McgILL- ULTRA IMPRESSIVE IN QUALIFYING

Terrible draw for the boy I think, sort of player that Judd will know he has to be at it from moment one. Best match of the first round for me.

Anto didn't have entirely smooth run through qualies but sounds like he is definitely on it to me so don't think judd will be relishing it but if it does serve to focus him then could work in his favour. Intriguing contest for sure.

He was awful at times v Astley.

Should have put that kind of player away, but very nearly lost - fair enough turned it around, but shouldn't have had to.

Having said that he faces Judd with no form either recent.

Not sure why someone wants to back him at 60 when you could have him at 3.5 or thereabouts to beat Trump. That implies he should be 17 if he reaches the last 16 with four more games where he is likely to be odds against to win it.

8-1 to Trump on head to heads,but Mc Gill is a better player here,if he plays his best then he gives anyone a match i suspect Trump will either  hammer him or Mc Gill win a close one..

Always finds a bad session.

Think the only relevant hth is their R2 match last year which could have gone either way, from memory McGill had decent chance to force a winona but balls just didn't fall right. Trump probably not at his best going into last year but definitely a lot better than this year. On balance, i think it's a worse draw for him, though thing with Anto is he'll never be a surprise package on this track again. I do think he might prevail though.

Think Trump's game is such now that he will beat any of these journeymen over bo19 without even finding second gear. He just won the last major with his **** hanging out.

And, whatever his form here, McGill is a journeyman.

A bit harsh that jed - with best of 7s being the staple diet these days, players like McGill are massively disadvantaged. He's basically called a 'Crucible player' as it is the only tournament where multi-session matches are the norm (except the Tour championship - for which qualification is achieved primarily through winning short-format matches). I don't know if he'll beat Trump, but he's the player all the seeds wanted to avoid - given, he'd beat a lot of them.

Hey gobe, good to hear from you and could not agree more. As I've said a few times before, took me a while to really understand McGill as a player and realise he's really a throwback, a 1980s player trapped in a 2020s world. Wouldn't dream of ever backing him anywhere else apart from here and I'm guessing you're on at the fancy pre qualifying prices?

Butcher Goating at the moment - he does like this place...

Oops sorry wrong thread.

Hello gj - yes, it's been a while! McGill is a real throwback. It's good for the tournamant to have a few players like him in the draw. I haven't backed him, as I didn't want to take the chance he'd be knocked out in qualifying - which he very nearly was. What I do agree with Jed on, is that Trump's matchplay is now better suited for Sheffield. He has a better balance to his game now, and can mix it up when he needs to. Whether Trump is able to knock in enough mid-range to long-range reds is a question for me.

We had another throwback in Bingtao - whose performances last year marked him out, dare I say it, as a "future World Champion"! Sadly, we may never get the chance to see if he could have made the step-up to genuine title contender.

I've been fairly amazed to get on Trump in the reasonable 1.42+ range before this match.

McGill can give anyone a game, but there's still a class gulf between these two IMO, especially when Trump is bothered - and when would he be more bothered than here.

I see it around 10-6 to Trump.

My tissue price would have been about 1.3 Trump pre-match here.

Price more like where it should have been now

Fair play, McGill shows his trademark limpet play to level so far...

Must admit, I feel I read this matchup wrong, Trump looks awful and McGill steady - took a loss and redded this one out.

Trump looks a bag of nerves not settled in this match

Glad I got out before 6-3 now

Trump looks to have no confidence I would be very shocked if he can turn this match around

Looks like McGill taking this one down now.

He's such an odd player - within a whisker of losing to a relative nobody in qualifying, then looks like he's beaten Trump relatively easy here...

The change in level is pretty crazy.

Well I got the winning scoreline right

Ever since he lost that final to Robertson it started,when he bottled it on the pink he played ok and still won some tiurnaments but has never been the same since,he looks scared to death makes absolutely no sense to me..He always seems self aware looking round under pressure,i never thought O'Sullivan would evr beat hi again over longer matches he simply had too much fire power,i don't think there's ever been a player that has played so well and dominated and completely lost it..Perhaps he doesn't enjoy playing either,if you look at all the other top players as they get older they still love the game just competing,a 2 year spell of playing poorly happens to every single player that's ever lived just looks to me though he's the exception.

HE'S G0T A.LISENCE TO THRILL ITS ANTHONY McGILL

I don't know about you Bob but I am counting the hours until McGill, Lisowski and and their Philosopher King/Advanced Psychoanalyst/Adviser assemble for Round 2. This will unquestionably be the greatest collection of brains all in one room since the days of Station X/Bletchley Park in WW2 trying to crack the German codes.

I just hope that the venue's security is strong enough to protect them from those who want to harm us.

I'm on McGill. Just hope people keep telling Jack that he can play right-handed then that'll make it easier for the nugget II