2016 UK Championship

[Ronnington]

I was disappointed in the first session, Ronnie was clearly not playing well and Mark missed a couple of sitters himself. Rather scrappy. It didn't really get going until the evening and by then it was too late for Ronnie.

The turning point for me was Ronnie in with a great chance to convert 3-2 to go 3-3, then missing a simple pot. Then 4-2, 5-2... Fair play Mark. And then there was the attempted exhibition shot on the brown to right centre when he could've rolled up behind a colour with a 30-odd point lead at 8-7... Strange. I just felt he left it far too late, like he did against Marco Fu in the Semis, but Selby was far too good for Ronnie to get away with it this time. His consistency is non-existent these days. Congrats to Mark though, he could well surpass £800k prize money in a season at this rate... Beast.

I found Shaun Murphy's comments on twitter interesting about the bar being raised - it's been ridiculously good for the last 20 years! Hendry banging in 7 centuries by himself in a UK final shows that.

Mark Williams said on twitter he agrees with Jimmy and Ronnie that the Top 8 was at a higher standard 1998-2004 compared to now, but the top 64 in general is a higher standard today

[ace man]

Have to disagree, ronnie looked up for it and up for getting a fast start, then i think he missed a red in 2nd frame when in amongst them, and the frame took nearly an hour then, that bogged him down and messed his plans up, i think it would of been a similar match to the masters final they played if ronnie had of not got frustrated during first mini session, 2-2 wasnt the outcome he was looking for.

5 time world champion does not get frustrated that easily. If he did, he'd never have won anything at all. He's tough as nails, don't worry about it.
No shame in losing to #1 ranked player.

[Rane]

It was a BBC interview. Ronnie said he had been watching lots of Selby matches and came to the conclusion Mark plays like he does because it's his style, nothing personal (against Ronnie). Which is a strange thing to think anyway But glad Ronnie saw the light in the end

I think in the preview of last years UK final where Ronnie was in the studio with Jimmy White.

[Odrl]

I'm also looking forward to the exhibition! When I first heard they'll play in Slovenia I checked the calendar if it's april fools day .

By the way, what are we gonna do about that aussie in the fantasy game? He's got a huge lead already...

Ah well, his dream team of Selby, O'Sullivan, Robertson and Ding hasn't failed him yet. I was desperate to find a contender outside of these four, so I wasted most of my cash on Judd Trump in this tournament. I had to try something different, because picking the same players as him gives me no chance of closing the gap. A shame those two invitational tournaments didn't count, because I had Higgins in my team. :smile:

We'll see, there is a lot of the season left, so things can turn around. :smile:

[Neil Taperell]

Does any one have access to the interview with Barry Hearn on the BBC ? I was watching Eurosport at the time .

[Kargetina]

NP

Exactly. Very nice to see indeed. Also Ronnie seemed in a real good place...had a big & genuine smile on his face.

What a Final! :snooker:

The reaction of the final has been nothing but spectacular!

Shaun Murphy wrote this: ''Anyone watching the snooker has witnessed the bar being raised. Practice table for the rest of us! Congrats to @markjesterselby #history''

I went on twitter last night and 99% of the comments were about the outrageous play of both Ronnie and Mark, their attitude and the respect after the match. No complaints, just awe and enjoyment.

A healthy rivalry between the two best, is amazing for the sport. They have different styles and personalities but they're both fantastic in their own ways. Tennis has suffered a lot since the decline of Federer and Nadal, just as it suffered after the decline of Sampras and Agassi.

What was the last great snooker rivalry? O'Sullivan and Higgins 10 years ago? Selby and O'Sullivan have had a great rivalry for years but i think yesterday's final has pushed it over the edge as far as the casual fans are concerned. May it last at least 5 more years.

[_royle]

And of course there is an exhibition with Selby, Murphy, Trump and Robertson in Ljubljana just before Christmas, so I will finally get to see what snooker looks like live. :wink:

I'm also looking forward to the exhibition! When I first heard they'll play in Slovenia I checked the calendar if it's april fools day .

By the way, what are we gonna do about that aussie in the fantasy game? He's got a huge lead already...

[daffie]

Thanks a lot, bud!

Nice to see Ronnie starting to appreciate Mark more. It was pretty evident yesterday in the interview after the match that he views Mark as a worthy rival.

NP

Exactly. Very nice to see indeed. Also Ronnie seemed in a real good place...had a big & genuine smile on his face.

What a Final! :snooker:

[Kargetina]

It was a BBC interview. Ronnie said he had been watching lots of Selby matches and came to the conclusion Mark plays like he does because it's his style, nothing personal (against Ronnie). Which is a strange thing to think anyway But glad Ronnie saw the light in the end

Thanks a lot, bud!

Nice to see Ronnie starting to appreciate Mark more. It was pretty evident yesterday in the interview after the match that he views Mark as a worthy rival.

[daffie]

Can anyone explain this, please? Was this in an interview? What was the context?

It was a BBC interview. Ronnie said he had been watching lots of Selby matches and came to the conclusion Mark plays like he does because it's his style, nothing personal (against Ronnie). Which is a strange thing to think anyway But glad Ronnie saw the light in the end

[Kargetina]

Nice to see O sullivan retract his torturer comments about Selby. Well played Ron.

Can anyone explain this, please? Was this in an interview? What was the context?

[jw147]

No, he got dominated in first session. Pure and simple. Pressure got to Ronnie a little. Likewise, Mark missed two pinks in the middle in second session. Again, pure pressure. Even the very best players are not immune to it.

Have to disagree, ronnie looked up for it and up for getting a fast start, then i think he missed a red in 2nd frame when in amongst them, and the frame took nearly an hour then, that bogged him down and messed his plans up, i think it would of been a similar match to the masters final they played if ronnie had of not got frustrated during first mini session, 2-2 wasnt the outcome he was looking for.

[ace man]

Selby was very lucky to win in round 2 against wells, he played abysmal, dunno how he won that match, as for the final, the second frame was the turning point, ronnie missed when in control and on way to a 2-0 lead, then it all got bogged down and he lost interest.

No, he got dominated in first session. Pure and simple. Pressure got to Ronnie a little. Likewise, Mark missed two pinks in the middle in second session. Again, pure pressure. Even the very best players are not immune to it.

[Erwan_BZH]

Yesterday's battle was like a clash of titans! Unbelievable comeback from Ronnie from 7-2 down to 8-7. I really thought he was about to equalize but Selby hold firmly and manage to conclude. Once again, Selbs proved he really is an absolute animal under pressure. Ice cool when it matters most. As he said in a post-match interview, he may not be the most talented but he worded his a*** off to get to the top and noone can take it off him.

[mikeyd100]

Well, for me Selby is the one, with whom I count in every big tournament. He will occassionally lose definitely, but he is just such a complete player, that he is hard to beat even on his weeker days. The rankings and the huge lead he has there tell how consistenly he is picking up big points.
But of course O'Sullivan is still playing fantastic and a favorite to win in every tournament as well.
John Higgins was great in this tournament as well and lost just very close to Selby, the later winner. So I still think that Higgins has good shots at the next tournaments.

Selby is probably the most capable player on the circuit when he is playing a "B" game.