2017 World Grand Prix

[cueman]

Watching the Robertson v Walden match and noticed that Walden is using a plain ebony maple shafted cue instead of his ash traditional design cue.
How long has he been using this as not seen much of him lately on tv??

Spotted it too. Can't be long as I'm sure he was using his Parris Traditional design in qualifying for the International masters near the end of January. Just checked some footage from German masters last week and he was using this new cue in that. Maybe something happened to his other cue and has been forced to change.

[stephen povey]

What IS going on with Robertson? After the first two frames he can't pot a ball? His confidence seems very fragile.

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

Walden looks shot physically. Backs are nightmares...

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

yep, impressed with Yan Bingtao, as well as Zhou and Xaio, just need some rough edges polished out of their current game, shot choice, etc. and experience of the main stage

Yan is the future of snooker, possibly its savior. Lot of pressure on a16 year old (even if he does look 30 lol)

[thevenue2]

Yan is the future of snooker, possibly its savior.

Really that big? I mean, he does impress me a lot, but to say he is the future "savior" is a big statement.

[Tommykiid]

2017 World Grand Prix

me and a friend were discussing wheather has he been handed the reignes from judd as the next big thing e.g alex to jimmy jimmy to ronnie type of thing

[SnookerFan]

I remember the UK's temporary home @ Telford and wan't impressed with the venue, but was fortunate with the semi's Higgins v O'Sullivan.

The players entered from what looked like a gymnasium and it seemed very basic for snookers 2nd main tournament. I enjoyed the Pukka pies though
and meeting big Jan Verhaas

Telford was a bit rubbish, as in there was nothing much to do. Didn't mind too much though, as long as I could have dinner and a pint in the hotel.

Last year it was held, I went to the Telford International Hotel, which was right next door. I could leave the snooker, and a couple of minutes later be ordering a pint. Kind of all I need.

The downside was, the staff in the hotel weren't that chatty. On my last night, I got talking to another guest and we got really drunk, and were both making very, very bad attempts at chatting up the barmaid. Poor girl.

I did have a nice chat with Rob Walker though.

[culraven]

Ptc finals 2014 if I remember. Ronnie made a 140 but was beaten by Yu delu.

That's the one! Yu Delu was fearless went for every shot 100%, was a great game to watch. Hamilton was on the other table getting wound up by people moving in his eye line as everyone was switching to watch to Trump once the Ronnie fans cleared out!

[Hello, Mr Big Shot]

Really that big? I mean, he does impress me a lot, but to say he is the future "savior" is a big statement.

I don't see a lot else, certainly not domestically.

[itsnoteasy]

I don't see a lot else, certainly not domestically.

You're right Biggie, there doesn't seem much coming through, I don't think the Chinese lads are that good either, good, yes but not anywhere near a Hendry, Higgins, Williams or O'Sullivan at the same ages. Aren't a few of them already in their mid to late twenties? There are loads of tourneys that the top guns go out early, as they can't be bothered, if these players were any good they should be picking those up or at least going deep but they aren't, we are getting Mark King and Anthony Hamilton winning them. Maybe we have had snookers hey day, maybe Hendry through to the O'Sullivan era was as good as it will ever be.
It's got that bad I'm actually rooting for Selby now.

[two-cues]

You're right Biggie, there doesn't seem much coming through, I don't think the Chinese lads are that good either, good, yes but not anywhere near a Hendry, Higgins, Williams or O'Sullivan at the same ages. Aren't a few of them already in their mid to late twenties? There are loads of tourneys that the top guns go out early, as they can't be bothered, if these players were any good they should be picking those up or at least going deep but they aren't, we are getting Mark King and Anthony Hamilton winning them.

I thought exactly the same, keep hearing how good these Chinese kids are but what have they won in comparison to the players mentioned above at the same age? good chance they will start winning at some stage of course but at the moment I'm not seeing it. What snooker needs is another young Jimmy or Ronnie.

[crocodile]

You're right Biggie, there doesn't seem much coming through, I don't think the Chinese lads are that good either, good, yes but not anywhere near a Hendry, Higgins, Williams or O'Sullivan at the same ages. Aren't a few of them already in their mid to late twenties? There are loads of tourneys that the top guns go out early, as they can't be bothered, if these players were any good they should be picking those up or at least going deep but they aren't, we are getting Mark King and Anthony Hamilton winning them. Maybe we have had snookers hey day, maybe Hendry through to the O'Sullivan era was as good as it will ever be.
It's got that bad I'm actually rooting for Selby now.

And now he's gone and lost as well ...

[crocodile]

The attendance has been really poor so far. Even with Higgins, Murphy, King and Maguire playing it seems to be about 25% full at best.

Reminds me of those Chinese school gymnasiums ....

[Odrl]

I thought exactly the same, keep hearing how good these Chinese kids are but what have they won in comparison to the players mentioned above at the same age? good chance they will start winning at some stage of course but at the moment I'm not seeing it. What snooker needs is another young Jimmy or Ronnie.

To be fair though, Mark Williams was 21 when he won his first ranking event, which means two years older than Zhao Xintong, Zhou Yuelong and Lyu Haotian are now, and five years older than Yan Bingtao.

It's different for every player I guess. You have players like Hendry, O'Sullivan, Higgins and Ding who won ranking titles as teenagers, but then you have someone like Selby who was already 25 when he started winning them, or Robertson who was 24, and it's looking like those two could get close to Williams' careers achievements before they retire.

[JimMalone]

I think with Zhou Yuelong, Zhao Xintong and especially Yan Bingtao (who to me looks much older than 16 or 17, which he will be soon, by the way) there's a good chance that at least one of those chinese guys will have a very good career. It's impossible to say that early how good they will be. Cause in the end much of it depends from mental strength and not talent.

Pretty surprised that Selby went out today. That's the third bad result in a row for him. Definitely on weak form right now.