

Après un long délai, causé par la pandémie covid-19, les championnats d’Europe de snooker ont enfin eu lieu au Portugal. Tu t’y es rendu en tant que père d’un joueur et coach de plusieurs jeunes. Qu’as tu pensé de …

  • L’accueil et l’hébergement des joueurs et de leurs accompagnants

Nous avons été accueillis dans un bel hôtel avec un joli cadre extérieur. La nourriture était correcte mais rien exceptionnel. La fédération portugaise a fait tous les efforts possibles pour rendre note séjour agréable.

  • Les précautions mises en place par rapport à la pandémie

Il n’y avait pas vraiment de contrôle et l’hôtel était aussi ouvert aux visiteurs intéressés par l’évènement. On aurait pu croire que la pandémie était terminée là-bas.

  • L’organisation de la « venue » et la qualité de l’équipement

  • L’organisation des tournois même : l’équipe, les horaires, informations pour les joueurs, arbitrage

Tout d’abord, bravo à l’équipe organisatrice de l’EBSA qui a vraiment bien travaillé, aux bénévoles qui se sont dévoués tout au long de ces 15 jours et. je me répète mais, bravo aussi à la fédération portugaise qui a fait son maximum pour satisfaire tout le monde.

Cela dit, vu que tout avait été reporté en raison de la covid 19, l’EBSA avait décidé d’organiser les différentes compétitions en même temps alors que d’habitude les compétitions par équipes, senior et féminines sont organisées séparément.

Tout était donc concentré sur une période relativement courte. Du coup, le format de jeu des différentes compétitions avait été raccourci. A mon avis, ces formats étaient trop courts. Par exemple pour la première fois en « 6-reds » il n’y a pas eu de phase de groupes ; ça c’est joué en élimination directe en « best of 7 ». Le tournoi principal, le championnat d’Europe homme/mixte s’est déroulé seulement en groupes de 4 joueurs et en « best of 5 » Je n’avais jamais vu cela et vu l’importance du résultat final – une place dans le « main tour » et une autre aux championnats du monde « 6 reds », je trouve que c’était vraiment trop court, surtout pour les joueurs qui avaient fait le déplacement et qui ne participaient que à un ou deux évènements.

La qualité des tables était aussi la problématique, les tables star ne sont pas faites pour le tapis 6811 gold. Au début ça allait, mais au fur et à mesure des jours, les conditions de jeux se sont détériorées : les poches étaient minuscules et la blanche difficile à contrôler.

Les conditions de jeu sont des paramètres très importants dans ce type d’événements. Il faut veiller à ce que les conditions de compétition soient, autant que possible, similaires aux les conditions dans lesquelles les joueurs se sont préparés. Les organisateurs auraient dû changer au moins le tapis de la table principale, celle où se déroulaient les finales télévisées

  • La « couverture » des tournois : présence de la presse ? Interviews des joueurs (vainqueurs, finalistes) ? Le site du tournoi et le streaming de certains matches (Merci Darius Goral), la présence ou non de spectateurs …

Comme je l’ai dit plus haut, l’équipe organisatrice a fait un super job. Je tiens à dire que sans Dariuz et son système de « live scoring/streaming », ça ne serait pas pareil. Au Portugal et ou dans tous les tournois amateurs où il est présent, cet homme est un génie et il apporte énormément. Merci beaucoup à lui en effet!

Bravo aussi à Antonio Barroso, le journaliste portugais qui a travaillé très dur et assuré une des meilleures couvertures médiatiques que j’ai pu voir sur les championnats d’Europe.

Si on pouvait rajouter des commentaires au « live streaming » cela apporterait encore plus de valeur mais, évidemment, cela augmenterait encore la charge de travail.

Félicitations aussi à tous les arbitres. L’ équipe était géniale et un le niveau d’arbitrage vraiment très bon..

Outre cela

  • qu’as-tu pensé du niveau général ? Chez les jeunes ? Chez les adultes ? Chez les seniors ? Chez les dames ? Est-il utile de conserver les épreuves féminines malgré le fait que les autres tournois sont en fait ouverts à tous ? Si oui, pourquoi ?

Vu les conditions de jeu très difficiles j’ai trouvé le niveau général correct. Parfois c’était pénible de voir les joueurs frustrés par le parcours aléatoire de la blanche. Malgré tout, il y a eu quelque centuries, surtout le tournois principal où il y avait beaucoup plus de joueurs très expérimentés qui ont l’habitude de gérer ces conditions de jeu difficiles.

J’assiste à ces compétitions Européennes depuis plus de 10 ans maintenant, et je dois dire que je suis très inquiet du niveau de jeu dans les catégories U18 et U 21. En particulier, à part une ou deux exceptions, le niveau des joueurs représentant le Royaume Uni (Angleterre, Ecosse, Pays de Galles et Irlande du Nord) et l’ Irlande était vraiment décevant., en recul par rapport aux éditions précédentes. C’est désormais l’Europe continentale qui présente les meilleurs joueurs dans ces catégories.

Dans le tournois principal, le format court obligeait à « assurer » et vu les circonstances je dirais, que le niveau était correct. En « Senior » par contre, le niveau était très bas ; ça fait des années que je n’avais pas vu un niveau aussi bas, Darren Morgan était loin au dessus du lot.

Chez les dames qui n’ont pas des bras trop musclés et qui ont joué à la fin c’était vraiment dur de jouer dans ees conditions offertes , et donc, le niveau n’était pas fameux du tout.

Mais oui, bien sûr, il faut conserver le tournoi féminin, il faut promouvoir dans cette catégorie aussi et même si les filles peuvent s’inscrire dans les autres épreuves le niveau des deux genres est totalement différent. Dans tous les sports il y a la catégorie féminine et masculine séparée et je ne vois pas pourquoi au snooker ça devrait être différent.

  • Quels sont les joueurs/joueuses qui t’ont impressionné et pourquoi ?

Chez les U 18 et U 21, Julien Leclercq et Ben Mertens, ils sont au-dessus du lot, ils ont vraiment dominé les tournois, je savais toutefois que Dylan Emery allait gagner le U21 car il a beaucoup plus d’expérience que les deux autres, il méritait ce titre et c’est un des rares joueur venant du Royaume Uni qui a tenu son rang de favori.

