2025 World Championships

[trains]

You shivered me timbers Nifty.

First Round fivefold : Gilbert, Junxu, Selt, Surety and Wakelin 274/1.

[Nifty50]

My long shots. Name the finalists. Kyren V Hawkins 45/1. Also Selby V Hawkins 35/1.

[JimMalone]

My picks for the first round:
Kyren Wilson v Lei Peifan 10-8
Jak Jones v Zhao Xintong 7-10
Neil Robertson v Chris Wakelin 6-10
Mark Allen v Fan Zhengyi 10-4
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Ali Carter 10-8
Zhang Anda v Pang Junxu 9-10
Si Jiahui v David Gilbert 9-10
Mark Selby v Ben Woollaston 10-6
John Higgins v Joe O'Connor 10-8
Xiao Guodong v Matthew Selt 10-7
Barry Hawkins v Hossein Vafaei 10-8
Mark J Williams v Wu Yize 7-10
Luca Brecel v Ryan Day 10-6
Ding Junhui v Zak Surety 9-10
Shaun Murphy v Daniel Wells10-5
Judd Trump v Zhou Yuelong 10-6

[JimMalone]

I just hope the pockets are not as generous as in 2022 or 2023 or in the qualifiers this year.

[cueman]

Conditions are often crucial at WC, last year the tables were tough, this is so key to the players who are more likely to go far because of their patience and will to win. Jak.Jones capitalised on that last year.
So if conditions are similar, the match up between Higgins and O'Connor is intriguing. I believe if O'Connor gets through that, he has an excellent chance of reaching the semi final. He's my dark horse this year, I've always felt his game and mental strength will lead to him winning it one day.

Other than that I think if form is anything to go by, Kyren and Selby should reach the semi in the top half. I think the winner comes from that half of the draw.
In the bottom half, I think if Murphy gets his game back to the form he showed a few months back, he's got a great chance too. The bottom half is really tricky to call though, that's why I give O'Connor a great chance.

[MrRottweiler]

I don't like Ronnie as a person and think the quicker he retires the damn better any actually want Carter to win that much - I just object to the idea anybody could believe he was a class act on the table unless they came from a parallel universe or had never watched snooker? So which is it?

If that isn't trolling I don't know what is.

[snookerfollower]

For me this is my hero Selby's best chance to win his 5th. Hope he can do it and if he does we can have the serious discussion about whether Selby could finish his career with 7 or even 8 world titles. .I was absolutely gutted when he lost the final to Luca Brecel in 2023 so I hope he can put something together this year and do what he's capable of.

[snookerfollower]

You didn't disagree with me you ****ing insulted me. Take your tongue out of Ronnie's arse.

I don't like Ronnie as a person and think the quicker he retires the damn better any actually want Carter to win that much - I just object to the idea anybody could believe he was a class act on the table unless they came from a parallel universe or had never watched snooker? So which is it?

[JimMalone]

Ali seems quite laid back it's only because of the crap he has to deal with that works him up and I don't blame him. Last time I saw him play Ronnie he was putting up with all kinds of nonsense from the crowds and for a top pro who can compete against the best of them when he's on form he doesn't deserve it. Playing in a ranking tournament and having to put up with drunk morons with refs that are too scared to do their job. The sooner Ronnie gets knocked out the better.

I personally think that Carter looks a bit too aggressive and bitter at the table, like if he necessarily wants to proove something to the whole world and tell it to everybody afterwards.

But on the other hand with his illness I can understand it partly, though I remember him being that way already before his illness was known at least.

And of course you are absolutely right about O'Sullivan and his "fans".

[MrRottweiler]

Ali seems quite laid back it's only because of the crap he has to deal with that works him up and I don't blame him. Last time I saw him play Ronnie he was putting up with all kinds of nonsense from the crowds and for a top pro who can compete against the best of them when he's on form he doesn't deserve it. Playing in a ranking tournament and having to put up with drunk morons with refs that are too scared to do their job. The sooner Ronnie gets knocked out the better.

[JimMalone]

Takes one to know one. Disagreeing with someone is not trolling. Ali has a hell of an attitude to him at the table, always thinks everything's going against him luck wise and had the famous spat with Ronnie at the masters, the famous spat with Trump at the 2012 Worlds. Carter has a horrible attitude during matches - again always has. I respect the guy for everything he's been through off the table but during matches he's not a class act on it or in interviews. I can see why some people dislike him.

I think it was more about your tone. Someone (almost) always can have another opinion of course, but it's about the way of delivering it.

[MrRottweiler]

Takes one to know one. Disagreeing with someone is not trolling. Ali has a hell of an attitude to him at the table, always thinks everything's going against him luck wise and had the famous spat with Ronnie at the masters, the famous spat with Trump at the 2012 Worlds. Carter has a horrible attitude during matches - again always has. I respect the guy for everything he's been through off the table but during matches he's not a class act on it or in interviews. I can see why some people dislike him.

You didn't disagree with me you ****ing insulted me. Take your tongue out of Ronnie's arse.

[snookerfollower]

You sound like a troll mate.

Takes one to know one. Disagreeing with someone is not trolling. Ali has a hell of an attitude to him at the table, always thinks everything's going against him luck wise and had the famous spat with Ronnie at the masters, the famous spat with Trump at the 2012 Worlds. Carter has a horrible attitude during matches - again always has. I respect the guy for everything he's been through off the table but during matches he's not a class act on it or in interviews. I can see why some people dislike him.

[JimMalone]

I wouldn't call Carter a class act either, but certainly more so than O'Sullivan.

[MrRottweiler]

Ali is not a class act on the match table lol. What parallel universe have you just arrived from?

You sound like a troll mate.