2016 UK Championship

[_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...

[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.

[Neil Taperell]

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

[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:

[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.

[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.

[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

[daffie]

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

Nope...like I said he mentioned this during a BBC interview this week (aired the day before he played Mark Selby).

[daffie]

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.

Hear Hear! I've been enjoying the rivalry between Mark and Ronnie over the past years. Mark is one of my all time favorite players (together with John Higgins and Shaun Murphy).

I did notice a slight change in his attitude towards his game over the past tournaments (that I have seen). He seems a bit quicker around the table, more attacking and less tendency to scrap it out. Of course when need be he will turn on the screws, but all 'n all he seems to have tweaked his game a bit lately...to be an even better / complete player.

[JimMalone]

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.

Well, if that would be true it would be a real weakness for a top player. I think this is unfair to Ronnie as he often has proved he is better than that. Otherwise he also wouldn't have had nearly as much success as he enjoyed.

[SnookerFan]

Well, if that would be true it would be a real weakness for a top player. I think this is unfair to Ronnie as he often has proved he is better than that. Otherwise he also wouldn't have had nearly as much success as he enjoyed.

To be honest, that was one frame. Most of the rest of the final was pretty attacking.

I really don't think Ronnie lost the final because of not liking the style of play in one frame.

[Kargetina]

In the last 15 Triple Crown events,

Selby has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 UK, 1 Masters)
Ronnie has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 Masters, 1 UK)
Robertson has won 3 (2 UK, 1 Masters)
Bingham has won 1 WSC
Murphy has won 1 Masters

It's not surprising at all to see Ronnie and Mark dominating but it is kinda surprising how much Ding and Trump have regressed in recent years.

If someone told me 5 years ago that neither would win one Triple Crown event, i would not have believed it at all.

[mikeyd100]

In the last 15 Triple Crown events,

Selby has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 UK, 1 Masters)
Ronnie has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 Masters, 1 UK)
Robertson has won 3 (2 UK, 1 Masters)
Bingham has won 1 WSC
Murphy has won 1 Masters

It's not surprising at all to see Ronnie and Mark dominating but it is kinda surprising how much Ding and Trump have regressed in recent years.

If someone told me 5 years ago that neither would win one Triple Crown event, i would not have believed it at all.

Good stat that.

[itsnoteasy]

In the last 15 Triple Crown events,

Selby has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 UK, 1 Masters)
Ronnie has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 Masters, 1 UK)
Robertson has won 3 (2 UK, 1 Masters)
Bingham has won 1 WSC
Murphy has won 1 Masters

It's not surprising at all to see Ronnie and Mark dominating but it is kinda surprising how much Ding and Trump have regressed in recent years.

If someone told me 5 years ago that neither would win one Triple Crown event, i would not have believed it at all.

I agree that's a good post, quite revealing, if asked, there is no way I would have said Trump or Murphy hadn't won one of the last fifteen of the big ones.

[JimMalone]

In the last 15 Triple Crown events,

Selby has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 UK, 1 Masters)
Ronnie has won 5 (2 WSC, 2 Masters, 1 UK)
Robertson has won 3 (2 UK, 1 Masters)
Bingham has won 1 WSC
Murphy has won 1 Masters

It's not surprising at all to see Ronnie and Mark dominating but it is kinda surprising how much Ding and Trump have regressed in recent years.

If someone told me 5 years ago that neither would win one Triple Crown event, i would not have believed it at all.

Didn't think about this. Can't believe it's already more than five years that Ding won a triple crown event. I'm positive that he will win one again in the future though.