Chez les hommes, Ivan Kakovski. Pour moi il aurai mérité d’être champion d’ Europe. Plus haut, j’ai mentionné l’Europe continentale comme étant à présent la principale « force » du snooker amateur, mais j’aurais dû rajouter que les meilleurs espoirs en Europe viennent désormais principalement de l’Europe de l’Est.

Darren Morgan m’a encore beaucoup impressionné. Pour moi, avec Julien, il était le meilleur joueur présent dans cette compétition, un grand champion.

Chez les dames, les anglaises surtout Jamie Hunter. On a vraiment envie de la regarder jouer ; elle a vraiment un style particulier. Mary Talbot-Deegan m’a aussi impressionné.

  • As-tu identifié des « espoirs » parmi les moins de 18 ans/21 ans ? Lesquels ? Pourquoi ?

Oui bien entendu. J’adore observer les nouveaux talents, Voici quelques noms : Julien et Ben bien sûr, l’écossais Liam Graham et le gallois Liam Davies. Ce sont les deux seuls jeunes du Royaume Uni qui m’ont marqué. Venant de l’Est de l’Europe Bulcsu Revecs (Hongrie), Filip Kalnins (Lettonie), Anton Kazakov et Matei Lagodzinschii (Ukraine), Kledio Kaci( Albanie), Vladisav Gradinari (Moldavie) sont des joueurs à suivre.

Pourquoi ? Parce qu’ ils ont tous déjà beaucoup de maturité dans leur jeu ou un réel talent pour ce sport.

  • Quel est le « bilan » de tes élèves ? Qu’ont-ils retiré de leur participation ?

Pour tous les joueurs que j’ai suivi sur place. le bilan est positif : certains ont atteints les objectifs fixés et d’autres non mais tous ont gagné beaucoup d’expérience et, dans ce type de tournoi, c’est très important. J’ai aussi pris aussi des contacts pour de nouvelles collaborations.

L’équipe de France, dont je m’occupais dans le passé, n’a pas fait un grand championnat d’Europe, Brian (mon fils) a quand même remporté la phase de poule dans le tournoi principal et atteint les « last 16 ». Il etait seul joueur qui n’avait concédé aucune frame à ce stade. Avec Niel Vincent il a amené, l’équipe de France sur le podium du tournoi en équipe. Malgré tout. cela reste un bilan très maigre selon moi.

  • La Belgique, bien que minuscule, s’est distinguée : finale entièrement Belge en moins de 18 ans, Julien Leclercq en finale des moins de 21 ans, Wendy Jans remportant un 13 ème titre, Les Belges remportant l’épreuve par équipe … Qu’est-ce qui explique cela ?

Je suis très content pour la Belgique et surtout pour Julien qui le mérite beaucoup: je vois un grand espoir en lui.

Pour le reste, je pense que la Belgique est un pays de snooker. L’expérience apportée par Luca Brecel à Ben et Julien et sa participation à de nombreux tournois en Belgique aide à la promotion de la discipline et ça se ressent au niveau international. Et, n’oublions pas le bon boulot de Dany Moermans, le coach national.

Les jeunes français rivalisaient avec les belges il y a deux ou trois ans encore mais ce n’est plus le cas. En France, il ne se passe rien côté snooker depuis 2 ans. Après, on se demande pourquoi et donc les français vont souvent maintenant jouer en Belgique…

Voilà… Merci!

Merci à toi, Stephane!

In english …

After a long delay, caused by the covid-19 pandemic, the European Snooker Championships finally took place in Portugal. You went there as the father of a player and the coach of several youngsters. What did you think of the following aspects of the event?

  • Reception and accommodation for players and their companions

We were accomodated in a beautiful hotel with a lovely outdoor setting. The food was ok but nothing exceptional. The Portuguese federation has made every effort to make our stay pleasant.

  • The precautions put into place in relation to the pandemic

There was no real control and the hotel was also open to visitors interested in the event. You would have thought the pandemic was over there.

  • The venue and the quality of the equipment
  • The organisation of the tournaments itself: the team, schedules, information for players, refereeing

First of all, well done to the EBSA organising team who worked really well, to the volunteers who have devoted themselves throughout these 15 days and. I repeat myself, but well done again to the Portuguese federation which did its uttermost to satisfy everyone.

However, since everything had been postponed due to covid 19, EBSA decided to run all the different competitions at the same time, whereas usually the team, senior and women’s competitions are held separately.

Everything was therefore concentrated over a relatively short period. Because of that, the playing format of the various competitions had been shortened. In my opinion, these formats were too short. For example for the first time in the “6-reds” there was no group stage; it was played as a “best of 7” knockout from the start. The main tournament, the European men’s / mixed championship group stages featured groups of only 4 players and a “best of 5″ format. I had never seen this and considering the importance of the final result – a place in the ” main tour ”and another one at the “6 reds” world championships, I think it was really too short, especially for the players who had made the trip to participate in one or two events only.

The quality of the tables was also problematic: the star tables are not a good match with the 6811 gold cloth. It was fine, at first, but as the days went by, the playing conditions deteriorated: the pockets were tiny and the white was hard to control.

The playing conditions are very important parameters in this type of event. It should be ensured that the conditions of competition are, as much as possible, similar to the conditions under which the players have prepared. The organisers should, at least, have changed the cloth of the main table, the one where the televised finals were taking place.

  • The Tournament “coverage”: presence of the press? Interviews with players (winners, finalists)? The tournament site and the streaming of certain matches (Thanks Darius Goral), the presence or not of spectators…

As already mentioned, the organising team did a great job. I want to stress that without Dariuz and his “live scoring / streaming” system, it wouldn’t be the same. In Portugal and or in all the amateur tournaments where he is present, this man is a genius and he brings a lot. Many thanks to him indeed!

Well done also to Antonio Barroso, the Portuguese journalist who worked very hard and provided some of the best media coverage I have seen at the European Championships.

