China Open 2011 qualifiers - the last day

21:47:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

The power of Wales - Matt Stevens and Ryan Day
Every competition must come to an end and yesterday marked the end of this year`s China Open qualifiers. It was bloody, it was messy, it was top class snooker all the way through and that’s how a "day in snooker’s life" should look like :-))


Wales will be very well represented in the China Open tournament and I’m not saying this just because Mark Williams is the defending champion, but because Matthew Stevens and Ryan Day also so booked a place in the tournament. Ryan beat Tom Ford 5-1, while his fellow-country Matthew beat Anthony Hamilton by the same scoreline.

Birthplace: London, the UK; Current location: Norway; Next ranking event to look forward to: the China Open. That’s right peeps, Kurt Maflin made it! He won his last match and defeated the King of snooker - Mark King 5-1. Although it’s very likely for Kurt to play a wildcard in Beijing, his performance can’t be overlooked. He is back in business! :-))


Ken Doherty
Jimmy White had to face Dominic Dale in his last match, a match that he won so easily with a 5-2 final result, while Nigel Bond beat Liang Wenbo (the last Chinese standing) 5-3 to secure a place in the main event.

Two great and beautiful surprises, to see Ken Doherty whitewashing the Thai Issara Kachaiwong 5-0 and Martin "Gouldie" Gould winning his way through the balls for a 5-2 victory over Mike Dunn. It was about time to see those two in a ranking event, don’t you agree? ;-)
Stephen Lee and Alfie Burned offered us the battle of the day, as the boys played all nine frames. They weren’t separated by more than one frame, this giving you a clue about how great this match was. The winner was Lee, who ended on a 5-4 final result Alflie`s run.


Yesterday’s century breaks were: Ken Doherty (105), Robert Milkins (107), Judd Trump (109), Kurt Maflin (117), Martin Gould (120), Dominic Dale (120) and Mark King (134).

And here are the results:
Stephen Lee 5-4 Alfie Burden
Ryan Day 5-1 Tom Ford
Matthew Stevens 5-1 Anthony Hamilton
Kurt Maflin 5 - 1 Mark King
Stuart Bingham 5-2 Mark Joyce
Marcus Campbell 5-3 Rory McLeod
Andrew Higginson 2-5 Robert Milkins
Dominic Dale 2-5 Jimmy White
Liang Wenbo 3-5 Nigel Bond
Martin Gould 5-2 Mike Dunn
Ken Doherty 5-0 Issara Kachaiwong
Joe Perry 5-2 Rod Lawler
Mark Davis 5-3 James Wattana
Judd Trump 5-1 Ben Woollaston
Gerard Greene 5-2 Fergal O’Brien
Barry Hawkins 5-2 Joe Swail


So the ones who booked themselves a place for China Open and will play against the Top 16 players, are:


Stephen Lee
Ryan Day
Matthew Stevens
Kurt Maflin
Stuart Bingham
Marcus Campbell
Robert Milkins
Jimmy White
Nigel Bond
Martin Gould
Ken Doherty
Joe Perry
Mark Davis
Judd Trump
Gerard Greene
Barry Hawkins


Congratulations to all the players, but mostly to those who won and see you at the end of March at the 2011 China Open ;-)

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China Open 2011 (etapa de calificare) - ultima zi

21:46:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

The Power of Wales: Matt Stevens si Ryan Day
Orice competitie trebuie sa ajunga la final, iar ziua de duminica a marcat finalul etapei de calificare pentru China Open. Au fost zile de snooker la foc deschis, mai ales pentru cei care au trebui sa treaca prin toate cele patru zile, am avut parte de rezultate stranse si de meciuri pe care ne-am fi dorit sa le vedem online, chiar daca imaginea s-ar mai fi oprit din cand in cand :-P


Tara Galilor se poate simtii mandra, si nu spun asta doar pentru ca Mark Williams este campionul en-titre de China Open, ci si pentru ca Matthew Stevens si Ryan Day si-au castigat dreptul de a merge la Beijing. Ryan a trecut cu 5-1 de Tom Ford, in timp ce Matthew l-a invins pe Anthony Hamilton cu acelasi scor.
Locul nasterii: Londra, Marea Britanie; Adresa actuala: Norvegia; Turneul pentru care s-a calificat: China Open. Daaaa, ati ghicit! Kurt Maflin a reusit sa-si castige toate cele 4 batalii de snooker, trecand cu 5-1 de Mark King pentru a merge mai departe. E drept, s-ar putea sa mai joace impotriva unui wildcard in China, insa asta nu schimba cu nimic evolutia sa. Bravo, Kurt!


