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Just watched the famous Ding clearance in the 4th frame against Fu I've been hearing so much about and while it's pretty decent, it hardly deserves the effusive accolades being bandied about. He does well to stay in position, but there are only seriously 2 genuine shots of any level of difficulty - the final red to black and the pink which has the assistance of the bucket pocket to help it drop. There's the blue, but it's a double, and the contact on the pink is guaranteed.
So it's a decent clearance, probably a very good one, but that's about all. Mentioning it in the same breath as Alex's in '82 with his world championship life on the line is nothing short of blasphemy imho. |
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How the hell Alex ever got to make that break I will never know, his first red would not drop on most tables nowadays, same with the first ball into the green pocket, funny how those big pockets don't get a mention?
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gj - I honestly believe that the schedule is now as important as the draw at Sheffield. Last year B.Hawkins beat R.O'Sullivan 13-12 in a 3 day 2nd round match which finished on the Monday night. He had to come out the following afternoon to start his QF with M.Fu - who finished his R2 match 3 days earlier. Fu won the 1st session 7-1 and eventually hung on to scramble home 13-11. It's all speculation but with decent rest Hawkins could easily have won the title. They don't release the schedule before the seedings are confirmed as O'Sullivan always gets a 3 day 2nd round match. You've got to think Hawkins is a huge runner this year but the current seedings suggest he could meet The Captain in R2 and then J.Trump in QF, so I can't go in too heavy...yet.
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That's a great point gobe. You definitely have to keep a razor sharp eye on the title. Remember the same in the 2014 final, Ronnie finishing his s/f with a session to spare while Selby had to go deep into the night to beat Robbo. Didn't matter in the end but Selby was something like 7 or 8-3 down after the first session.
Hawkins position is interesting. If he was to climb one place in the rankings to 6, he'd possibly face Allen/Bingham as things stand which wouldn't be bad at all. But since he's not in China, not sure if that's achievable. If he was to drop to 8, he could be looking at Robbo/Selby which is obviously much less attractive. Whoever has that No.6 spot (currently J.Higgins) is going to have a reasonably benign draw to the semis and would be worth a look. One thing that surprises me is MJW, lost his place in the 16 and doesn't appear to have even entered for China. Wonder is he really that bothered anymore? |
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*razor sharp eye on the SCHEDULE
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Trebor, that opening red in Alex's break would drop on today's tables, especially at the pace it's played. Every other shot in that break goes into the middle of the pocket. The difference between then and now, I reckon, is that they are liable to drop these days even played with force (especially true of the middle bags) and touching the rails inches before the pockets is no bar to potting anymore which was not the case 30 or even 15 years ago.
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Nothings in the same class as alex's break that's in a different universe,just dings break was on a desperately slow cloth which made it a bit special,at least in recent times anyway.Hendry was making breaks like that all the time back in the day,but you don't see them too often now especially those pressure clearences,probably why it stood out a lot more than it would've 20 years ago..
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MJW did qualify for China, so if he's not going I'm not sure what's going on with him. In truth I don't know how he's stayed in the top 16 for so long, and I don't think he does either. Another interesting point on The China Open - N.Robertson has chosen not to enter, and this seems to be a conscious effort by him to be fresh and well rested before the demands of The Crucible. But, having been knocked out of The Players Championship, he doesn't play again for at least 5 weeks. I wonder if this is further proof of his muddled thinking at present especially as he's struggling for consistency. There used to be a time when there was only a 6 day gap between China and Sheffield, and lots of top players either didn't go or were knocked out early.
I totally agree about Ding's clearance. Let's get some perspective, it was the 4th frame of a best of 11 SF and given that he still lost the match it will be forgotten by most people by next season. Higgins's match saving clearance will still be watched and talked about 50 years from now. |
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You're correct about Williams. Thought I didn't see his name on the list of matches but on second glance he's there alright, playing Zhang Anda. Shoulda gone to specsavers!
I think a lot of the players are still a bit unsure of how to play the tour, when to take a break or to play every event going. 5 weeks does seem a big gap alright, Allen didn't enter either I think but he is on record before as saying he just doesn't like the place so maybe that's a factor there. Selby didn't play for 2 months before the worlds last year and didn't win it, but that may have been due to personal circumstances and it isn't as if he shot the lights out in Sheffield either. Either way, I think it definitely does point to a less than confident player. I dont fancy him to do great at all, but I have got him wrong in the past! Dings was a good clearance, but maybe because I knew the outcome when i watched it, it lessened the impact. Watching it live made it seem better, but still, was a bit of an overreaction I felt. |
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GJ yes that first red may well have dropped on todays tables, and the other was the first black, not a ball into the green pocket. But that's my point, everyone goes on about todays 'buckets' forgetting that the pockets where not so tight as people like to imagine their hero's played on in the past.
And that may well cloud the issue from both sides of the discussion as I despise Higgins and all his antics, while others hero worship him. Maybe I should imagine Higgins in Hearns position and I might understand moodan better  |
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M.Allen missed the deadline to enter for China, and when he tried to enter late the WSA wouldn't let him. He's another huge under-achiever with a terrible attitude. He looked (yet another) future World Champion when he broke into the top 16 after just 3 years as a pro but he doesn't seem to be able to channel his 'in-your-face' attitude the right way, and he has the unenviable knack of playing well and losing against the top players.
I wasn't a big Higgins fan either, but that clearance was a once-in-a-lifetime clearance which he was able to produce on the brink of defeat. The fact that he then won the match and then the final made it all the more significant. |
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Alex doesn't make that break... Jimmy probably world champ at 20.
I wonder what could have happened after that, I really do. |
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Well i'm a reasonable guy most of the time trebor, it's a fair point, i'd meet you half way on it.
As for Alex, well we all know he was a gurrier, a desperately tragic figure, but how many of us wouldn't be fans of the sport only for him? Me for one anyway. I dont think you need to worship or despise him to appreciate the impact he had on the games popularity...thats just how it was. The significance mightnt actually make it a better break, but it is certainly profound. It's a break i watch every now and again still expecting him to miss, the little winks and smiles to the crowd, like he knows his destiny and is just toying with their emotions...there's nothing like it in all of sport for me. Maybe people would say i'm over-exaggerating the greatness of that break, but personally i dont think so. |