2016 World Championship discussion

[The Rook]

The conversation I'm talking about is not how he won the tournament, but why he uses negative tactics when he is more than capable of hitting big breaks?

The whole point is that if he tried his heavy scoring game when his form clearly wasn't there then he wouldn't be a multiple World Champion. So often players go for an all out attack when they don't have the game. Selby is more pragmatic and doesn't press beyond his capabilities on the day.

[shmeeko69]

Indeed it would – Selby wouldn't have made it to the 2nd round. Mark just worked with the form he had available. The confidence and positional game just weren't there for masses of centuries in this tournament. He worked with everything he had, and still managed to find enough to win. Just smart, brilliant match play and temperament.

The conversation I'm talking about is not how he won the tournament, but why he uses negative tactics when he is more than capable of hitting big breaks?

[The Rook]

If he stuck with the positive aspects of his game like break building which he's very good at then, this conversation would be different.

Indeed it would – Selby wouldn't have made it to the 2nd round. Mark just worked with the form he had available. The confidence and positional game just weren't there for masses of centuries in this tournament. He worked with everything he had, and still managed to find enough to win. Just smart, brilliant match play and temperament.

[the lone wolf]

Reardon is probably the most underrated player of all time. You'd think snooker started with Steve Davis to listen to these clowns.

Agree with this ^ :snooker:

[JimMalone]

If he stuck with the positive aspects of his game like break building which he's very good at then, this conversation would be different.

But this is just the thing I mentioned and the one that makes him such a strong player and what I like about him so much. He can everything, but he knows when to play which. I don't see any negativity in this, just versatility.

[The Rook]

Reardon is probably the most underrated player of all time. You'd think snooker started with Steve Davis to listen to these clowns.

I think it is just very difficult for people to put into context how good the old stars were relative to the players of today. On the one hand Reardon was similarly dominant to Davis in the 70s, but on the other – the depth of competition was clearly much shallower than in more recent eras. Also, there is comparatively little footage of Ray Reardon playing (particularly when he was at his best), and the table conditions were so different back then that it would be unfair to directly compare break building and positional play. Similarly, I suspect Joe Davis is rather underrated, or perhaps more accurately most people probably don't feel qualified to have much of an opinion.

[cally]

Selby has become snooker's utimate grinder in the modern era, but I've never seen Thorburn except for the 147 - did he play a similar game?

Yes bud, they never called him the grinder for nothing.

But, a lot of players played the game like that back then. Most really...

[shmeeko69]

. . and yet 422 career centuries later, ranked 5th in the all time list.

If he stuck with the positive aspects of his game like break building which he's very good at then, this conversation would be different.

[alabadi]

I see Selbys game a kin to Italy in 1982 , they bearly scraped through to the second round with 3 draws and came up against Brazil the best team in the tournament more skill better individual players , however their all out attack style came unstuck against a side that was more savvy in the art of defending .
That type of attacking play works well against the lesser tactical minded players , but eventually you get found out when you come up against those who have built there reputation on the art of defending , knowing when to attack and when to defend is a skill.

Ding will learn from this I am sure . As he does know how to defend as he showed in the final. Once he balances the 2 he will start to dominate games .

[JimMalone]

For Ding, it must be disapointing somehow to have fought so hard to get there and finally losing but I think he can be very, very proud of himself. Coming from the qualifiers, having to play three matches before reaching the Crucible and finally make it to the final duel, it is an amazing exploit. Had he played like against McManus in the final, I think he would have been much much closer but nervosity got the better off him in the first session and he came close to get whitewashed. Can't blame him as playing there must be a terrible experience. The pressure is immense, you are on your own in an arena, like two gladiators, scrutinized by millions of people.....and cherry on the cake, you are the flag bearer of a billion people nation who expects you to win. Nerve-racking stuff...
But all in all, I think this could be the starting point for Ding's revival. Having Terry in his corner clearly helped him tremendously. His attitude was so different than before. He was mure more relaxed, was smiling at the table (something you never saw before, so entrenched in his poker-face, never let a crack appear in the armor attitude)...like he had suddenly matured, being aware than first and foremost, this is a game, not a job. He looks to have enjoyed that tournament more than any other and it is a very good news for snooker.
We need more of him at the table, destroying opponents with his flamboyant snooker. He's a fabulous talent and I trully think we are going to see a completely different player next season, much more dominant.