Ken Doherty
Jimmy White si-a pus renumele la treaba si l-a invins pe Dominic Dale cu 5-2, iar Nigel Bond l-a eliminat pe ultimul chinez din etapa de calificare, Liang Wenbo cu 5-3. Insa marile surprize (placute) aveau sa vina din partea lui Ken Doherty, irlandezul dandu-si ocazia sa se vada pe sticla (dar mai ales sa FIE vazut ;-)), castigand fara doar si poate intrevederea cu thailandezul Issara Kachaiwong 5-0, in timp ce Martin "Gouldie"Gould il invingea pe Mike Dunn cu 5-2. Era si timpul sa-i vedem pe cei doi intr-o competitie de puncte, nu? ;-)
Stephen Lee si Alfie Burden aveau sa ne ofere singura batalie de tacuri disputata cu toate cele 9 frame-uri permise. S-a jucat bine si s-a jucat la doar un frame distanta, cel care insa l-a acaparat pe ultimul fiind Lee. Scor final 5-4.


Break-urile de peste 100 de puncte inscrise ieri sunt: Ken Doherty (105), Robert Milkins (107), Judd Trump (109), Kurt Maflin (117), Martin Gould (120), Dominic Dale (120) si Mark King (134).


Iar lista rezultatelor este urmatoarea:
Stephen Lee 5-4 Alfie Burden
Ryan Day 5-1 Tom Ford
Matthew Stevens 5-1 Anthony Hamilton
Kurt Maflin 5 - 1 Mark King
Stuart Bingham 5-2 Mark Joyce
Marcus Campbell 5-3 Rory McLeod
Andrew Higginson 2-5 Robert Milkins
Dominic Dale 2-5 Jimmy White
Liang Wenbo 3-5 Nigel Bond
Martin Gould 5-2 Mike Dunn
Ken Doherty 5-0 Issara Kachaiwong
Joe Perry 5-2 Rod Lawler
Mark Davis 5-3 James Wattana
Judd Trump 5-1 Ben Woollaston
Gerard Greene 5-2 Fergal O’Brien
Barry Hawkins 5-2 Joe Swail


Asadar cei 16 jucatori ce isi vad drumul spre Beijing pietruit sunt:


Stephen Lee
Ryan Day
Matthew Stevens
Kurt Maflin
Stuart Bingham
Marcus Campbell
Robert Milkins
Jimmy White
Nigel Bond
Martin Gould
Ken Doherty
Joe Perry
Mark Davis
Judd Trump
Gerard Greene
Barry Hawkins


Felicitari tuturor jucatorilor, dar mai ales celor castigatori, si drum bun catre China! ;-)

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China Open 2011 qualifiers - Day 3

06:18:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Howdy partner!
As the penultimate day of the China Open qualifying rounds ended, the matches have became tighter and tighter. Every player left in the competition wants one of those 16 spots in the main event and they won`t stop at nothing in order to obtain it. It`s a shame that we can`t watch what`s going on when the qualifiers matches are on, mainly because yesterday we had some really interesting and entertaining battles of cues :-)


Kurt Maflin has continued his good run as he defeated Dave Harold 5-1, Rory McLeod eliminated Barry Pinches with a final 5-2 result and the one and only Whirlwind of them all succeeded in coming back from being lead 3-1 by Peter Lines and winning the match 5-3 - a real triumph for Jimmy, who`s now playing against Dominic Dale for a place in China Open`s main event.

Davis and Wattana in action
The other legend due to have his first match yesterday was Steve Davis, "The Nugget" having to face the dangerous and eager to win Thai, James Wattana. As James took the opening frame just by being three points ahead of Davis (55-52), the six-time world champion found himself being one frame behind him all the way through. The Thai was always taking the lead and Steve was always pulling one back as to equalise the situation at hand, so it wasn`t too much of a shock to see James take the 9th frame and securing a place into Round 4, by doing so. Unfortunately for Davis his run ends here and is no one more pissed off with this situation than me, for I was really looking forward in seeing him play in Beijing :-(


Matthew Selt and Alfie Burden were the ones to open the series of tight battles as the boys played all the necessary frames to end their encounter. It was Matt the one who opened the score with a break of 97, but Alfie took the next one and also took the lead 2-1, only to see his opponent winning three frames in a row as to go at just one step away from victory (4-2). But Alfie didn`t panic for he started to win his way through the balls until he leveled up the score and brought the match into a decider, that he actually won fair and square 5-4.


Selt and Burden offered us a true battles of cues
On a similar note, Robert Milkins eliminated David Gilbert 5-4 after another tight battle of cues. After Robert took the first frame, the boys started to share frames all the way though the decider who had Robert`s name written all over it. Well, maybe those runs of 19 and 52 had something to do with the victory also :-P
Nigel Bond proved once more to be in quite the good form as he won 5-4 over Belgium`s chance to China Open - Bjorn Haneveer, in a match that saw both players doing what they know best - playing snooker under tough conditions (the humidity was high ...as well as the pressure).