If we could add comments to the “live streaming” it would add even more value, but obviously it would increase the workload even further.

Congratulations also to all the referees. The team was great and the level of officiating was really, really good.

Besides this …

  • What did you think of the general level? Amongst young players? Amongst the men? Amongst the seniors? Among the ladies? Is it useful to keep the women’s events despite the fact that the other tournaments are in fact open to everyone? If yes, why?

Considering the very difficult playing conditions, I found the overall level to be correct. Sometimes it was painful to watch how the players frustrated struggled with the white’s haphazard course. Still, there have been a few centuries, especially the main tournament where there were many more very experienced players who are used to dealing with these difficult playing conditions.

I have been attending these European competitions for over 10 years now, and I have to say that I am very worried about the level in the U18 and U21 categories. In particular, despite one or two exceptions, the level of the players representing the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and Ireland was really disappointing, down from previous editions. Continental Europe now provides the best players in these categories.

In the main tournament, the short format made it necessary to “make sure” and given the circumstances I would say, that the level was correct. In “Seniors” on the other hand, the level was very low, It’s been years since I’ had seen such a low level. Darren Morgan was way above the rest.

Among the ladies who didn’t have too muscular arms and who played at the end it was really hard to play in the conditions as they were, and therefore, the level was not that great at all.

But yes, of course, we have to keep the women’s tournament, we have to promote in this category as well and even if the girls can enter in the other events the level of the two genders is totally different. In all sports there is a separate female and male category and I don’t see why in snooker it should be any different.

  • Which players impressed you and why?

In the U18 and U21, Julien Leclercq and Ben Mertens, they are above the rest, they really dominated the tournaments, however I knew that Dylan Emery was going to win the U21 because he has a lot more experience than the two others, he deserved this title and he is one of the few players from the United Kingdom who has held his rank of favourite.

Amongst the men, Ivan Kakovski. For me he should have been the European champion.  I already mentioned Continental Europe as the main “force” in amateur snooker currently but I should have added that the best prospects in Europe now come mainly from Eastern Europe.

Darren Morgan still impressed me a lot. For me, with Julien, he was the best player in this competition, a great champion.

Amongst the ladies, the English impressed me, especially Jamie Hunter. I really enjoy watching her at the table; she really has a special style. Mary Talbot-Deegan also impressed me.

  • Have you identified any “special prospects” among those under 18/21? Who? Why?

Yes of course. I love watching new talents. Here are a few names: Julien and Ben of course, from Scotland, Liam Graham and from Wales, Liam Davies. They are the only two youngsters from the UK who stood out IMO. Coming from Eastern Europe: Bulcsu Revecs (Hungary), Filip Kalnins (Latvia), Anton Kazakov and Matei Lagodzinschii (Ukraine), Kledio Kaci (Albania), Vladisav Gradinari (Moldova) are players to watch.

Why? Because they are all already very mature in their game or real talents in the sport.

  • What was the outcome for your students? What did they get out of their participation?

For all the players I followed at the venue. the result was positive: some have achieved the goals we set and others didn’t, but all gained a lot of experience and, in this type of tournament, it is very important. I also made contacts for new collaborations.

Regarding the French team, which I coached in the past, they did not have a great European Championship. Brian (my son) nevertheless won his group in the group stage in the main tournament and reached the “last 16 “. He was the only player who hadn’t lost a frame at that point. Along with Niel Vincent, he brought the French team on the podium for the team tournament. Nevertheless. it still is a very poor record in my opinion.

  • Belgium, although tiny, stood out: an entirely Belgian final in the under-18s, Julien Leclercq in the under-21s final, Wendy Jans winning a 13th title, The Belgians winning the team event… How come?

I am very happy for Belgium and especially for Julien who deserves it a lot: I have high expectations for him.

Besisdes, I think Belgium is a snooker country. The experience that Luca Brecel brings to Ben and Julien and his participation in many tournaments in Belgium help promoting the sport and pays off in International competitions. And, let’s not underestimate the good work done by Dany Moermans, the national coach.

The young French players were a match for the Belgians two or three years ago but this is no longer the case. In France, nothing has been happening on the snooker scene for 2 years. And then we wonder why the French talents now often prefer to play in Belgium …

There it is, thanks!

Thanks to you, Stephane!

In het  nederlands …

Na een lange vertraging, veroorzaakt door de covid-19 pandemie, vonden eindelijk de Europese Snooker kampioenschappen plaats in Portugal. Je kwam er als vader van een speler en coach van meerdere jonge duiven. Wat dacht je van…

  • Ontvangst en accommodatie voor spelers en hun begeleiders

We werden begroet in een prachtig hotel met een mooie buitenomgeving. Het eten was ok, maar niets uitzonderlijk. De Portugese federatie heeft er alles aan gedaan om ons verblijf aangenaam te maken.

  • De voorzorgsmaatregelen die zijn genomen in verband met de pandemie

Er was geen echte controle en het hotel was ook open voor bezoekers die geïnteresseerd waren in het evenement. Je zou denken dat de pandemie daar was.

  • De organisatie van de “venue” en de kwaliteit van de uitrustingDe organisatie van de toernooien zelf: het team, schema’s, informatie voor spelers, scheidsrechters

Allereerst, goed gedaan aan het EBSA-organisatieteam dat heel goed heeft gewerkt, aan de vrijwilligers die zich gedurende deze 15 dagen hebben toegewijd en. Ik herhaal mezelf, maar ook goed gedaan voor de Portugese federatie die zijn best deed om iedereen tevreden te stellen.

Omdat alles echter was uitgesteld vanwege covid 19, heeft EBSA besloten om de verschillende competities tegelijkertijd te organiseren, terwijl meestal de team-, senioren- en damescompetities apart worden georganiseerd.

Alles was dus geconcentreerd in een relatief korte periode. Plots was het speelformaat van de verschillende competities ingekort. Naar mijn mening waren deze formaten te kort. Zo was er voor het eerst in “6-reds” geen groepsfase; het wordt gespeeld als een “best of 7” knock-out. Het hoofdtoernooi, het Europees kampioenschap heren / gemengd, groep fase vond alleen plaats in groepen van 4 spelers en in “best of 5. Ik had dit nog nooit gezien en zag het belang van het eindresultaat – een plaats in de “hoofdtour” en nog een op de wereldkampioenschappen “6 reds” vond ik het echt te kort, vooral voor de spelers die de reis hadden gemaakt en die slechts aan een of twee evenementen hebben deelgenomen.

