This is the tournament I usually look forward to most apart from The Crucible, but with all qualifiers now being best-of-11 instead of best-of-19 until "Judgement Day", and limiting the matches to 4 per session, I'll probably just dip in and out until the final round. It's scarcely believable - all year, we have had match after match after match on multiple tables - and yet, for the 1 event that might actually suit this format - we have 4 matches in play only! How on earth can most of these qualifiers be reduced to one session, and yet it takes 10 days to complete them? The Hearn regime will cite COVID, as the reason, although it doesn't appear to have been a consideration during the staple 7-day, 128-man ranking events. The highlight of R1 being tonight's clash of the undeserved wild-cards. That said, I'll probably watch it
Final day of what has been a really good qualifiers...
The two best bets of the day for me are Hallworth, who I think should be fav, and Bai Langning, who I don't think should be fav, but whose scoring is only a gnat's tadger behind Croup's. 3/1's at least a point too big, and that's if you give Croup plenty of credit for extra experience. Without doing that, it's a 1.9 v 2.1 match.
Elsewhere, Big Igor v Joyce & Ali v Urse market looks bang on; There's absolutely nothing between Ryno and Licky; There's not much between Zhao and Craigie, but Craigie's been well beaten both times they've met previously. Zhao not the most reliable, though, and Craigie's clearly playing well. Potentially a bit of value; Hard to argue with the prices in the Xiao v Wakelin match based on the numbers, but Wakelin's got a 2-0 H2H over Xiao, he played really well in dispatching Matthew on Monday, and Xiao has been known to see the winning line a long way out. I think Wakelin could go well; As I said when he played King, I don't like backing Luca - he's a player who's very difficult to trust. On the numbers, I make him a 2.3/2.4 poke at worst, so he's too big, but Butch has a 3-1 H2H lead (no meetings since 2017 and that's also the only one since 2015). One of those where you should play but really don't want to.
GL all!
Final day of what has been a really good qualifiers... The two best bets of the day for me are Hallworth, who I think should be fav, and Bai Langning, who I don't think should be fav, but whose scoring is only a gnat's tadger behind Croup's. 3/1's
Morning lats. Hallworth is a standout for sure. Was thinking we might see 3s available but not to be and only right anyway, maybe the win over greene will give cabby a lift but hard to have much faith in it the time he's been hqving.
Bai one of my players of the week so far, just sprung out of nowhere. Loved the fightback against woolly and break in the winona to clinch it. Tour card on the line today and 4s+ is more than fair.
Only others really interest me are wakelin v xiao, wakelin could be few ticks higher maybe but that looks a potential close one to me. And while a match I'd usually run from, i just cant help not fancying ricky today. No 11 on season list looks good for ryno but take shoot out away and it doesn't look so great. I thought ricky was showing a few glimpses of a return to dorm during the season so i see him as the likelier winner. Not for fainthearted, though, i will concede!
I was more confident yesterday and didnt go well, so who knows? See how we go anyway
Gl all
Morning lats. Hallworth is a standout for sure. Was thinking we might see 3s available but not to be and only right anyway, maybe the win over greene will give cabby a lift but hard to have much faith in it the time he's been hqving. Bai one of my pl
Surely Bai should get the same exemption that Marco's got! He hasn't played this season at all until last week... Surely gotta be a strong contender for getting a wildcard (assuming he's not been competing in tournaments back home?) from the Chinese governing body for the sport? (especially if they've not been playing domestically)
Surely Bai should get the same exemption that Marco's got! He hasn't played this season at all until last week... Surely gotta be a strong contender for getting a wildcard (assuming he's not been competing in tournaments back home?) from the Chinese
And Mei Xeiwen in same boat too. I dont know what they've been doing back in china tbh, but i guess since, unlike marco, nobody really knows them over here, they just don't really care about them one way or the other.
And Mei Xeiwen in same boat too. I dont know what they've been doing back in china tbh, but i guess since, unlike marco, nobody really knows them over here, they just don't really care about them one way or the other.
Funnily enough, they appear to have the first stage of their own Q-School going on at the minute. Have to use Google Translate, and it doesn't help with player names, but.... http://www.cbsa.org.cn/gnnews/2021/0412/379097.html
Funnily enough, they appear to have the first stage of their own Q-School going on at the minute. Have to use Google Translate, and it doesn't help with player names, but....http://www.cbsa.org.cn/gnnews/2021/0412/379097.html
Sorry lats...yeah they do have 2 cards for china, as well as one for africa etc. Pang came through that route but i think you have to play on the china circuit to qualify so i doubt mei or bai could be in line there. But not 100% on that.
Sorry lats...yeah they do have 2 cards for china, as well as one for africa etc. Pang came through that route but i think you have to play on the china circuit to qualify so i doubt mei or bai could be in line there. But not 100% on that.
Will be a sorry situation if Mei and Bai end up missing out, mate. Both far better than half of the dross on the tour....