I really think the final was a very good experience for him. As he also stated afterwards. He now has another step behind him with finally making it to the last stage. And the next time he knows he has already been there and it's not something really new, but something familiar. In terms of confidence and knowing after all he can play really well in the crucible that should give him a boost.

[billabong]

I was thinking about how Selby goes about his practice routines in preparation for snooker tournaments.

Tom : Do you want to spread the red balls around the table, keep the pink and black clear and practice break building Mark?

Mark : No way Tom, that's to positive. Why don't you snooker me and I'll try to escape and leave you in a snooker or better still, I'll start knocking the reds towards the cushions and prevent you from making a 70+ break

I want to continue to build my game around scrappy frames coz I'm f*ckin mental :beaten:

. . and yet 422 career centuries later, ranked 5th in the all time list.

[shmeeko69]

I was thinking about how Selby goes about his practice routines in preparation for snooker tournaments.

Tom : Do you want to spread the red balls around the table, keep the pink and black clear and practice break building Mark?

Mark : No way Tom, that's to positive. Why don't you snooker me and I'll try to escape and leave you in a snooker or better still, I'll start knocking the reds towards the cushions and prevent you from making a 70+ break

I want to continue to build my game around scrappy frames coz I'm f*ckin mental :beaten:

[billabong]

This era of snooker has many great players a number of whom are guilty of "pushing the boat out", trying to "pot themselves out of trouble" etc.

I blame Hendry for that. The difference was, in the 90's, he could ( more often than not ) pot himself both out of trouble, and into form.


The young players who follow in his footsteps don't quite have the same level of talent to do that ( with them it's more not than often ). IMHO.


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[Erwan_BZH]

The day after......This is a bit my feeling today, still a bit dazed by Ding's defeat. I was rooting for the Chinese so obviously I am disappointed to see Selby lifting the trophy. I have to admit, like many others, that I am not at all a fan of the way Selby plays. It can bores me to death at times and it's not my cup of tea. However, you can't ignore his immense resilience, his grind, his gritty character...and his talent. You don't become a multiple world champ by mistake. Somehow it is still a mistery how he managed to get crowned again playing so badly most of the tournament but the things is, with him, is that he is never beaten. Even using his B or C game, he is still out there fighting, clawing his way back when behind on the scoreboard. It has to be mentionned and reckonned. Fair play to him, honestly...
He's not really a guy with an explosive snooker, spectacular offensive shots but boy.....he's just such a warrior, a master tactician...a defensive beast. His ability to perform so well under pressure makes him an absolute competitive animal. And few players can belong with him in this department. In fact, besides Hendry, Higgins and Davis, Can't see anyone else getting close to this level...

For Ding, it must be disapointing somehow to have fought so hard to get there and finally losing but I think he can be very, very proud of himself. Coming from the qualifiers, having to play three matches before reaching the Crucible and finally make it to the final duel, it is an amazing exploit. Had he played like against McManus in the final, I think he would have been much much closer but nervosity got the better off him in the first session and he came close to get whitewashed. Can't blame him as playing there must be a terrible experience. The pressure is immense, you are on your own in an arena, like two gladiators, scrutinized by millions of people.....and cherry on the cake, you are the flag bearer of a billion people nation who expects you to win. Nerve-racking stuff...
But all in all, I think this could be the starting point for Ding's revival. Having Terry in his corner clearly helped him tremendously. His attitude was so different than before. He was mure more relaxed, was smiling at the table (something you never saw before, so entrenched in his poker-face, never let a crack appear in the armor attitude)...like he had suddenly matured, being aware than first and foremost, this is a game, not a job. He looks to have enjoyed that tournament more than any other and it is a very good news for snooker.
We need more of him at the table, destroying opponents with his flamboyant snooker. He's a fabulous talent and I trully think we are going to see a completely different player next season, much more dominant.


Finally, on the tournament itself, it was refreshing to see new faces like Baird or Wilson going through but also good ol' Alan playing like crazy. His run was a fantastic story and a great advertisement for Scottish snooker.
Too bad table conditions ruined many games in rounds 1 & 2. Unacceptable to have so many kicks and bounces...If I were Hearn, I would ask for a meeting with Aramith to ask them to find a solution asap...

Another season ends.....can't wait for the new one to start again !!

[gavpowell]

Selby has become snooker's utimate grinder in the modern era, but I've never seen Thorburn except for the 147 - did he play a similar game?