Snooker in August 2011

16:18:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

I can't even believe how fast the first half of this year has flown away. Here we are in August and snooker is growing more and more, with lovely tournaments to conquer each corner of this world.
If last month we travelled through China, Thailand and Australian, this month will be staying home (aka. in the UK) most of the time. Don't worry though, we still have some entertaining competitions for all the lads and lasses that love snooker ;-)

First, we will start with some qualifiers. Didn't you miss them? :-)) Shanghai Masters qualifiers will actually start tonight with some pre-qualifying matches and it will continue for the following four days in the hidden cubicles from World Snooker Academy in Sheffield. Soon after this will be over, we shall go to Gloucester, where the Players Tour Championship Event 2 will take place, at the lovely South West Snooker Academy.

The first series of matches of the brand new Premier League (it's not actually new, but it has a different format) will take us to Skegness, only to return to Sheffield by the second half of August for Players Tour Championship Event 3.

The month will end with a trip to Germany, Fürth being the city that will receive snooker once more with its arms open wide, as the forth event of the Players Tour Championship will kick off.



1. Shanghai Masters qualifiers


When?: 31th of July - 4th of August
Where?: World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, UK
Defending champion: -
Who's playing?: click here for the draw.
Prize money: -
Ranking points: -


2. Players Tour Championship Event 2 (PTC 2)


When?: 6-10 August
Where?: South West Snooker Academy, Gloucester, UK
Defending champion: Mark Selby
Who's playing?: click here for the draw (pre-qualifiers and qualifiers)
Prize money: winner (£10,000), runner-up (£5,000), losing semi-finalists (£2,500), losing quarter-finalists (£1,500), last 16 (£1,000), last 32 (£600) and the last 64 (£200).
Ranking points: winner (2,000), runner-up (1,600), losing semi-finalists (1,280), losing quarter-finalists (1,000), last 16 (760), last 32 (560) and the last 64 (360).


3. Premier League


When?: 18th of August
Where?: Embassy Theatre, Skegness, UK
Defending champion: Ronnie O'Sullivan
Who's playing?: For the semi-finals: (John Higgins v. Jimmy White and Neil Robertson v. Matthew Stevens); For the final: (Higgins or White v. Robertson or Stevens)
Prize Money: winner (£60,000), runner-up (£30,000), losing semi-finalists (£20,000), 5th place (£17,500), 6th place (£15,000), 7th place (£12,500), 8th place (£10,000) 9th place (£8,000) and for the 10th place (£6,000). There is also a prize of £1,000 for the highest break made during the League series, another £1,000 for ther highest break realised during the Play-offs and a £25,000 for the maximum break. (should two or more players acchieve that, the prize money will be shared between them).
Ranking points: -


4. Players Tour Championship Event 3 (PTC 3)


When?: 17-21 August
Where?: World Snooker Academy, Sheffield, UK
Defending champion: Tom Ford
Who's playing?: click here for the draw (pre-qualifiers and qualifiers)
Prize Money: winner (£10,000), runner-up (£5,000), losing semi-finalists (£2,500), losing quarter-finalists (£1,500), last 16 (£1,000), last 32 (£600) and the last 64 (£200).
Ranking points: winner (2,000), runner-up (1,600), losing semi-finalists (1,280), losing quarter-finalists (1,000), last 16 (760), last 32 (560) and the last 64 (360).


5.  Players Tour Championship Event 4 (PTC 4)


When?: 25-28 August
Where?: Fürth, Germany
Defending champion: Judd Trump
Who's playing?: click here for the draw (pre-qualifiers and qualifiers)
Prize money: winner (£10,000), runner-up (£5,000), losing semi-finalists (£2,500), losing quarter-finalists (£1,500), last 16 (£1,000), last 32 (£600) and the last 64 (£200).
Ranking points: winner (2,000), runner-up (1,600), losing semi-finalists (1,280), losing quarter-finalists (1,000), last 16 (760), last 32 (560) and the last 64 (360).

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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - a personal note

20:45:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

It's been three days since the new baby-born Australian Goldfields Open tournament picked its champion and I already miss snooker - televised snooker, to be more precise. This has actually been the first major ranking event of the new season and to be honest with you I can't think of a better way to begin our classical yearly snooker marathon, rather than with this tournament.


Sure, we had the Wuxi Classic from China, but it only lasted four days and it didn't feature all of our snooker boys. Then we moved to Thailand for the revived World Cup, but that wasn't pure snooker. It was entertaining, I give you that, but without a constant rhythm. Those double frames have been a really pain in the arse for the players, as well as for us, the viewers and somehow it didn't manage to get me, you know? When you watch a snooker match and without even noticing it, all of the sudden, you feel you are there? Living the moment at the same time as the players, feeling their beating hearts and those tense moments.


But the Australian Goldfields Open has been a whole different touch for snooker. First of all, because it was held in a country that has been crying out for years for such a tournament. Second, because it was its first edition, so things couldn't have been more emotional and thrilling, and third ... well, because it was good old-fashioned snooker all the way through.


Ken Doherty had an extraordinary run
It's been a true delight to see most of the players that I absolutely adore, playing for a place into the next round and then fighting for another place and going all the way to the final. I say, most of the players, because as you can very well remember, we've been missing two of the greatest players from the Main Tour: Graeme Dott and Ronnie O'Sullivan. But as one of Queen's songs say "The show must go on!", so here we were ready for the big breakthrough of the Australian Goldfields Open.


The biggest issue for the views was the hours that snooker was on. If you live in the UK, you already know that the first matches were starting somewhere around 04:00!!! It was a killer! As for me, since my time-zone is a friendlier one, the matches were starting at 06:00. Not much of a difference, because I'm not a morning person. Night I can take ... I work in the middle of the night like a robot, but mornings? Neaaaah! They are out of the question. :-))


The tournament itself has been a great success in my opinion because we've had such a great line-up and such thrilling matches. But the best way to describe this event is to say "Surprise!". That's how most of the matches were: surprising. We didn't expect to see Judd Trump out from the first round, or the current world champion, John Higgins defeated by the debutant Matt Selt after the Scotsman had the victory in his hand (he was leading 4-1 and lost 4-5). Also, to see the likes of Ali Carter, Matt Stevens or Neil Robertson eliminated one by one.