De kwaliteit van de tafels was ook het probleem, de Star tafels weken niet goed met het 6811 gouden tapijt. In het begin was het prima, maar naarmate de dagen vorderden, verslechterden de speelomstandigheden: de pockets waren klein en het wit moeilijk te controleren.

De speelomstandigheden zijn zeer belangrijke parameters in dit soort evenementen. Er moet voor worden gezorgd dat de concurrentievoorwaarden zoveel mogelijk overeenkomen met de voorwaarden waaronder de spelers zich hebben voorbereid. De organisatoren hadden op zijn minst het tapijt van de hoofdtafel moeten veranderen, die waar de televisiefinales plaatsvonden.

  • Toernooi “verslaggeving”: aanwezigheid van de pers? Interviews met spelers (winnaars, finalisten)? De toernooisite en de streaming van bepaalde wedstrijden (bedankt Darius Goral), de aanwezigheid of niet van toeschouwers…

Zoals ik hierboven al zei, heeft het organiserende team geweldig werk geleverd. Ik wil zeggen dat het zonder Dariuz en zijn “live scoring / streaming” -systeem niet hetzelfde zou zijn. In Portugal en of in alle amateurs toernooien waar hij aanwezig is, is deze man een genie en hij brengt veel. Veel dank aan hem inderdaad!

Ook goed gedaan voor Antonio Barroso, de Portugese journalist die heel hard heeft gewerkt en een aantal van de beste media-aandacht heeft gegeven die ik heb gezien op de Europese kampioenschappen.

Als we opmerkingen zouden kunnen toevoegen aan de “lives streaming”, zou dat nog meer waarde opleveren, maar het zou natuurlijk de werklast nog verder verhogen.

Ook proficiat aan alle scheidsrechters. Het team was geweldig en het niveau van dienstdoende was echt heel goed.

Naast dit

  • Wat vond je van het algemene niveau? Voor jongeren? Bij volwassenen? Bij de senioren? Bij de dames? Is het nuttig om de vrouwenevenementen te behouden ondanks het feit dat de andere toernooien voor iedereen toegankelijk zijn? Zo ja, waarom?

Onder de zeer moeilijke speelomstandigheden vond ik het algehele niveau correct. Soms was het pijnlijk om te zien hoe de spelers gefrustreerd waren over het lukrake pad van wit. Toch hadden we er een paar centuries, vooral het hoofdtoernooi waar veel meer zeer ervaren spelers speelden en die gewend waren om met deze moeilijke spelomstandigheden om te gaan.

Ik woon deze Europese competities nu al meer dan 10 jaar bij en ik moet wel zeggen dat ik me grote zorgen maak over het spelniveau in de categorieën U18 en U21. Met name, op een of twee uitzonderingen na, het niveau van spelers die het VK vertegenwoordigen (Engeland, Schotland, Wales en Noord-Ierland) en Ierland vielen erg tegen, in vergelijking met eerdere edities. Continentaal Europa presenteert nu de beste spelers in deze categorieën.

In het hoofdtoernooi maakte het korte formaat het noodzakelijk om “voor veiligheid te zorgen” en, onder deze omstandigheden, zou ik zeggen dat het niveau correct was. In “Senioren” daarentegen was het niveau erg laag; Het is jaren geleden dat ik zo’n laag niveau heb gezien, Darren Morgan was ver boven de rest.

Bij de dames die niet al te gespierde armen hadden en die aan het einde speelden, was het erg moeilijk om te spelen in de aangeboden omstandigheden, en daarom was het niveau helemaal niet zo geweldig.

Maar ja, natuurlijk moeten we het vrouwentoernooi houden, we moeten ook in deze categorie promoveren en zelfs als de meisjes aan de andere evenementen mogen meedoen, is het niveau van de twee geslachten totaal verschillend. In alle sporten is er een aparte categorie voor vrouwen en mannen en ik zie niet in waarom dat in snooker anders zou zijn.

  • Wie zijn de spelers die indruk op je hebben gemaakt en waarom?

Bij de U18 en U21, Julien Leclercq en Ben Mertens, ze zijn boven de rest, ze domineerden de toernooien echt, maar ik wist dat Dylan Emery de U21 zou winnen omdat hij veel meer ervaring heeft dan de twee anderen, hij verdiende deze titel en hij is een van de weinige spelers uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk die zijn rang van favoriet heeft behouden.

Voor mannen, Ivan Kakovski. Voor mij verdiende hij het Europees kampioen te worden. Hierboven noemde ik continentaal Europa nu als de belangrijkste “kracht” in het amateur snooker, maar ik had eraan moeten toevoegen dat de beste vooruitzichten in Europa nu voornamelijk uit Oost-Europa komen.

Darren Morgan maakte nog steeds veel indruk op me. Voor mij, met Julien, was hij de beste speler in deze competitie, een echt kampioen.

Bij de dames zijn de Engelsen vooral Jamie Hunter. We willen haar heel graag zien spelen; ze heeft echt een speciale stijl. Mary Talbot-Deegan maakte ook indruk op mij.

  • Hebt u enige “jonge hoop” geïdentificeerd onder degenen onder 18/21? Wie? Waarom ?

Ja natuurlijk. Ik kijk graag naar nieuw talent. Hier zijn een paar namen: Julien en Ben natuurlijk, de Schotse Liam Graham en de Welshe Liam Davies. Zij zijn de enige twee jonge mensen uit het Verenigd Koninkrijk die voor mij opvallen. Komende uit Oost-Europa Bulcsu Revecs (Hongarije), Filip Kalnins (Letland), Anton Kazakov en Matei Lagodzinschii (Oekraïne), Kledio Kaci (Albanië), Vladisav Gradinari (Moldavië) zijn spelers om naar te kijken.

