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Ssb - the magnificent eight
Quarter-finals day at the 888 Welsh Open and the field is, as usual, full of familiar faces and brimming with quality.
The stand-out match pits Judd Trump against Ronnie O’Sullivan once again.
After victories over O’Sullivan in the UK Championship and Masters, Trump has every reason to be confident but Ronnie is back in form and seems relaxed and composed.
Trump has gained much of O’Sullivan’s popularity but it will take him a long time to emulate all of his achievements.
These two are audaciously talented snooker players. Let’s hope they serve up another entertaining match – although it’s a shame that people who work during the day always have to miss out because they are scheduled for the BBC’s main afternoon programme.
Shaun Murphy, who plays Mark Allen, has appeared in the quarter-finals at least of all of this season’s five major ranking events plus the Masters.
This is an admirable record of consistency in the business end of the game’s biggest tournaments but has yet to yield a trophy (though he did win the inaugural Brazilian Masters).
Allen is yet to lose a frame, indeed the Northern Irishman has already seen off two former world champions.
Stephen Hendry seemed to be contorted in pain for most of yesterday’s match, certainly after he lost the second frame to Allen’s snooker, free ball and steely clearance.
Allen spends most of his time between matches watching the American drama series 24. Providing his highest break is a lot more than this today then he has every chance of maintaining his impressive recent run of results.
Tonight, Stephen Lee tackles Ding Junhui. Lee started superbly against Tom Ford yesterday, making 129 in the opener, missing the pink with a chance for the highest break, but the match got bogged down thereafter.
Speaking of which, Mark Selby meets Stephen Maguire again in Newport a year after their drawn out semi-final in 2011.
Maguire looks really confident right now. After he lost the 2004 British Open final he immediately won the UK Championship, playing as if he wanted to make amends.
The Scot has of course just lost in the German Masters final.
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The stand-out match pits Judd Trump against Ronnie O’Sullivan once again.
After victories over O’Sullivan in the UK Championship and Masters, Trump has every reason to be confident but Ronnie is back in form and seems relaxed and composed.
Trump has gained much of O’Sullivan’s popularity but it will take him a long time to emulate all of his achievements.
These two are audaciously talented snooker players. Let’s hope they serve up another entertaining match – although it’s a shame that people who work during the day always have to miss out because they are scheduled for the BBC’s main afternoon programme.
Shaun Murphy, who plays Mark Allen, has appeared in the quarter-finals at least of all of this season’s five major ranking events plus the Masters.
This is an admirable record of consistency in the business end of the game’s biggest tournaments but has yet to yield a trophy (though he did win the inaugural Brazilian Masters).
Allen is yet to lose a frame, indeed the Northern Irishman has already seen off two former world champions.
Stephen Hendry seemed to be contorted in pain for most of yesterday’s match, certainly after he lost the second frame to Allen’s snooker, free ball and steely clearance.
Allen spends most of his time between matches watching the American drama series 24. Providing his highest break is a lot more than this today then he has every chance of maintaining his impressive recent run of results.
Tonight, Stephen Lee tackles Ding Junhui. Lee started superbly against Tom Ford yesterday, making 129 in the opener, missing the pink with a chance for the highest break, but the match got bogged down thereafter.
Speaking of which, Mark Selby meets Stephen Maguire again in Newport a year after their drawn out semi-final in 2011.
Maguire looks really confident right now. After he lost the 2004 British Open final he immediately won the UK Championship, playing as if he wanted to make amends.
The Scot has of course just lost in the German Masters final.
More...