Great start for the new season
Ireland can be proud of its man - Kenny Doherty - for the "Darling of Dublin" had such an incredible run! He won 5-3 over the powerful Scot Stephen Maguire, he ended up on a decider with a revived and very strong Liang Wenbo and defeated the fresh Wuxi Classic champion, Mark Selby by 5-3 to reach the semis of the Australian tournament. I really can't remember the last time I saw Ken playing so competitive and so good. Maybe the fact that he had his family close had a positive impact on his playing. However, he started the season pretty well, if we are to recall the fact that he had to qualify for this event and that wasn't such an easy task. I hope to see more of this brand new, powerful and eager to win Kenny, in the near future.


The Master Stephen Hendry didn't have such a bad run either. He won his first match against Martin Gould 5-3 and hit a very tactical 120 break in the process, but sadly after that he met the "Champions crasher", Matt Selt who was merciless and ended his quest for the title. However, after the Scotsman's recent statements that he wants to get back into Top 8, and after this first live performance, I dare to say he is back for the kill. Sure, he will never go as far as he did in his hay-days, but I'm sure he'll break some new boundaries this season.

The two finalists: Williams and Bingham
 I also can't overlook, Dominic Dale's performance that was a stunning one, proving that the Welshman is still able to kick arse, if anyone was doubting that but also Matt Selt's one, that for a "first time on TV" player did a spectacular job.


But above all these, the one that impressed the audience and the snooker fans, was without doubt, the champion himself, Stuart Bingham. He was given the chance to take on his "enemies" and take revenge for the matches he lost in the past by facing them.
First it was Ding Junhui and the little Chinese didn't see to stand a chance as the Englishman won 5-2 to pay him back the second round defeat he suffered at this year's World Championship.
Then, we witnessed the first and last whitewash of this tournament, as he crashed poor Tom Ford 5-0 to book a meeting with Mark Allen, the player who stated that Stu wasn't playing too bright under pressure. With a final scoreline of 5-3 and two century breaks of 118 and 112 he was now up for the next stage of this snooker event - the semi-final.


Bingham has proved he has what it takes to become a champion: he has guts, he has talent, he has ambition, and he has 16 years of performing as a professional player for crying out loud! It was his time to lift that trophy! :-))
Of course, this doesn't mean that Mark Williams, his final opponent wasn't worthy of that victory. He played like his nickname constantly reminds us, as a "Welsh Potting Machine", but somehow along the way Stuart got the courage to start pulling back one frame after another and finally won the battle.
All this snooker exhausted me!!!


I feel privileged to have been part of Stu's victory, even through the screen of my computer, for it was such a great one. And to see the lad all emotional, stunned that it finally happened and he won a ranking event, well these are things one cannot buy.


All these put together resulted in a wonderful tournament and I'm really glad that the first edition was won by a non-favourite player, for this will surely mean that it can be won by anyone who is bold, ambitious and can cope with pressure, in the following years.
Bendigo received snooker with its arms opened wide and I'm really glad the Australians were able to see this gorgeous line-up in action. Each and every one of the payers that you saw perform in this Australian Goldfields Open did their best to conquer the audience ... and they've definitely achieved that.


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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - Stuart Bingham wins Oz trophy

21:55:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Stuart Bingham, the champion of the 2011 Australian Open
The first edition of the Australian Goldfields Open has found its champion and his name is Stuart Bingham. The Essex man has completed a full run, defeating names like Ding Junhui, Mark Allen and Shaun Murphy to end up in the final next to the Welshman Mark Williams. Although Stu was 8-5 down, he found the strength and the will to make a full comeback and win the cue battle 9-8.


The first session of the final found the boys all square at 4-4, after Bingham opened the scoreline with a marvellous 139 break and Williams responded with a perfect 89 for a 1-1. However, they didn't shared frames, as at the interval, the Englishman was already 3-1 in front.
15 minutes later, Williams’ runs of 90 and 84 were not only levelling the result but also put his name in front for the very first time, with 4-3. One more frame was to be played and that one had Stu's name written all over it. As it shows, the cue battle was going to be a tight one.


As the last session kicked off "The Welsh Potting Machine" throw himself in the battle with breaks of 52, 31, 32 and 71 to take the lead of this match with a fabulous 7-4 scoreline! This wasn't good news for Bingham and as the interval was about to start he needed to pull back a frame, to keep his spirits up and his hopes alive. Fortunately for him, he did it, so the boys entered to their cabins with the Welshman leading 7-5.


Mark Williams, the runner-up of the 2011 Australian Open
The audience received the lads with a fabulous round of applause and after Stuart missed a yellow at the beginning the 13th frame, Mark got it to expand his lead with a little bit of help from a 68 break. It was 8-5 and Williams only needed one frame to win the tournament. But Stuart was going to make his life hard.


A fluked snooker, a break of 69 and another one of 76 from the Essex-man were levelling the match and forcing a decider, as the boys were all tight up at eight a piece. It was one of the greatest comebacks that I've ever seen and it has proved how well Bingham can play under pressure.
The last frame saw a break of 46 from Stuart and a struggling Mark who was trying to keep up with the Englishman. Unfortunately for him, Stuart left him in need of a snooker, a horrible kick provoking to miss that snooker and so Bingham was becoming a champion.


It's been a great tournament and Stuart Bingham's victory is a well deserved one. He’s been a professional player for 16 years and this was the first time to reach the quarter-finals, the semis and the final. And to overcome all that with winning the competition ... well, that's something that deserves all our admiration. It was top drawer and I'm really pleased to see him smile and thrilled about this major achievement. 

Stu, happy to pot the last ball and cash the victory
 If you watched the ceremony, you know as well as I do that he was so emotional and stunned he beaten the world number one that he was almost incapable to speak. Who can blame the guy? He's been through so many defeats and close matches that, when AT LEAST, the victory comes you can't even believe it.


On the other hand I can't help felling sorry for Mark Williams. He's played greatly this week and he practically has the victory in his hands. It must be hard to lose as you are just one step away from lifting the trophy. Makes me remember the 2010 UK Championship when a similar story happened and he lost to John Higgins. But I'm sure he will take the best out of this experience and try and hit the ball to reach another ranking event final and win it. Undoubtedly, he is one of the greatest players that have even lived on this planet and this snooker season will see him win an important tournament.


After a crazy month, 18 days to be more precise, of snooker at full speed the boys will return home. They've been to China, Thailand and Australia so they must be tired and wanting to get home to their families and time-zones :-))
However, the battle will restart very soon, because from the very fist day of August the Shanghai Masters qualifiers will kick off. 

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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - Stuart Bingham cucereste titlul australian

21:54:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Stuart Bingham, campion Australian Open 2011
Editia inaugurala a Australian Goldfields Open si-a gasit campionul in persoana lui Stuart Bingham. Englezul a trecut de nume mari ca Ding Junhui, Mark Allen si Shaun Murphy pentru a-si rezerva un loc in finala alaturi de galezul Mark Williams. Desi a fost condus cu 8-5, Stu a reusit sa revina in meci pentru a-l invinge pe actualul ocupant al locului intai in clasamentul mondial cu scorul de 9-8.