Waarom ? Omdat ze allemaal al heel volwassen zijn in hun spel of een echt talent voor de sport.

  • Wat is het “record” van uw leerlingen? Wat hebben ze uit hun deelname gehaald?

Voor alle spelers die ik ter plekke volgde. het resultaat was positifief: sommigen hebben de gestelde doelen bereikt en anderen niet, maar ze hebben allemaal veel ervaring opgedaan en in dit soort toernooien is het erg belangrijk. Ook heb ik contacten gelegd voor nieuwe samenwerkingen.

Het Franse team, waar ik in het verleden voor zorgde, had geen groot Europees kampioenschap, toch won Brian (mijn zoon) de groepsfase in het hoofdtoernooi en bereikte de “laatste 16”. Hij was de enige speler die op dat moment nog geen frame had toegegeven. Met Niel Vincent, bracht hij het Franse team naar het podium van het teamtoernooi. Hoe dan ook. het blijft naar mijn mening een zeer slechte plaat.

  • België, hoewel klein, viel op: een volledig Belgische finale bij de onder-18s, Julien Leclercq in de onder-21s finale, Wendy Jans die een 13e titel won, de Belgen die het teamevenement wonnen… Wat verklaart dit?

Ik ben erg blij voor België en vooral voor Julien die het heel erg verdient: ik zie veel hoop in hem.

Voor de rest vind ik België een snookerland. De ervaring die Luca Brecel Ben en Julien meebrengt en zijn deelname aan vele toernooien in België draagt ​​bij aan de bevordering van de discipline en dit wordt internationaal gevoeld. En laten we het goede werk van Dany Moermans, de bondscoach, niet vergeten.

Twee of drie jaar geleden streden de jonge Fransen tegen de Belgen, maar dat is niet meer het geval. In Frankrijk gebeurt er al 2 jaar niets aan snooker kant. Achteraf vragen we ons af waarom en daarom zullen de Fransen nu vaak in België spelen…

Daar is het, bedankt!

Dankzij jou, Stephane!

Plus quelques photos …

John Virgo and Mark William about Ronnie

Monique Interview

Inteviewed by Phil Haigh and Nick Metcalfe on their podcast John Virgo gave this assessment on Ronnie and his career, and a “summary” was reported by Phil Haigh in metro.co.uk:

Ronnie O’Sullivan is the best sportsman Britain has produced but has still underachieved, says John Virgo

Phil Haigh Wednesday 22 Sep 2021 
Ronnie gettyimages-1206544756
Ronnie O’Sullivan is undoubtedly snooker’s GOAT, for John Virgo (Picture: Getty Images)

Most snooker fans rate Ronnie O’Sullivan as the greatest to ever pick up a cue, but John Virgo has gone further, saying he is the best sportsman Britain has ever produced, despite underachieving over his career.

The Rocket has 37 ranking titles to his name, the most of any player in history, six of those being World Championships and another seven UK Championships.

Still going strong at 45-years-old and ranked number three in the world, O’Sullivan will likely add to his ranking title tally in the coming months and years, further cementing his spot as snooker’s GOAT.

Virgo has no doubt in his mind that Ronnie is the best player he has ever witnessed, and is so impressive on the table that he actually should have more titles to his name.

‘Let me make one thing clear, Ronnie O’Sullivan is the greatest player I’ve ever seen,’ Virgo told the Talking Snooker podcast.

‘I find it absolutely amazing. The fact he can do it with either hand just adds to the mystery of how a man can play the game this well.”

“Ronnie’s the best I’ve ever seen, it’s just incredible.”

Mark Williams was interviewed by WST, and part of it was reported by Eurosport:

Snooker news: ‘Ronnie O’Sullivan is only player I’d pay to watch’ – Mark Williams on why Rocket is the GOAT

Mark Williams has paid tribute to his fellow ‘Class of ’92’ rivals Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins by insisting there is plenty of life left in his fellow multiple world champions. The new British Open champion also insists O’Sullivan is the undisputed greatest player of all time and the only man playing the game he’d pay money to watch.

Ronnie (ES)

Ronnie O’Sullivan is the undisputed greatest player of all time and the only fellow snooker professional three-times world champion Mark Williams would pay money to watch.

Williams has made an impressive start to the new campaign by lifting the British Open title in August, but expects record 37-times ranking event winner O’Sullivan to get back into the winning habit after enduring a rare trophyless campaign last term.

O’Sullivan reached five finals last season and is ranked at three in the world ahead of next month’s Northern Ireland Open LIVE on Eurosport.

“He’s the best player I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Williams.

I’ve played with him since I was 10 and he’s still going like myself. He’s probably the only snooker player I’d pay to watch.

Williams will celebrate his 30th year as a professional alongside his great rivals O’Sullivan and John Higgins in January and does not expect those green baize icons to be slowing down in the chase for further glory.

With 13 world titles between them since 1998, they have won over half the Crucible titles in the past 23 years.

“The players coming through aren’t good enough to knock us off our perch, if you want to put it that way“, said Williams on WST.

“We also had a lot of grounding growing up, but these youngsters have no decent amateur tournaments to play in really. They are just turning professional, coming up against the top players and getting beaten. We had really good grounding. There were tournaments everywhere. U18, U21s..every weekend there was something.”

“That has something to do with our longevity. The other reason could be is that the other players just aren’t good enough to knock, especially Higgins and O’Sullivan, off their perch.”

That pair could be at the top of the rankings for however long they want to be. There is no question.

“It is just about how much work they want to put in to stay up there.”

At the age of 46, Williams has his own targets for the new campaign and the world number eight believes he has the ability to remain at the top of the game.

“I think if I dedicated myself to it, I know I could get right up to the top of the rankings,” added the Welshman, world champion in 2000, 2003 and 2018 in a show of astonishing longevity. Maybe not number one, but I could get close to it.”

“But I’m not prepared to do what I have to do to get as high as that. I’ll do two hours a day rather than worry about winning tournaments and just enjoy it.”

I’m saying now I’ll not play six or seven hours a day, but that could change. In six months’ time, I could say I’m back playing nine or ten hours a day….

