A crazy week of snooker

Crazy Kermit

It's been one hell of a week for the snooker lovers all around the world and for snooker as a whole. It almost feels it has passed more than just a week if we are to consider also the fact that the players haven't had one single day of rest, the end of the International Championship being closely followed by the APTC 3 and then the UK PTC 4.

But it was away from the green baize where all the action was happening, as Ronnie O'Sullivan announced he won't be taking part in any of the current season's tournaments.

Many fans have been devastated, the media tried to pump up shows, forgotten pictures with Ronnie, programmes with him and all kind of stuff like than and in the written press a lot of ink was used to write what seemed to be an obituary of a brilliant player, rather than the fact that the man decided to take a break from snooker.

You know as well as I do, that when a huge personality dies, all you can see on the telly are programmes with him/her, people who say he or she was an extraordinary person and the press is filled with articles about that same person. 

That's what happened with O'Sullivan. Most of the journalists decided to treat his break from snooker as a death, a dramatic and cruel death that leaves the world without one of its most wonderful snooker player and the sport without its best ambassador.

O'Sullivan on a break from snooker

And although they aren't entirely wrong, because Ronnie has become one of snooker's best known ambassador, the fact that he's on a break from snooker is not the end of the world and shouldn't be treated like it.

Sure, I'm the first to acknowledge that snooker will suffer a lot from his withdrawal, partially because a lot of people who call themselves snooker fans, are in reality Ronnie's fans, and mainly because he is indeed one of the greatest players that ever walked on this planet, but still.

I see people acting all dramatic in their bids about Ronnie, but very few that actually get the fact that the man, the player, has matured so much over the years and if in the past we were entitled to look at him with one eyebrow raised, now we aren't.

He's been nothing but genuine in revealing how he feels about snooker and life in general, he's been doing his chores (snooker related) and when the time imposed he said "enough" and backed off.

Maybe it's been the positive influence of Dr Steve Peters that made him know what he wants from life and how he can put an end to a thing, or start a new one; maybe he just realised that he needs to take care of himself and think more of him - Whatever his reasons, I think this time he made them pretty clear and in a very decent and honourable way.

I was the first to point my finger at him when he crossed the line, and it wasn't just once, but this time, I can't find anything wrong here. He needs some time off the table and that's it. Better to do that, than to continue playing and keep pulling out of events constantly.

Will the Rocket fly again?

On the other hand, this is not a retiring note. He didn't say it was the end, he didn't go all “I had it with snooker” on us. No, he just announced he won’t be taking part in next tournaments.

Of course that if we take into account the fact that his manager has suggested it might just be the end of him as a professional snooker player, the fact that he has slipped out of Top 16 and that returning on the Main Tour would mean starting from zero, most likely - the idea Ronnie conveying a foggy goodbye here makes a lot of sense, but still the puzzle is not complete.

In conclusion, whatever he will do in the future is only up to him, so if he decides to come back his army of fans will be more than delighted and will root for him constantly, but if not, he leaves as one of the best players ever, carrying the legendary torch of crazy snooker from Alex Higgins and Jimmy White to the next generation.

But that's not all, as the week had another surprise: the draws for the UK Championship and the Masters. And what do you know? Stephen Lee is not on any of them.

As many of you already know he's on "house arrest" from snooker, which means he's not allowed to play snooker in professional events until the WPBSA's Disciplinary Committee is reaching its verdict in the matter of "is Lee responsible from match-fixing when he played against John Higgins at the Premier League"? Going all American on you, am I? 

No Lee at the UK Champ of the Masters

So, back to serious matters now, it seems like the WPBSA knows it won't be deciding Lee's fate at least until the end of the year, since he's not even on the UK Championship draw and the event starts at the beginning of December. Still he’s nowhere to be found in the Masters draw also … Makes one wonder if they didn't make up their mind already, doesn't it?!

In his place we have Mark Davis, the player that seems to be doomed to occupy the 17^th place forever and keeps on knocking on the Top 16's doors for quite some time now. Glad he’s been given this chance, but I’m not such a happy bunny about HOW it was given to him. He deserves better.

Last, but not least, some good news coming from the same WPBSA's Disciplinary Committee, regarding "Steve Davis v. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh" case about the match these two played at the UK PTC 3 event, back in September, with the Nugget winning 4-0.

As before, the Committee was been informed about some suspicious betting patters, this time only the Thai player going under investigation. 

Water under the bridge now, as " The WPBSA have found that there is insufficient evidence to show that there has been any breach of the WPBSA Members Rules and will take no further action regarding this matter."

Here’s for a better week, peeps! :-)