Prima sesiune s-a terminat la egalitate, 4-4 dupa ce Bingham a deschis scorul cu un minunat break de 139 de puncte, in timp ce Williams raspundea cu un 89 pentru 1-1. Totusi, baietii nu si-au impariti frame-uri, pauza gasindu-l pe englez la carma, cu scorul de 3-1. 
Dupa cateva minute de respiro, Mark s-a folosit de un 90 si un 84 nu numai pentru a egala performanta inregistrata de adversarul sau, ci si pentru a prelua conducerea pentru prima oara de la inceputul bataliei de tacuri, 4-3. Ultimul frame ii revea lui Stu, scorul de 4-4 reliefand cat se poate de bine soarta acestei intalniri snookeristice.


Mark Williams, finalist Australian Open 2011
Cateva ore mai tarziu, ultima sesiune incepea de acesta data galezul fiind cel care se arunca in lupta, inregistrand break-uri de 52, 31, 32 si 71 pentru a-si impune pozitia de lider in meci cu scorul de 7-4! Si cum pauza de 15 minute batea la usa, Stuart trebuia sa castige urmatorul frame pentru a-si mentine increderea in stilu-i de joc si speranta revenirii. Ceea ce a si facut, astfel cei doi jucatori intrand la cabine cu Williams la "putere" (7-5).


Publicul ii aplauda frenetic la reintrarea in arena, iar cateva minute mai tarziu, dupa un snooker norocos, si break-uri in valoare de 69 si 76 de puncte, Stuart Bingham reusea sa egaleze 8-8. Fabuloasa revenire! Se vedea clar ca isi recapatase energia ce i-a folosit la castigarea meciurilor anterioare, insa evolutia sa nu avea a se opri aici. In timpul ultimului frame, dupa un stategic start in valoare de 46 de puncte, englezul il lasa pe Williams in deficit de un snooker. "The Welsh Potting Machine" a reusit sa isi croiasca drum printre bilele de pe postavul verde, insa un kick a intervenit in realizarea snooker-ului, Stuart curatand masa pentru victorie.


Astfel ca dupa a cursa nebuna, englezul din Essex se vede campion. Este jucator profesionist de 16 ani, insa acest turneu a marcat "botezarea" sa in materie de sferturi de finala, semi-finala si finala. Si cum sa inchei acest ciclu, decat cu ridicare trofeului? Ce realizare mai frumoasa ai putea avea?!
Pentru cei care au vazut ceremonia de premiere, a fost lesne de observat cat de emotionat si coplesit a fost Stu. Cu o voce tremuranda si abia gasindu-si cuvintele, englezului parca nu-i venea a crede. Adevarul este ca dupa atatia ani de infrangeri si meciuri pierdute la mustata, o astfel de victorie pare ireala.


Stu, beat de fericire dupa inscrierea ultimei bile
La polul opus, Mark Williams a profitat de ocazie pentru a il lua peste picior pe maestrul de ceremonii care i-a pus aceiasi intrebare de doua ori, devenind insa serios in momentul recunoasterii meritelor adversarului sau. Din pacate, Williams nu a invins, rezultatul din aceasta zi amintandu-mi de finala UK Championship 2010, cand era la doar un pas de victorie, insa superba revenire a lui John Higgins ii curma acest vis. Cunoscandu-l insa pe galez, va lua tot ce e mai bun din aceasta experienta si va continua sa se antreneze pentru un nou turneu. 
Personal, am increderea ca acest sezon de snooker il va vedea pe Mark Williams invingand intr-o competitie de puncte.


Si iata ca cele 18 zile nebune au luat sfarsit. Jucatorii plimbaciosi ce au strabatut China, Thailanda si Australia se vor intoarce acasa la familiile lor si fusul lor orar. Insa batalia reincepe curand, inca din prima zi a lunii august etapa de calificare pentru Shanghai Masters debutand la Sheffield.

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A Hurricane-less year

01:15:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

On 24th of July 2010 the people's champion, Alex Higgins was stepping into eternity. It was a sad day for snooker, as well as for the fans of snooker. 

I remember seeing the news on Twitter and not believing that it could be true. You know as well as I do, that some people have the cruel heart to make sinister jokes over things like this, but unfortunately this was no joke ... The Hurricane left us to play snooker in Heaven with the likes of Paul Hunter or Joe Davis.


As a person, he was known to be quite difficult and hard to work with, a troubled soul, but as a player no one could ever underestimate his achievements and the way he changed snooker. With his fast and furious way of potting the balls, with his beautiful madness, with that passion that could be easily seen in every match he played, with his boldness and the way he was resisting to wear the bow-tie - these are a few of the things that made Alex so special and so loveable for many of the snooker fans.

When Higgins was at the table the balls were at his disposal. They were just too hypnotised by the way he was potting them, to resist him. The audience was mesmerized as he was clearing the table and won his matches. It was some kind of dependency between Alex and the public: he needed the people to feel alive and the people needed him to feel they were still alive.
The joyful screams from when he was doing one of his amazing spins, or hitting a century break, or just pot a ball that seemed impossible to pot, tell the story better than words.

It's been a Hurricane-less year and many more will come, but I don't think that such a lively and dynamic person as Alex was would have liked us to be sad on this day. He gave his heart and soul to snooker, to make people go mad with excitement when he was potting the balls and that's the way he would have liked to be remembered. At least, that's what I think and how I want to remember him - as a champion, a winner, a survivor.


Below, you can find some videos that I selected from YouTube.
The two-time world champion loved snooker more than life. I remember him saying "snooker's like a drug". What a beautiful way to get high, don’t you think? :-)

Oh, and of you feel like dropping a tear or two, just do it ... I confess I've done it.








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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - the semi-finals

19:15:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Stuart Bingham booking himself a place in the final
This year's Australian Open final will see an England v. Wales cue battle, as "The Binginator" (Wikipedia, said it not me) put his name on the board by proving to be immune to "Magician's" Murphy ways of potting the balls, while "The Welsh Potting Machine" - Mark Williams ended "The Darling of Dublin's" hopes for reaching the final.


It all begun a bit nervy between Shaun Murphy and Stuart Bingham and perhaps the pressure of fighting for a place in the final was responsible for that, or the boys were just not warmed up yet. However when Stu hit a break 114 to cash the first frame, it was clear that he was in for the kill.
Murphy responded during the next frame to draw level at one a piece, but as the interval kicked off the Essex man was leading the Smurf by three frames to one. 

