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Ssb - off and running
Be honest, it's good to have ranking event snooker back, isn't it?
That's not to disparage either the Wuxi Classic or the World Cup but the first day of the Australian Goldfields Open was a return to what snooker does best.
Like a US TV drama, everywhere you looked there were subplots and intrigue, even before a ball was struck: how would Judd Trump fare on his first TV appearance since the Crucible? Would Stephen Hendry find any form? Would anyone turn up to watch?
Trump lost 5-3 to Mark Davis. If you've been following his tweets during the summer you'll know he's been enjoying himself since the end of last season.
Good for him. Otherwise, what's the point of all that effort?
But it's now back to school time and, for Trump, back to reality. The game is as hard as it ever was and Mark Davis started brilliantly, with three sizeable breaks to lead 3-0.
Davis, with all his experience, wasn't going to let the Juddernaut's reputation get to him and went on to complete the win.
It's a long season and Trump will have many titles to contest, but not in Bendigo this week.
Hendry always seems to start well, even after floating the idea of retirement at the World Championship.
From watching his match against Martin Gould yesterday it's clear that his game hasn't gone but it does go walkabout.
He lost the sixth frame on the black, which made it 3-3 rather than 4-2 in his favour, but instead of capitulating found his best form of the match, knocking in a brilliant 120 break and then clearing stylishly for his 5-3 win. There's life in this old snooker dog yet.
The crowds were encouraging for this brand new tournament and they will surely be out in force later today for the local hero, Neil Robertson.
More...
That's not to disparage either the Wuxi Classic or the World Cup but the first day of the Australian Goldfields Open was a return to what snooker does best.
Like a US TV drama, everywhere you looked there were subplots and intrigue, even before a ball was struck: how would Judd Trump fare on his first TV appearance since the Crucible? Would Stephen Hendry find any form? Would anyone turn up to watch?
Trump lost 5-3 to Mark Davis. If you've been following his tweets during the summer you'll know he's been enjoying himself since the end of last season.
Good for him. Otherwise, what's the point of all that effort?
But it's now back to school time and, for Trump, back to reality. The game is as hard as it ever was and Mark Davis started brilliantly, with three sizeable breaks to lead 3-0.
Davis, with all his experience, wasn't going to let the Juddernaut's reputation get to him and went on to complete the win.
It's a long season and Trump will have many titles to contest, but not in Bendigo this week.
Hendry always seems to start well, even after floating the idea of retirement at the World Championship.
From watching his match against Martin Gould yesterday it's clear that his game hasn't gone but it does go walkabout.
He lost the sixth frame on the black, which made it 3-3 rather than 4-2 in his favour, but instead of capitulating found his best form of the match, knocking in a brilliant 120 break and then clearing stylishly for his 5-3 win. There's life in this old snooker dog yet.
The crowds were encouraging for this brand new tournament and they will surely be out in force later today for the local hero, Neil Robertson.
More...
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