…

John Virgo still thinks Ronnie has underachieved…  well, strictly in terms of pure talent maybe, but Ronnie had to fight some severe mental health issues from a young age – depression, addictions, huge and sudden mood swings – and he had to do it under difficult circumstances (father and mother jailed), under constant scrutiny from the media, and he had to cope whith massive expectations at the same time, the fans’ and his own. There were highs and lows of course, but overall he has coped very well considering, and he has done it for nearly 30 years. It takes a lot of strength and courage to do that. Underachiever? Really? … I don’t think so.

As for Willo … no mention of Judd Trump? 🤔😉 He won’t be pleased you know? 😇

Ronnie speaks to Eurosport as he is at the start of his 30th season as a pro

Monique Eurosport, Interview ,

Here is the interview:

RONNIE O’SULLIVAN ON 30 YEARS AT TOP – ‘I FEEL PRIVILEGED TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES‘

Six-times world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan will celebrate an astonishing 30 years at the summit of snooker in 2022. The sport’s greatest player has told Eurosport he appreciates the opportunities he has been given in life since turning professional at the age of 16 in 1992. He is also thankful for the support of his partner Laila Rouass and family as he continues to chase new horizons in the game.

Ronnie O’Sullivan will celebrate 30 years at the summit of professional snooker in January, but the game’s greatest player admits he has been fortunate to have been afforded the opportunities in life to reach green baize utopia.

The six-times world champion holds the vast majority of the key records as he begins his 30th season ranked at number three in the world, but it his speed, flamboyance and precision of play that has attracted millions of bewitched fans to the sport over the past four decades.

The numbers stacked up by O’Sullivan are quite astonishing since he set out on his unprecedented golden sojourn at the age of 16 in 1992.

  • 37 – most ranking titles won by any player in history achieved in claiming 2020 World Championship
  • 15 – record number of maximums made in competition
  • Five minutes and eight seconds – fastest competitive maximum compiled at 1997 World Championship
  • 17 years and 358 days – youngest winner of a ranking event at 1993 UK Championship
  • 19 years and 69 days – youngest winner of the Masters in 1995
    1000 – first player to reach 1,000 career centuries at 2019 Players Championship
  • 29 – record number of consecutive appearances at World Championship between 1993 and 2021
  • 58 – record number of ranking final appearances achieved at 2021 Tour Championship final
  • 556 – record number of points scored without reply in 6-0 win over Ricky Walden in 2014 Masters quarter-final lasting 58min 31sec
  • 7 – record number of UK titles
  • 7 – record number of Masters titles
  • 20 – record number of triple crown titles

O’Sullivan made his first century at the age of 10 and his first 147 five years later, but shows no signs of slowing up with Judd Trump recently predicting that he has another decade at the top if he has the desire to continue.

“I feel privileged to have had the opportunities that I’ve had,” O’Sullivan told Eurosport.

SO I CAN’T SAY THAT I’VE BEEN UNLUCKY. I’VE OBVIOUSLY HAD TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE PRIVILEGES, BUT THEY WERE GIVEN TO ME AND I’VE PROBABLY HAD A MUCH BETTER HEAD START THAN A LOT OF YOUNG KIDS.

“I was fortunate that my mum and dad did okay for themselves and were able to pay for my cab fares to the club, my table time and allow me to go away at weekends to play in competitions.

“Some kids don’t have that luxury. I think in that respect, I had a good opportunity, but had to make the most of it.”

O’Sullivan admits one of the career highlights was celebrating lifting his sixth world title alongside his partner Laila Rouass at the Crucible after an 18-8 win over Kyren Wilson in the final.

“We had such a good night,” he recalled. “After the final, we went back to the hotel, there was about 30 or 40 people in the hotel.

“We had a fantastic evening. It was probably the best night I’ve ever had.

WE HAD KEBABS, BEER AND SAT OUTSIDE UNTIL ABOUT FOUR IN THE MORNING. (FORMER WORLD NUMBER TWO) TONY KNOWLES WAS THERE AND A FEW OF MY FRIENDS FROM LIVERPOOL WERE DOWN. WE HAD SUCH A LAUGH. I’VE LOVED TO ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THAT AGAIN.

That’s a really lovely interview and Ronnie seems to be in a good place. Hopefully this season is a good one.

Phil Haigh interviews Jason Ferguson who answers lots of recently asked questions

Monique Interview, Professional snooker tournament ,

Phil Haigh did an excellent job again with this Jason Ferguson interview:

Jason Ferguson talks British Open format, a return to China, the changing snooker calendar and more

Phil Haigh Sunday 15 Aug 2021 
Evergrande 2017 World Snooker China Championship - Press Conference & Red Carpet
Jason Ferguson is still dealing with the uncertainty Covid has brought to snooker (Picture: Getty Images)

With fans returning to the British Open on Monday it feels like snooker is returning to some normality in the UK, but there are plenty of challenges still to overcome for the sport’s organisers as the pandemic drags on across the globe.

The Turkish Masters, set for its first ever staging next month, has been postponed till March 2022, we still await a return to China for the string of big tournaments while events in the UK are still being impacted by the various changes that have occurred over the last 18 months.

Metro.co.uk caught up with WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson who gave the latest on what’s going on in the sport at the moment.

Turkish Masters

The event was postponed until next year with Turkey still on the UK’s red list and wildfires causing serious disruption in the country.

‘I’m disappointed,’ said Ferguson. ‘It’s something we’ve been working on for a while against the odds, so its disappointing to have to postpone it, but I’m really excited about Turkey. I firmly believe it’s going to be one of the best events on the World Snooker Tour in the long-term, it’s such a fantastic location.

‘It’s going to happen, it’s just a case of when we can do it safely. When we do it we want to do it with a bang, not something behind closed doors or anything like that, so let’s postpone.’

On replacing the event on the calendar he added: ‘We are constantly working on opportunities everywhere, but there’s nothing firmed up as to filling those gaps in the calendar at this moment in time.

There are one or two things in the pipeline. The message I would give is that it’s a moving landscape at the minute because of problems that still exist in Covid times. Difficulties with venues, going overseas, broadcast arrangements. Hopefully the players can bare with us because it is a moving feast at the moment.