Murphy's magic cue didn't seem to have any effect
A few minutes later the lads were entering the arena for their last session and Bingham was hungry for points. So hungry that he won another frame to extend his lead at 4-1. But as the 6th frame was about to end, Stu missed frame ball at 53 this giving Murphy a free pass to clinch his second frame of the match. Time will show that it was going to be his last one.
With a break of 56 and the blue that was left down to the yellow pocket by Murphy, just waiting to be pushed by the cue ball, Stuart Bingham was earning a place into the final, with a 6-2 result. I don't think there's any doubt that this man has what it takes to become a champion and that during this tournament he has proved his talented and ambition.


Mark Williams will face Stu Bingham in  Oz final
The second semi-final of this competition has featured the names of Mark Williams and Ken Doherty. It was a long awaited cue battle, for we all know how these two play snooker.


The same timid start could be easily observed here too, as Williams missed an incredible easy blue to the left centre pocket. Still, with a break of 47 he managed to break the ice and take the first frame of the match.
As a response, runs of 55 and 29 were levelling the scoreline at 1-1, Kenny proving he means serious business, but as it happened for the first semi-final, the interval was finding the Irishman being lead 3-1, due to Williams' breaks of 110 and 52.


Unfortunately, Ken Doherty must return home
The 5th frames started with a very strategically safety shots battle that was finally won by the Dublin-man who was careful enough as to take on the remaining colours to trail 2-3.
A beautiful 106 Williams was re-making the "two frames apart" pattern, and due to Kenny's poor break off shots during the following two frames, the Welshman found an easier way towards victory. With runs of 48, 30, 56 and 40 Mark Williams was defeating Ken Doherty 6-2.
It was a hard fought victory, but a well deserved one for the "Welsh Potting Machine".


With the "best of 17", the grand final awaits patiently for its players. It will definitely be a great one!


From 05:00 (UK time)
Stuart Bingham v. Mark Williams (the first session)
From 10:30 (UK time)
Stuart Bingham v. Mark Williams (the last session)


TV coverage:
08:00 - 10:00 British EuroSport 2
10:30 - 13:30 British EuroSport 2

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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - Day 5

22:20:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Shaun Murphy seems invincible
It's pouring with unexpected results here in Bendigo, as today the quarter-finals saw the powerful Pistol Mark Allen being eliminated by the eager to win Stuart Bingham 5-3, the "World Champions crasher" Matt Selt experienced the same treatment from Shaun Murphy, while "The Darling of Dublin", Ken Doherty put quite a spectacular show and ended Mark Selby's run with the same result.


The first quarter-finals match was the one between Matt Selt and Shaun Murphy. Once again Matt was facing a world champion, the 2005 one, but this time things went not so good for the Romford man. Although he managed to defeat John Higgins and Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy had other plans and that was easy to see from the very beginning of their cue battle.

The Magician won the first three frames as to go 3-0 up, but Selt pulled two back, by hitting a marvellous 137 break. At that particular moment it was the highest break of the tournament.
However, Murphy used his magic cue for a 72 break to go 4-2 up and although his opponent succeeded to win himself another frame, the last one was cashed by Shaun, as well as the victory.


You don't mess with a determined man - Stu Bingham
At table number two, Mark Allen and Stuart Bingham were ready to start their battle, a battle that had "I want to prove my genuine snooker skills to you" written all over it. It's no secret that Allen declared some time ago that Stu doesn't play well under pressure, a statement that the Englishman wasn't very fond of. So, if Ding Junhui paid for defeating him at the 2011 World Championship, Mark Allen was next in line.


It was crystal clear that Stuart was aiming for that spot from the semis and with breaks like 66, 118, 112 and 96 it was going to easily secure it. It was almost like a one way match, although Allen performed rather well. But the force that Bingham had today was from another world. He was trying to make a point and he did it in the best possible way - by winning 5-3.


Potting like a machine, Mark Williams
An absolute pleasure to watch - that's how I would describe the match that Dominic Dale and his fellow-country, Mark Williams had to play. It was one of the most balanced matches of this tournament and it had it all: fast frames, long frames, marvellous breaks but scrappy affairs as well.


With runs of 46, 25 and 38 Dominic was clearing his way towards a 2-0 result, but as the mid-interval session kicked in, Williams was levelling the match already, by hitting a 118 and a wonderful 140. The Welsh Potting Machine was not giving in on fighting.


Sadly, for Dominic the tournament ends here
After a few minutes for tea and biscuits, Dominic put his nose in front again, only to see his opponent drawing at 3-3 by taking the next frame with a break of 61. Once again the one who was taking the lead was the ex-resident from Vienna, and just like before Williams was responding fully with a 78 break to force the decider.
About this last frame there's really not much to be told, because it had Mark Williams' name on it and the outstanding break that he hit (142) was giving his well deserved spot in the semis. Pure class! Oh, and that’s the highest break of this tournament, by the way! ;-)


And this brings us to the last quarter-finals match, a true delight that unfortunately wasn't covered by any television. I have one word for that: "Booooooooo!"
It was the battle between Mark Selby and the legendary Ken Doherty, a revived Doherty if I can put it this way.


Kenny Doherty for the kill
It was the Irishman, the one that broke the ice with a break of 73, but Selby responded with a 53 to tie at 1-1. However, from this point on it was Doherty's way of doing business :-)) "The Darling of Dublin" hit in breaks of 94, 56 and 29 to go 4-1 up, while the Jester from Leicester was struggling to keep his faith alive. He did succeed to pull two consecutive frames back, but there were scrappy and very hard fought.


Considering his Australian Open's history with comebacks, most of us thought that from being just one point behind Kenny, 3-4 it will be just a matter of time before the match will end up on a decider. But it wasn't. With 58 points in his pocket, Selby had to watch his opponent potting one ball after another as to clear the table with a 59 break and defeat him 5-3.
Well, I don't know how you feel about that last break that Ken made, but I happen to think it was his best clearance in the last two years or even more. Brilliant performance! Absolutely brilliant!


Tomorrow, the semis will kick in so you better keep an eye on the boys, for they need your support. The rule at hand is "the best of 11" and at state is a place in the grand final.


