Dafabet Northern Ireland Open

[Billy]

Midnight finish?

I really appreciate the fact Quest stay with the afternoon matches until the finish (are you listening, BBC?) cos my Sky package doesn't include Eurosport, but the channel must be losing so many of its non-snooker fans

[jonny66]

I really appreciate the fact Quest stay with the afternoon matches until the finish (are you listening, BBC?) cos my Sky package doesn't include Eurosport, but the channel must be losing so many of its non-snooker fans

I'm starting to wonder if there will be another Quarter this afternoon, it won't start before Quest were due to finish anyway.

[Dr_Doctor]

This match deserves a decider.. not!

[cueman]

I'm starting to wonder if there will be another Quarter this afternoon, it won't start before Quest were due to finish anyway.

I'm starting to wonder if these events actually have a future on the calendar. I can see more of the top players withdrawing from the next 2 events and in all honesty is this kind of standard and format good for the game.

Great for the lower ranked players but there shouldn't be events that favour the lower ranked players.

[cueman]

Well if what I'm watching here is anything to go by perhaps O'Sullivan wasn't too far wide of the mark with his comments - this is utter rubbish.

Rubbish is actually an understatement. Its completely embarrassing for a professional sport to actually be contested so poorly at what should be the stages of an event where the best players are competing. Tour needs restructuring so that their is a professional and challenger events so the standard can be improved.

[Billy]

Will we ever see a ref who's brave enough to call a push shot, when the player does anything other than play the (near-touching) object ball full in the face?

If a player aims in a non-direct line at the object ball, the ref will never call push, despite the fact it will have been impossible for the tip, cueball and object ball not to have been in contact at the same time.

I'm talking about that shot just now by Slessor, where he nudged up to a green he was already a cigarette paper's width from touching. It can't not have been a push shot, but no ref would ever call it because he didn't play directly into it.

[tedisbill]

This is actually covered in the rules, and will not be called a push shot if you're playing away from the object ball. Exactly as you describe, this happens all the time, and is covered in the rules as I say. It is specifically NOT a foul.

[the lone wolf]

That was painful to watch

[Billy]

This is actually covered in the rules, and will not be called a push shot if you're playing away from the object ball. Exactly as you describe, this happens all the time, and is covered in the rules as I say. It is specifically NOT a foul.

Oh, thanks. I thought it was one of those rare grey areas.

But what defines 'away from the ball' ? If it's not touching, they can't play away in the true sense because it would be a foul and a miss.

[tedisbill]

Oh, thanks. I thought it was one of those rare grey areas.

But what defines 'away from the ball' ? If it's not touching, they can't play away in the true sense because it would be a foul and a miss.

From the rules:

(b) as the cue-ball makes contact with an object ball except, where the cue- ball and an object ball are almost touching, it shall not be deemed a push stroke if the cue-ball hits a very fine edge of the object ball.

[Billy]

From the rules:

(b) as the cue-ball makes contact with an object ball except, where the cue- ball and an object ball are almost touching, it shall not be deemed a push stroke if the cue-ball hits a very fine edge of the object ball.

Fair enough. Thank you.

Still not convinced, though (by the rule, not its existence). When Slessor played that green, I'd say he played it almost quarter ball. No foul given.

[two-cues]

Rubbish is actually an understatement. Its completely embarrassing for a professional sport to actually be contested so poorly at what should be the stages of an event where the best players are competing. Tour needs restructuring so that their is a professional and challenger events so the standard can be improved.

Just shows what a lottery Bo7 actually is, the poor last 16 line up proves that, these players wouldn't be there over a longer format.

I'm all for giving new players a chance, the sport needs new blood - but they have to be good enough to actually be there.

[jonny66]

Some quality over-reactions here. It was a terrible match, agreed, but ROS played terribly for a good 6 or 7 frames in the COC final. Has anyone on here actually seen enough of these two to say they always play to that standard? Is it not understandable that 2 young players in their first or second quarter final were nervous and played badly because of it? How did Ronnie get on in his first pro quarter final?

[DeanH]

How did Ronnie get on in his first pro quarter final?

1992 Humo Masters
QF ROS, vs Mike Hallett, won 5-3 with a 111 and 70 breaks
Lost in SF to winner James Wattana 6-5


yes, today both did look very nervous and tentative

[jonny66]

1992 Humo Masters
QF ROS, vs Mike Hallett, won 5-3 with a 111 and 70 breaks
Lost in SF to winner James Wattana 6-5


yes, today both did look very nervous and tentative

I thought you might have that info, but what was No. 1 in the charts at the time?