On the proposed ranking event in Barnsley to replace the Turkish Masters: ‘We’re subject to venues, to broadcast arrangements we can put in place, we had said there was a potential event to fill in, we said we’d try and fill the gap.

‘Unfortunately at this moment in time it’s not possible and we’ll keep working at it. I’m sure things will pop up here and there, but unfortunately it’s just not possible to fill that gap with a ranking event.’

The British Open format

The best-of-five format over the first four rounds of the British Open has created some disappointment among players and fans, with the matches extending to best-of-seven in the quarter-finals and best-of-11 for the final.

‘We’re in this period of a changing calendar all the time,’ explained Ferguson. ‘The British Open was resurrected with only months’ notice, it wasn’t something we planned long-term. It’s been brought back due to lack of overseas events. We thought: “What have we got that’s meaningful and historic that we can use?” the British Open was staring us in the face. It’s going to be exciting.

2019 Betway UK Championship - Day 11
John Higgins won the last edition of the British Open, 17 years ago (Picture: Getty Images)

‘Formats are a little bit short in this current year, we’ve just had the Championship League, it’s quickfire but we are hamstrung a bit by what we can deliver for broadcast and in the timeframe we’ve got.

‘Numbers of players, numbers of matches, we’ve got 128 professional players. It would be easy to do 32 players with long formats but we won’t do that because it’s not right for our player membership.

‘It is unfortunate that the format is a little bit short, I’m a bit of a traditionalist, I love the long format. A lot of players do and a lot of fans do, but a lot of people also like short formats, so we’re appealing to a mixed audience. Let’s see. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating and the broadcast numbers will tell us what fans thought.’

Players missing the British Open

Ng On-yee and Marco Fu

‘It’s purely down to travel. The travel is just so difficult for them, and not just getting here, we think we can get them here but realistically they’ll be here for months at a time and getting back is going to be problematic.

‘Until things clear a little bit the Hong Kong Sports Institute have said, “Our advice is don’t go at this moment in time.” We’ll work hard with the players and the HKSI to get them here.’

SNOOKER-HKG-HONG KONG-NG
Ng On-yee is still waiting to make her debut as a main tour professional (Picture: Getty Images)

Ding Junhui

‘Yeah he did go back to China, he’d been in the UK on his own without his wife and daughter for a long, long time. He made it here last year, stayed and competed, plied his trade as a professional player as he needs to. He went back for a while and he’s there now. He’s popping up a bit, doing some TV work around the sport, still on the frontline, spreading the good word.

Ronnie O’Sullivan

‘It’s just personal reasons for Ronnie, there’s nothing to elaborate on, there are no issues at all. I think if he wants to take some time out…when you look at Ronnie, he’s won all those titles, broke all those records and he’s still competing at that level, to expect him to compete in every single event is a lot to ask.

‘I’ve got great respect for him and the fact he’s still competing at this level after all these years is quite extraordinary. I tend not to be too concerned if he misses one or two events because it’s a great way to prolong his career.’

Ronnie
Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew from the Championship League and British Open (Picture: Getty Images)

Returning to China

The tour has not wound its way back to China since the 2019 World Open, due to the pandemic, and it looks like the wait to return will go on for a while yet.

‘I think we’re fairly clear on where we are,’ Jason explained. ‘The Government have been clear that they shouldn’t be putting any international events on until after the Winter Olympics (4-20 February 2022).

‘That’s a major blow in terms of planning for events, but at the same time we understand that strategy that the Government has taken that view to try and protect the Winter Olympics.

‘It looks as though February will be when we’re clear on what we can do. With the China Open usually in March, and we’d planned to put a couple of events there back-to-back, that does look doubtful now to do it in the current season. It doesn’t mean we can’t do the World Cup after the season, but we’re subject to restrictions being lifted.

2019 World Open - Day 7
Judd Trump won the 2019 World Open in Yushan (Picture: Getty Images)

‘The Government’s got a responsibility to protect the Winter Olympics as a major global event. If we’re not going to hear about what we can do in China until after the Winter Olympics then that’s going to wipe out China events for the current season. Realistically we’re planning for the following season. That leaves a gap for Turkey and it leaves gaps for other things that we’re looking at in various corners of the world and some things a bit closer to home.’

Stan Moody

The exciting teenage talent won the English Under-14 title earlier this month in dominant fashion.

Ferguson said: ‘Quite unfairly I’ve take a bit of stick over the amateur game lately. I’ve seen a few people jumping in, saying, “There’s nothing happening, there’s no talent coming through.” What a load of rubbish!

‘We’ve only just started playing again and the kids haven’t played because they haven’t had the luxury of being classed as elite sports people, through lockdown these kids have missed 12-18 months. They’ve come back out, its not put them off, and there’s an abundance of talent.

‘Stan Moody is unbelievable, he’s the full package, it’s really exciting to see.’

Jamie O’Neill

It was revealed on the Snooker Scene Podcast that Jamie O’Neill is not playing in the British Open due to suspension.

‘He was suspended,’ said Ferguson. ‘He had digressed slightly in terms of Covid policies last year. Those matters were dealt with, he was suspended and he’ll come back out fighting. He’s been full of remorse, been very good about everything, but rules are rules and they had to be applied.

‘He digressed in the way our structures were working around the sport, making sure we were keeping everything in line with policies. It’s dealt with independently of us, I don’t get involved in it and we have to respect the decision of the panel. It’s a temporary suspension at the start of the season.

On if he’ll be back after the British Open, Jason said: ‘He’ll be back.’

A big big thank you to Phil for doing this interview and to Jason for answering the questions candidly.

Just three things…

  • reading this my understanding is that even the China Open is in serious doubt despite being scheduled after the Winter Olympics.
  • It’s a real shame regarding Marco and On Yee but nothing can be done about it. If the situation isn’t resolved soon, they could have a very short season at best. Should that be the case, I would expect them to see their fresh tour cards postponed to next season so that they get a proper chance to stay on the main tour.
  • Jamie O’Neil’s suspension is indeed  linked to his opinions, and subsequent attitude, regarding covid-19 and the pandemics as I suspected.