From 04:00 (UK time)
SF1 - Shaun Murphy v. Stuart Bingham


From 10:30 (UK time)
SF2 - Ken Doherty v. Mark Williams


TV coverage:
09:00 - 13:30 British EuroSport 2

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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - Ziua 5

22:19:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Shaun Murphy, pare de neinvins
A plouat cu rezultate neasteptate astazi la Bendigo, "The Pistol" Mark Allen vazandu-se pus la zid de un foarte indarjit Stuart Bingham cu 5-3, "The World Champions crasher", Matt Selt experimentand acelasi tratament din partea lui Shaun Murphy, in timp ce Mark Selby avea sa isi incheie cursa, invins fiind de "The Darling of Dublin", Ken Doherty tot cu celebrul deja scor de 5-3.


Primul meci din sferturile de finala s-a dat intre Matt Selt si Shaun Murphy si chiar daca Matt a trecut pana acum de doi campion mondiali (John Higgins si Stephen Hendry) si avea in fata-i inca unul (marca 2005), de aceasta data lucrurile nu au mai mers in favoarea sa.

Stu Bingham gata de a-si recupera ceea ce a al lui
A fost lesne de observat planul de a ajunge in semifinale a lui Murphy, inca de la bun inceput scorul devenind rapid 3-0. Cu toate acestea Matt a reusit sa mai "stranga" diferenta, castigand urmatoarele doua frame-uri si realizand un stabil 137. La momentul respectiv era cel mai mare break al turneului.

72 de puncte mai tarziu insa, Magicianul Murphy se pozitiona la 4-2 si chiar daca Selt a mai reusit sa isi insuseasca un frame, ultimul i-a revenit tot lui Shaun, ca si victoria de altfel.


La masa alaturata, cea cu numarul doi, incepea batalia dintre Mark Allen si Stuart Bingham. Declaratie oficiala de razboi intre cei doi jucatori si mai multe nu, in principal datorita spuselor lui Allen, de acum ceva timp, la adresa englezului, acuzandu-l ca nu face fata jocului sub presiune. Ei bine, Stu nu a prea rezonat cu cele de mai sus si a promis sa demonstreze ca este un jucator "hecho y derecho". Astfel ca daca in optimi, Ding Junhui a platit pentru infrangerea lui Stu din Campionatul Mondial, editia 2011, acum era randul lui Allen.


The Welsh Potting Machine, Mark Williams
Cu o serie frumoasa formata din break-uri ca 66, 118, 112 si 96 Bingham si-a asigurat victoria de 5-3 in fata nord-irlandezului, care de altfel nu poate fi acuzat ca a jucat slab. Insa forta interioara a lui Stu si faptul ca a vrut sa demonstreze ca sezonul acesta va fi pe val, au generat o victorie cum nu se poate mai magulitoare pentru orgoliul englezului.


Unul dintre cele mai antrenante meciuri - asa as descrie batalia de tacuri desfasurata intre Mark Williams si co-nationalul acestuia, Dominic Dale. A fost unul dintre cele mai echilibrate meciuri ale acestui turneu, avand toate ingredientele necesare pentru a ramane in memoria fanilor.


Din pacate, cursa lui Dominic Dale se incheie in sferturi
Cu break-uri mici, dar sigure in valoare de 46, 25 si 38 Dominic prelua primele doua frame-uri ale disputei snookeristice cu Williams, insa pauza ii gasea pe cei doi la egalitate, gratie break-urilor de 118 si 140, inscrise de "The Welsh Potting Machine".


Cateva minute mai tarziu, Dominic era cel care prelua din nou conducerea, insa un 61 strategic inscris de Mark readucea egalitatea pe tabela, de aceasta data la 3-3. Inca un frame si Dale lua fraiele meciului pentru 4-3, in timp ce Williams inscris lejer un 78 pentru a forta meciul sa se termine in frame decisiv.
Despre acest ultim spectacol snookeristic nu sunt foarte multe de povestit, pentru ca Williams a fost cel care s-a impus cu un uluitor 142 (cel mai mare break din acest turneu). Mai "usor" de atat nici ca se putea. :-))


Kenny Doherty nu se da batut
Iar acum ultimul pe lista, meciul dintre Mark Selby si Ken Doherty. Un meci ce cu siguranta a provocat ridicari de sprancene printre amatorii sportului cu tacul.


Cel care spargea gheata era Ken, cu un break de 73, ce primea insa ca raspuns unul de 53 din partea lui Selby. Din acel moment insa, "The Darling of Dublin" a fost cel care a dominat meciul, seriile de 94, 56 si 29 asigurandu-i un avataj de 4-1!
Englezul din Leicester a putut sa reduca din diferenta, castigand urmatoarele doua frame-uri, cu destul de mult efort insa.


Tinand seama de recenta istorie in materie de reveniri a lui Mark Selby si stiind ca se afla la doar un punct in spatele lui Kenny (3-4), ne-am fi asteptat la inca un frame decisiv. Insa de aceasta data a trebuit sa ne punem pofta in cui. :-))
Cu 58 de puncticle adunate de pe ici-colo, Selby se vedea pus in situatia de a-si urmari adversarul cum curata masa cu un break la limita de 59 de puncte! Irlandezul, campionul din 1997 si legendarul Ken Doherty il invingea pe Mark Selby cu 5-3! Un rezultat ce incununeaza efortul inregistrat de Kenny in ultimele saptamani, de la inceperea noului sezon.


Maine este insa o noua zi, astfel ca mesele se lasa a fi periate, bilele se odihnesc in cutiile lor, pentru ca incep semifinalele. Si cu totii stim ca jucatorii ramasi in competitie sunt gata de atac!


Ora 06:00 (ora RO)
SF1 - Shaun Murphy vs. Stuart Bingham


Ora 12:30 (ora RO)
SF2 - Ken Doherty vs. Mark Williams


Program TV:
11:00 - 15:30 EuroSport 2
13:30 - 15:00 EuroSport 

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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - Day 4

00:14:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Mark Selby makes his way to the Last 8
Surprise has been the name of this tournament for sure and if you’ve followed my last reports from Bendigo, you already know what I'm talking about. So, it was impetuously necessary to have some surprises today too, right? But these surprises were being reveled to us at the end of the day - saving the best for last, as they say :-)


The morning started with Mark Williams defeating David Gilbert by 5-2, the Welshman being in a better from that he was yesterday, while Mark Allen was hammering Marcus Campbell 5-1, by hitting in breaks of 100 and 101. However, it wasn't an easy victory for Allen, it was hard fought, despite the final scoreline, but maybe it was for the best, now the proud of Northern-Ireland being readier than ever to go further in the competition.


