#21

I think with Selby he gets unfairly called a negative player. He’s not negative - he’s cautious. Big difference.

I don’t really think negative players can have any real longevity in the top 16 any more. The game’s moved on. Even Ebdon at his peak would be run out of town at most tournaments these days.

#22

Went there a couple of times when I was at Uni, pretty cool place.

#23

Superb stuff!

#24

Think it was a pretty big deal in the eighties too. As a Leicester living snooker fan it was always fun to see an article in the Mercury documenting the fact that someone would routinely burgle his big house every time he got to the final stages of a big televised event.

1 Like
#25

Also are we letting the idea that being good at safety = pragmatic stand? Anyone who’s ever played snooker knows that playing great safety shots requires a hell of a lot more thought and skill than playing a brilliant pot.

#26

The point is about shot selection, not ‘being good’ at a certain type of shot.

#27

I was referring to this. I get entertained watching Selby land the cue ball tight up behind the yellow after a three cushion escape off a red near the pack.

#28

Oh aye. And hence why his 2014 victory over O’Sullivan had an element of ‘watershed moment’ about it.

Just to labour the point about pragmatism again, and to agree with you, an example. Shaun Murphy won the World Championship in 2005 by taking on, and potting, everything. Bloke didn’t miss anything all tournament. Just rocked up to the table, banged one in and cleared up. If he missed, fine, he sat back down and lost the frame.

The next year in 2006 Graeme Dott won it with a 2 week display of relentless percentage play - he scored heavily but made most of the difference with a masterclass of safety throughout.

If Dott had tried to play like 2005 Murphy, and Murphy play like 2006 Dott in their respective tournaments, they would have lost in the first round. So yeah pragmatism = safety play is bollocks. Pragmatism is doing what you need to do at a certain time to win.

1 Like
#29

Also #neverforget

image

2 Likes
#30

G’WAN JUDD

3-1 against Murphy.

#31

They’re both making a right hash of this frame, mind.

#32

Yeah these two are probably the two worst players at winning your scrappy frames so it’s always going to be a car crash!

1 Like
#33

Poor Judd. Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

#34

Wish fulfilled. Wasn’t the best final - neither played brilliantly - but it sure was tense! Thought when Wilson pulled it back to 8-7 we had a midnight finish in the offing but, alas. One of them finals you didn’t want either to lose. Bless Kyren at the end. He’ll end his career winning more than Mark Allen I reckon so he’s got nothing to worry about. But fair play to Mark Allen - long time coming and much deserved.

#35

Also nah don’t feel sorry for him - he does this time and time again and pays the price for it. I like the lad a lot but he doesn’t have the right attitude to consistently do well at the big tournaments.

#36

Yes that’s true. He does seem to fall apart on a regular basis. Some of his shot choices were just daft, tbh

#37

Exactly. Look at the difference in approach between Allen at 8-5 yesterday vs. Judd at 5-2. Sure Wilson nicked a couple of frames back but Allen closed him off. tbf Wilson’s game had deserted him in the last couple of frames but that’s because his opponent put him under pressure. Trump doesn’t do that - he invites people to come back at him.