Willo playing for fun in his 30th season

Monique Interview

Mark Williams will play today in the very first match of the season. He has been interviewed by WST:

Enjoyment The Key For Evergreen Williams

Mark Williams insists he will continue to take a carefree attitude into tournaments in the coming season and to focus on enjoyment of the game rather than results.

Williams is going into his 30th professional season

The three-time World Champion has played with a fast and fluid style in recent years, with an average shot time often as low as 15 seconds. And that paid dividends last season as he won the WST Pro Series and reached the semi-finals of two other events, as well as the quarter-finals at the Crucible.

At the age of 46, the Welshman intends to squeeze as much fun as he can out of the rest of his career. “I played as fast as I can last season and loved every minute of it,” said Williams. “I lost a lot of matches I should have won, but also played some good stuff. I looked dangerous for the first time in a while. Maybe that’s because I got on with it. Obviously I want to win, but if I don’t, no problem.

“I won’t practise much this season, maybe a couple of hours every day or every other day. That might affect my form, but I have accepted that. It’s enough to keep me in half decent condition. I’m enjoying it, and that’s my aim, rather than to get bogged down. I can have a best-of-19 in the club with Jackson (Page) in less than two hours because we are both pretty quick.

“My only target now is to see how long I can stay on the tour for. I would like to see where I am when I’m 50 – whether I’m still in the top 16. I want to see how long I can stay on the tour on merit.”

Williams plays on the opening day of the new season on Sunday at the BetVictor Championship League – for the match schedule click here and for details of how to watch, click here.

Déjà-vu feeling? Well, yes. When you go into your 30th year as a professional, when you have been playing seriously since you were a kid and won everything there is to win, how do you keep going? By finding ways to continue to enjoy it.

This is not very different to what Ronnie has been saying in recent years and it’s not surprising as they have started playing at the same time, turned pro at the same time and are both still in the top 16. This approach will probably not yield many titles; we should accept that and be grateful because it will keep them playing and wanting to play.

Judd Trump about playing Ronnie

Monique Interview

With the imminent return of competitive professional snooker this was to be expected: Phil Haigh is at it again and has been speaking with Judd Trump … about what it’s like playing Ronnie.

Judd Trump relishes the Ronnie O’Sullivan ‘argy-bargy and mind games’

Phil Haigh – Saturday 17 Jul 2021 
GettyImages-Judd-Ronnie-Handshake
Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan have had some memorable matches in recent years (Picture: Getty Images)

Judd Trump says playing Ronnie O’Sullivan is ‘not like a game of snooker’ but he relishes the challenge of the ‘argy-bargy and mind games’ that come with taking on the Rocket.

The world number one has an excellent record against the six-time world champion, winning his last three matches against O’Sullivan to give him a winning record in the head-to-head.

Trump has won five of his last six meeting with the Rocket, including the Masters final and three finals of the Northern Ireland Open, and says facing O’Sullivan in showpiece matches, in front of rowdy crowds is ideal for him.

Facing the sport’s most popular figure in front of a full house would be intimidating for many, but Trump loves the challenge, which is unlike anything else in the sport.

‘Whenever there is a crowd in town – it hasn’t been the same for the last 18 months – you want to play Ronnie because the atmosphere is different class and everyone gets behind him,’ Trump told Sporting Life.

‘For me, that spurs me on to go out there and shine and take away his fans. I know it’s going to be a bigger audience when Ronnie’s around, so for me it’s an extra chance to show what I can do.

Betfred World Snooker Championship - Day Ten
Trump had great results behind closed doors but is excited by the return of crowds (Picture: Getty Images)

‘It’s completely different to playing anyone else. If you’re playing any other player, you just play your own game, but when you’re playing him, it’s like you’re playing in his show.

‘He really feels like he owns the table and it can be quite difficult to play against. His mannerisms and everything, he’s quite in your face; it’s not like a game of snooker, there’s a bit of argy-bargy and mind games going on at the same time. It’s a massive match-up.’

Judd and Ronnie have met just once on the biggest stage in the game, with O’Sullivan winning 17-11 in the semi-finals of the 2013 World Championship.

Trump has gone on to great success since then though, winning the world title in 2019, and fans would love to see the two biggest draws in the game currently clash once again at the Crucible.

Both Trump and O’Sullivan are entered into the Championship League, starting on Sunday, with the world number one not playing till 6 August in Group One, while the Rocket is in action on 20 July in Group 32.

Participation is not confirmed yet, but both are expected to be playing in the British Open in August and could face each other at any stage with a random draw being made at the end of each round.

There will be no seedings in the tournament that boasts a top prize of £100,000 so top players can meet at any stage at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.

Shown live on ITV, the event runs from 16-22 August

This is an interesting interview because Judd’s perception is quite astonishing, Well, it is to me at least.

I’m not sure how Judd Trump perceives his own game, but in my eyes, there is no player currently on the tour who is more “in your face” than himself.

Also the bit about “taking away his fans” is a bit baffling to me: I’m not sure that many Ronnie fans in the audience warm to Judd when he is in the process of beating their favourite player, no matter how well Judd might be playing. Quite the opposite in fact. It was the same with the Hendry fans back in the days: the vast majority would stay with their man no matter what.

Also, it’s not about being a fanboy, or a fangirl: a lot of true snooker fans appreciate certain players more than others because they are attracted by the way they play.

Ronnie’s game is daring, but it’s also and mainly about cue ball control, putting the white exactly where he wants it, making it all look simple, easy, natural. That’s what I like most about his game, and that’s why I’m a Ding fan as well and still hoping that he gets back in the winning circle soon.

Judd’s game is a lot about showing off: his abilty is quite extraordinary. It’s impressive, spectacular, no question. I do understand why people would be “fans” of that sort of game and Judd is the best exponent of it currently.  Alex Higgins was like that too (*). But it’s not my thing and I’m not alone in this.

John Higgins is a great, great player, I know that, I understand what he does … but he bores me to death. Don’t ask.

(*) Judd is a much better and more complete player than Alex IMO