Later on, Mark Selby and Mark Davis were entering the arena to start their cue battle and what a battle that was!
Although for Selby it felt like the match he played against Perry, he did manage to have a better start and not to lose the first three frames. Actually, the lads shared frames all the way to the interval, when the scoreline became 2-2. But after the mini-break was over, Selby retuned for the victory!
He won the following two frames, the first one by potting the last couple of balls (pink and black), while the second was cashed with a tiny 32 break.


A bit unlucky, Mark Davis ends his run in Bendigo
The 7th frame saw a very strong Davis, the OnQ Promotions recruit hitting a brilliant 78 break to reduce the gap at just one point, 3-4. And since Davis has been unlucky during this match, rather than playing poorly, most of us were fancying a decider between the two. However, that didn't happen, as runs of 33 and 25 were closing the gates of victory for Mark Davis, while Selby was covered in glory. Maybe not the best way to win yourself a match, but hey! a win is a win, no matter what!


At the near table things were crystal clear. Why do I say that? Well, because Stuart Bingham was facing Tom Ford, but this match was more like an one way street, the one that shinned all the way through being Stu. Unintended rhyme there :-P He succeeded to complete the first whitewash of this tournament, a perfect 5-0, over the poor Tom Ford that seemed lost while his opponent was potting one ball after another.


And now, the moment you've all been waiting for: the last two matches and the biggest surprises of this day.


Dominic Dale - snooker player, singer, winner
Neil Robertson, the local star and one of the favorites to win this inaugural edition of the Australian Open, suffered a very tactical defeat in front of Dominic Dale. It's been a shock for many of us, but not a real shock if you followed the match. Unfortunately, Robbo wasn't at his best and there were times when he seemed to lose his consistency in playing.


Although the Aussie started in great style, the whole crowd being mesmerized by his 101 break, Dominic made his way through the balls in order not only to draw level, but also to take the lead 3-1 by the interval. Of course that breaks of 77 and 54 were responsible for this, but what matters most is that Dale had that little spark of "I want this!" in his eyes.


After the mid-session interval, Robbo fought back with a beautiful 111 break that made the audience go mad with excitement. Their man was still alive. But Robbo’s performance didn't stop here, him winning the next frame also to trail 2-3.
This was the moment when Dominic put his nose in front for a 4-2 lead, being now just one frame away from the quarter-finals. But that was still a long way to go, as Robertson managed to pull back all the needed frames and force a decider.

Robertson eliminated from Australian Open
The 9th frame seemed to be Neil's without doubt, Dom needing a snooker ... but what do I always say? Never say never until the last ball is potted. And this was one of these occasions, for the Englishman managed to get that snooker and beat the 2010 world champion by 5-4. What an amazing victory! What strong character this Dominic Dale is!


Not many would have given Ken Doherty a chance to beat the revived Liang Wenbo ... maybe not even I, but one must never underestimate the power that lies within a player. That force that makes you keep going. That’s what brought "The Darling of Dublin" a place into the next round.


A break of 53 was breaking the ice as Ken was taking the opener, but by the time the interval kicked in Wenbo was already 3-1 up, with breaks of 44, 63 and 65. And to consolidate his position, the little but powerful Chinese cashed another frame for a 4-1 scoreline. What more can one ask from a player, who's just one step away from winning? Apparently not to let his opponent in.
And that’s exaclty what Wenbo did, he let Ken in. Although we can't say that Kenny made his comeback into the match with brilliant breaks, it was a hard fought battle and a genuine test of endurance.


So, by winning one frame after another, the Irishman forced a decider that he ... what did he do? What? I can't hear you!!!! Indeed, he won it and he won it in great style, apologizing for the statement he made a week ago, during the World Cup, when his team lost in front of China’s and he accused Wenbo for not wearing a bow-tie. Sometimes pressure and tiredness do that to a person.


Tomorrow the quarter-finals will start and I'm dying to know what will happen next. Don't you? ;-)


From 04:00 (UK time)
QF1 - Matthew Selt v. Shaun Murphy
QF2 - Mark Allen v. Stuart Bingham


From 10:30 (UK time)
QF4 - Dominic Dale v. Mark Williams
QF3 - Mark Selby v. Ken Doherty


TV coverage:
09:00 - 13:20 British EuroSport 2


Useful link for when EuroSport is not covering the event: www.fromsportcom.com

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A year later ...

13:42:00 Ramona Dragomir 2 Comments

Happy Birthday to meeeeee!!!
Hello my dears! My name is Ramona Dragomir and for the last year I’ve been the voice of "Snooker, my love". And to get things straight: YES, I'm a girl! Shocking, I know! :-P


I actually can't believe that a year has passed since one night I started blogging about snooker. What an amazing run this has been for me! Not in a million years I would have thought I will go so far, mainly because I've well known for not finishing projects that I start. Somehow, along the way something happens, I get bored and give in on it. But this time was different, for snooker has changed my life in so many ways that I can hardly explain. Although this blog began as a personal project, I never thought it will become quite popular and read by many of you. I hope you know how much this has meant to me. :-)


A year later, one should look back and say what has learnt from it. And indeed, I've learned a lot. I've learned that snooker is like life, you can pot all the right balls and hit a century after a century and still lose in end, but on the other hand, you can have a rough start and finish covered in glory. I've learned that one must never give in of his/her dreams or give up the fight. That the battlefield might be bloody, messy and scary, but somewhere over the rainbow, birds can fly .... :-)))
I feel like I've grown so much this last year and I owe a huge part of that to this blog and the way you people, my readers, my friends, have made me feel.


What I'm about to say will sound a bit old-fashioned, but maybe that's how I am: it's my "Thank you" moment.
I can't start with anyone else but with my dear, dear friend SnookerBacker. He was the first person to lend me a hand and believe in this project of mine. I shall never forget his support, for it was what I needed when the blog was still growing, still vulnerable, as my confidence in myself. His funny, yet incisive style of writing makes me want to learn English better, so I can write jokes as well :-)))
So thank you SB! Thank you for everything :-)

A small part of my snooker kit
Dave Hendon was, is and will continue to be one of my biggest inspirations on the field, so many thanks to him too. For his support, for mentioning my blog in his articles. Words aren't enough to express how grateful I am for that.


Mark Ashenden, the ex-BBC journalist that tweeted about snooker and made me feel part of this wonderful madness that a ranking snooker event is - I don't know if you will ever get the chance to read this (probably not!), but thank you so much! I will never forget how two years ago I was following your tweets and I was absolutely stunned by how you can write so much information in only 140 characters. I never though that a year later I shall be sharing tweets about the UK Championship or the World Championship with you. It's been a truly honour and a privilege.