Excellent break from Cabby, TBF - 1-1, also 1-1 Luca
Will be a sorry situation if Mei and Bai end up missing out, mate. Both far better than half of the dross on the tour.... Excellent break from Cabby, TBF - 1-1, also 1-1 Luca
Beaks of 82, 86 and 84 in consecutive frames, this is more like the Cabby of two years ago. 3-1. 2-1 Luca, 2-1 Ali, 1-1 Big Igor, 3-1 Zhao, 2-2 Wakelin, 3-1 Licky
Stevie's got to up it here massively or this one's going to be away from him. He's not playing great, and Cabby's on his fourth 70+ break in consecutive frames.... 4-1 Cabby.
3-2 Zhao, 4-1 Licky
Stevie's got to up it here massively or this one's going to be away from him. He's not playing great, and Cabby's on his fourth 70+ break in consecutive frames.... 4-1 Cabby.3-2 Zhao, 4-1 Licky
Luca had big chance to make that 4-5 which would have been big the way butch has cued. I'd say that's done now.
Seen some great potting from bai, thinking he could be more ahead, lot at stake for him tonight.
Ricky looking good but as we saw yesterday, it's only half time. Seems like a match too far for hallworth and igor, cabby looking good from the bits of it i saw.
Luca had big chance to make that 4-5 which would have been big the way butch has cued. I'd say that's done now.Seen some great potting from bai, thinking he could be more ahead, lot at stake for him tonight.Ricky looking good but as we saw yesterday,
Sorry, John, took a call towards the end of the morning matches and went out into the garden straight after.
Didn't see any of Bai's match other than the scores. 5-4 is tighter than ideal, but a lead is a lead! Fingers crossed.
Cabby played really well in the main. Hallworth just not clinical enough when his chances came along. A shame, because he looked great cleaning up in the first frame....
Sorry, John, took a call towards the end of the morning matches and went out into the garden straight after.Didn't see any of Bai's match other than the scores. 5-4 is tighter than ideal, but a lead is a lead! Fingers crossed.Cabby played really we
No worries mate. They just showed 2 of the bai frames on the tube, including one ridiculous break where he'd no position but just kept potting. Gould will be tough nut to crack though. The most interesting game for me.
No worries mate. They just showed 2 of the bai frames on the tube, including one ridiculous break where he'd no position but just kept potting. Gould will be tough nut to crack though. The most interesting game for me.
Was starting to get mildly concerned for Licky there. How bad was that yellow-to-green shot?!? Ryno didn't really look up for the fight, though. Well done, John! Licky through 10-5.
9-4 Joyce, 9-5 Croup, 9-5 Butch, 9-4, looking like 10-4 Ali, Zhao 7-5, Wakelin 8-6, Cabby through 10-3...
Was starting to get mildly concerned for Licky there. How bad was that yellow-to-green shot?!? Ryno didn't really look up for the fight, though. Well done, John! Licky through 10-5. 9-4 Joyce, 9-5 Croup, 9-5 Butch, 9-4, looking like 10-4 Ali, Zha
Funny from ken...wakelin in the balls at 9-7, 3 reds tight on side cushions and after 3 blacks ken brings up the 147. Even Dennis would blanch at that!
Funny from ken...wakelin in the balls at 9-7, 3 reds tight on side cushions and after 3 blacks ken brings up the 147. Even Dennis would blanch at that!
Yeah joyce missed 3rd last red by miles and fluked snooker with all the reds in the open. Thought poor igor was going to cry when he came to tgw table, looked a broken man
Yeah joyce missed 3rd last red by miles and fluked snooker with all the reds in the open. Thought poor igor was going to cry when he came to tgw table, looked a broken man
Reckon there'll be a few better draws than wakelin tomorrow. Definitely no mug.
Just a round too far for igor, same for all the R1 guys. Asking a lot to win 4 matches.
Reckon there'll be a few better draws than wakelin tomorrow. Definitely no mug.Just a round too far for igor, same for all the R1 guys. Asking a lot to win 4 matches.
9-8 Craigie! Haven't seen any of it other than the scoreline. I did put Judgement Day on a little while ago but they were show JB (presume his 147?) and I went back to the football.
9-8 Craigie! Haven't seen any of it other than the scoreline. I did put Judgement Day on a little while ago but they were show JB (presume his 147?) and I went back to the football.
Yeah they showed that between the frames...and john boy on again now before the winona. Have it on in the background but muted it after hearing rob tell us the 5th time that big igor didn't play on a full size table before he was 32.
Yeah they showed that between the frames...and john boy on again now before the winona. Have it on in the background but muted it after hearing rob tell us the 5th time that big igor didn't play on a full size table before he was 32.
Just looking at the scoring from today. Wakelin made 9x 50+ breaks in the 17 frames he played! That's seriously impressive for him (Xiao made 8 in the same match!) Butch made 9 in 15! Cabby's 8 in 13 is far and away the best he's notched for an age.
Just looking at the scoring from today. Wakelin made 9x 50+ breaks in the 17 frames he played! That's seriously impressive for him (Xiao made 8 in the same match!) Butch made 9 in 15! Cabby's 8 in 13 is far and away the best he's notched for an a
A lot of old solid pros going into the draw too and playing ok, only 2 crucible rookies. Could spell trouble for the seeds come tournament proper i reckon. Gonna be casualties.
A lot of old solid pros going into the draw too and playing ok, only 2 crucible rookies. Could spell trouble for the seeds come tournament proper i reckon. Gonna be casualties.