To my readers:
- To Micky, my Romanian friend, my first fan, my first supporter, the first person that said "You, go girl!" I hope you know how much this has meant to me!
- Alyssa Taylor that was sooo sweet to share with me her Crucible experience and has been a genuine supporter of mine and a true friend. Thank you, my dear! :-)
- To Phil Pedlow and Peter Watters from FaceBook, one of the reasons why this blog has grown so much. Thank you for all your nice words and for your constant support.
- To Kiss Zsolt, my neighbour from Hungary :-)) who's in love with snooker as well as me and has always been there with useful links and information. Snooker needs people like him!
- To Julia Serova, my Ukrainian friend, whose one of my constant readers and has had a lot of lovely comments over the past year.
- To Anita Rizzuti, the first person who agreed to grant me an interview, back when I was just two month old. I'm proud to say that she is one of my closest friends and I'm really happy and honoured that I was able to befriend with her. She's an exceptional snooker player and has a great heart.
- To Eirian Williams, for saying yes to one of my interviews and for having the patience because my English is still not very good, to Carmelita Yumito from Brazil, to Hannah and Mark Jones, to Jason Francis from Snooker Legends, to Sarah and Paul Mount from the South West Snooker Academy, to David Grace and all those who were so kind as to take a few minutes off and look over the questions I sent them. You made this blog to be alive!
- To Helen-Claire from Twitter, who’s always there for me, always cheering me up with her lovely tweets and funny jokes. Thanks for everything! :-)


Also, many, many thanks to my friends from Spain (Ander and Dani), the ones that are responsible for keeping the sport alive in their country with their wonderful Snooker147 Blog. Thank you for all your support!


My cup of coffee  ... empty already
A special thank you goes to Sholto Carnew, the person that a month after I started this blog, took the time to write me an e-mail and tell me that I was doing a great job. You don’t know this, but back then I was about to quit, due to a redneck that said I knew nothing about snooker and offended me in the worst possible way. So, if today "Snooker, my love" is still kicking, is because of you too :-)


I may not know all my readers personally, but for each and every one of you, who have subscribed, supported or just accidentally visited this blog of mine - thank you. For all my FaceBook friends and Tweeter followers: I hope you know that each RT or “LIKE” makes me happy and that you have participated on the promotion of this blog, so many thanks.


I hope that one day I shall be able to write in a more professional way. I hope that one day I shall become a journalist. I'm 27, but I still dream of that day. Snooker has this impact on people. It makes you dream and chase that dream until it becomes a reality. Hopefully, one day you will see my articles in a fancy newspaper and I will be able to report from the act scene the most interesting snooker stories. However, until then this blog will continue to promote my love for the sport, my love for snooker!


Once again, thank you to all my readers and please accept my apologies if I forgot to mention your name. But you have my promise you are always in my heart and in my mind, when I start writing an article. xxx


Here’s for another year of "Snooker, my love”!

P.S. For now on, I shall write under my real name, although I will continue to be a Snooker Loopy ;-)

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Un an mai tarziu ...

13:41:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Salutari dragii mei! Sunt Ramona Dragomir si acum un an am inceput acest blog. Desi am intentionat sa fie un proiect mai mult personal, faima m-a furat complet :-))) Glumesc!!! Pur si simplu a evoluat in ceea ce vedeti acum. Am fost vocea "Snooker, my love", pusa sub pseudonimul "Snooker Loopy", si chiar daca de acum inainte voi scrie sub adevarata mea identintate :-P, ma declar pe vecie un veritabil Snooker Loopy.


A fost un an absolut nebun, cu dead-line-uri ce mi-au testat limitele si cu foarte multa munca, cu multe satisfactii si cu cuceriri de taramuri necunoscute. A fost un an pe care l-as repeta oricand, un an in care m-am maturizat, un an pe care vi-l dedic voua, celor care m-ati sustinut. :-)
La aniversarea unui anisor parca nici nu-mi vine a crede ca am reusit sa ma tin de acest proiect; pentru necunoscatori, de obicei ma plictisesc undeva pe la mijlocul drumului si abandonez cursa. Dar acum a fost altceva. Snooker-ul este altceva!


Am spus-o de multe ori, insa orice meci este o lectie de viata: poti sa inscrii toate bilele corect, poti sa realizezi mai multe break-uri de 100 de puncte si in final ... sa pierzi. La popul opus, poti la fel de bine sa pornesti cu stangul, sa fi condus, iar pe ultima suta de metrii sa iti revii pentru ati lua revansa si a incheia victorios. Poate ca asta m-a si atras la acest sport si m-a facut sa il iubesc.


O mica parte din kit-ul meu de snooker
Se spune ca in momente de acest fel, ar trebui sa ne gandim la ceea ce am invatat pe durata anului ce tocmai s-a incheiat. Sa facem socotelile, cu alte cuvinte! Ei bine, eu n-as putea decat sa va spun ca da, am invatat multe si da, am crescut odata cu acest blog!

Am invatat ca visele trebuies hranite, ca pasiunea nu are limite, ca atunci cand esti talentat si ambitios, intr-un final vei invinge, ca desi campul de bataie este urat si crud, dincolo de el te asteapta intotdeauna un curcubeu. Asa este snooker-ul si asa a fost si primul an de viata al "Snooker, my love".


Iar cum, cu permisiunea dvs., as vrea sa incep lista multumirilor cu o persoana, pe care desi nu am cunoscut-o personal pana acum, imi este tare draga. Este vorba despre prima mea sustinatoare, primul meu fan (ca sa zic asa), Mihaela S (Micky). Daca citesti aceste randuri, sa stii ca iti multumesc pentru enorma ta rabdare, pentru faptul ca de multe ori ai trecut peste greselile mele de exprimare si de dactilografiere, pentru ca mereu mi-ai sustinut "cauza" si pentru ... pentru ca esti tu. A insemnat enorm sa am sustinerea unei persoane care vede totul din afara, atunci cand de existenta acestui blog nu stiau nici macar cei mai buni prieteni. Multumesc din suflet! :-)


Gasca din Marea Britanie este mare, dar o sa incep cu unicul SnookerBacker, prima persoana care mi-a oferit sprijin si suport, desi nu ma cunoastea si veneam dintr-o tara pe care multi ar fi tentati sa o priveasca crucis. A crezut in proiectul meu, m-a sustinut si a fost mereu alaturi de mine, chiar daca nu intodeauna, in mod direct. Blog-ul pe care il detine, este sarea si piperul blogosferei snookeristice mondiale, iar stilu-i incisiv si amuzant face sa ii adori scriitura.


Cana de cafea ... deja goala
Dave Hendon, una dintre inspiratiile mele, dar si fostul jurnalist BBC Mark Ashenden, au fost cei care mi-au dezvaluit "cum se fac lucrurile" in snooker. 

Nu am sa uit niciodata cum acum doi ani urmaream tweet-urile lui Mark si ma minunam de cum poate sa cuprinda atat de multe infomatii in doar 140 de caractere. Habar nu aveam ca la distanta de un an o sa facem schimb de informatii despre UK Championship sau Campionatul Mondial. 

Dave, pentru cei care nu stiu, este editor asistent la revista SnookerScene din Marea Britanie, revista de capatai a acestui sport cu tacul. Ii multumesc pentru cuvintele frumoase pe care le-a avut la adresa mea si pentru mentionarea blog-ului meu intr-unul dintre articolele sale. Privilegiata pana la urechi, ma simt! :-)


Tuturor celor de pe FaceBook, ca Alyssa Taylor (trimisul meu special la Crucible), dar si urmaritorilor mei de pe Twitter, abonatilor la newsletter, celor care citesc frecvent acest blog sau celor care au aterizat din greseala aici - va multumesc din suflet! Dincolo de banalitatea unui discurs de multumire, se ascunde eterna si veridica mea recunostinta.

Nu pot sa nu le multumesc tuturor celor care mi-au acordat interviuri in decursul ultimului an, in primul rand Anitei Rizzuti, cea care s-a incumetat sa merga cu mine la drum pe cand aveam doar doua luni, dar si marelui arbitru Eirian Williams, lui Hannah si Mark Jones, David Grace, Carmelita Yumito din Brazilia, Sarah si Paul Mount de la SWSA, sau lui Jason Fracis de la Snooker Legends. Increderea primita de la ei a reprezentat unul dintre motivele evolutiei acestui blog.

Sper ca intor-o buna zi sa va poti scrie despre snooker chiar din tara-i muma :-)) din paginile unui ziar de renume, insa pana atunci "Snooker, my love" va continua sa aduca in Romania cele mai noi stiri despre snooker, despre jucatori si despre tot ce inseamna pasiunea in sport.

Sper sa va am alaturi si pentru urmatorul an! :-)

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Australian Goldfields Open 2011 - Day 3

20:54:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

The Welsh Potting Machine needs to get back in form
One after another the heavy names fall Down Under. Today it was Stephen Maguire’s turn, the Scotsman being eliminated from the tournament by the legendary Ken Doherty, while Matthew Stevens experienced an ingrate defeat, losing the decider to a very revived Liang Wenbo.


The day started slowly, with the matches between Mark Williams v. Barry Pinches and Stephen Maguire v. Ken Doherty. And if the second one was going to finish rather quickly, Kenny putting Stephen to his corner with a magnificent 5-2 scoreline, the one given between the "Welsh Potting Machine" and Pinches, would take a lot more.

It was clear that the Welsh Machine needed some repair to do to get back in form, for as he admitted after the cue battle was over, if he keeps on playing like that he won't win his next match. In the end he managed to defeat Barry by 5-2, but it was a very hard obtained victory and unfortunately the Welshman was struggling all the way through the last frame.


Joe Perry had a great start, but ended badly
Soon after the first two matches were over, we were going to be spoiled with some great snooker, for both Selby v. Perry and Stevens v. Wenbo have been great ways to entertain the snooker lovers.


At first, it didn't seem like Selby's lucky day, for the Englishman lost the first three frames to Perry and it was horrible to see the Jester not being able to find some rhythm in his playing. On the other side, Joe Perry was on fire and with breaks like 45, 98 and 52 the victory seemed to be his for sure. But just before the interval, Selby succeeded to win his first frame of the day on the black (69-68).
That was going to mark the return of the Jester, for after the interval, he managed not only to draw level at 3-3, but to also take the lead 4-3 with a break of 48 and win the following frame with one of 44 for a sport into the Last 16. A wonderful comeback and a great performance from Selby, but still I can't avoid to feel sorry for Perry, whose start deserved another result.


Mark Selby, delighted with his victory
At the near table Matthew Stevens and Liang Wenbo were consuming all the possible frames of their match and although the Welshman was the one who took the first two frames of the match, Wenbo fully responded before the mid-session interval kicked in to draw level at two a piece.
After a few minutes the boys were entering the arena to see Stevens take the lead with a break of 82. However, the replay came right away, under the form of an 111 break. Once again the lads were all square, this time at 3-3.


A glorious maximum attempt was going to be made by Wenbo, but unfortunately it ended up only on a 120, the little Chinese missing the yellow ball. But still, he was leading and that happened for the first time since the match has started. It was 4-3, when Stevens forced a decider, a decider that he sadly didn't manage to win, Wenbo's 51 break putting an end to the Welshman's run.


Stu Bingham takes revenge on Ding Junhui
The first match from the Last 16 round was the one given between Matthew Selt and Stephen Hendry and after this result I must submit to your attention my proposal for a nickname for Selt. He didn’t seem to have any problems in winning 5-1 the match against Hendry, so that makes two world champions that have been defeated by the guy from Romford (Higgins first, Hendry second). Maybe we should call him "The World Champions crasher" :-)) That might work! Right now, he’s set to meet with another world champion, Shaun Murphy so let’s see how that match will evolve.


Ding Junhui out of the Australian tournament
Ding Junhui and Stuart Bingham were the ones to close the third day of the Australian Goldfields Open, and their match had "revenge" written all over it :-)) Because Bingham took revenge for losing his second round 2011World Championship match 13-12 to Ding.
The Englishman practically stormed in as to take the first two frames with a top break of 60, while Ding was responding with a solid 104 to win his first. However, when the mini-break kicked in, Bingham re-made the two frames gap, by winning the forth frame.


It was 3-1 in favour of Stu, when all Ding could do was to hit another century break. This time it was a beautiful 124, but it didn't matter. It didn’t matter, because Bingham was determined to win and breaks of 60, 107 and 86 were bringing him a 5-2 victory. The revenge was his!


Tomorrow the Last 16 matches will take place as it follows:


From 04:00 (UK time)
26. David Gilbert v. Mark Williams
21. Marcus Campbell v. Mark Allen
followed by
23. Mark Selby v. Mark Davis
22. Tom Ford v. Stuart Bingham


From 10:30 (UK time)
25. Neil Robertson v. Dominic Dale
24. Liang Wenbo v. Ken Doherty


TV coverage:
09:00 - 10:00 British EuroSport 2
10:30 - 13:30 British EuroSport 2
21:30 - 23:10 British EuroSport

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