We had some century breaks that worth to be mention, as it follows: Anthony Hamilton (102), Matthew Couch (105), Jamie Burnett (107), David Gilbert (112) and Tony Drago (137).


The complete list of scores for the third day of the qualifiers:
Matthew Selt 4 - 5 Alfie Burden
Tom Ford 5 - 3 Liu Song
Anthony Hamilton 5 - 0 Joe Jogia
Dave Harold 1 - 5 Kurt Maflin
Mark Joyce 5 - 1 Joe Delaney
Rory McLeod 5 - 2 Barry Pinches
Robert Milkins 5 - 4 David Gilbert
Peter Lines 3 - 5 Jimmy White
Nigel Bond 5 - 4 Bjorn Haneveer
Mike Dunn 5 - 2 James McBain
Tony Drago 2 - 5 Issara Kachaiwong
Michael Holt 3 - 5 Rod Lawler
Steve Davis 4 - 5 James Wattana
Jamie Burnett 3 - 5 Ben Woollaston
Fergal O'Brien 5 - 3 Matthew Couch
Alan McManus 3 - 5 Joe Swail


Last day schedule, looks like this:


10am
49. Stephen Lee v. Alfie Burden (winner to play Mark Williams at the venue)
50. Ryan Day v. TomFord (winner to play Ronnie O'Sullivan at the venue)
51. Matthew Stevens v. Anthony Hamilton (winner to play Stephen Hendry at the venue)
52. Mark King v. Kurt Maflin (winner to play Ding Junhui at the venue)
53. Stuart Bingham v. Mark Joyce(winner to play Ali Carter at the venue)
54. Marcus Campbell v. Rory McLeod (winner to play Mark Allen at the venue)


2.30pm
55. Andrew Higginson v. Robert Milkins (winner to play Jamie Cope at the venue)
56. Dominic Dale v. Jimmy White (winner to play Mark Selby at the venue)
57. Liang Wenbo v. Nigel Bond (winner to play John Higgins at the venue)
58. Martin Gould v. Mike Dunn (winner to play Ricky Walden at the venue)
59. Ken Doherty v. Issara Kachaiwong (winner to play Graeme Dott at the venue)


7pm
60. Joe Perry v. Rod Lawler (winner to play Shaun Murphy at the venue)
61. Mark Davis v. James Wattana (winner to play Stephen Maguire at the venue)
62. Judd Trump v. Ben Woollaston (winner to play Marco Fu at the venue)
63. Gerard Greene v. Fergal O'Brien (winner to play Peter Ebdon at the venue)
64. Barry Hawkins v. Joe Swail (winner to play Neil Robertson at the venue)
 *all hours are UK time


So be sure to keep your fingers crossed for your favorite/s as this is the last chance for a trip to China ;-)

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China Open 2011 (etapa de calificare) - Ziua 3

06:17:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Howdy partner!
Cum ne apropiem cu pasi repezi si zglobii de ultima zi a etapei de calificare, meciurile devin din ce in ce mai dure, iar rezultatele confirma pe deplin aceasta situatie. Fiecare concurent ramas  in cursa isi doreste sa primeasca unul dintre cele 16 locuri de China Open si cum miza este destul de mare si competitia este pe masura.


Kurt Maflin nu a intampinat mari dificultati in a-si mai adauga inca o victorie la colectie, castigand cu 5-1 intrevederea cu Dave Harold, Rory McLeod l-a eliminat in ecuatie pe Barry Pinches cu scorul de 5-2, iar "The Whirlwind" s-a dovedit a fi in forma de zile mari dupa ce a revenit in joc, in prealabil fiind condus de oponentul sau Peter Lines cu 3-1, pentru a incheia "afacerea" la 5-3 - o victorie cat se poate de frumoasa pentru Jimmy, care astazi il va intalni pe Dominic Dale pentru ultima confruntare inainte de Beijing.

Davis si Wattana in actiune
Cealalta legenda de pe ordinea de zi, Steve Davis, a avut un meci destul de dificil de sustinut in fata thailandezului James Wattana. S-a jucat la doar un frame distanta, insa Steve a fost mereu cel care a egalat si nu cel care a preluat conducerea. Frame-ul de deschidere a parut a fi cel care a dictat legea in meci, James adjudecandu-si-l cu doar 3 puncte diferenta (55-52), continuarea fiind cea pe care v-am prezentat-o mai sus; asadar nu a fost un mare soc sa il vedem pe Steve pierzand la mustata cu scorul de 4-5. Din pacate iata inca o competitie fara "The Nugget" :-(


Insa seria meciurilor stranse a fost inceputa de Matthew Selt si Alfie Burden, cei doi disputandu-si toate cele 9 frame-uri de joc. Matt a fost cel care a deschis scorul, inscriind un break de 97 de puncte insa Alfie a egalat pana cand scorul a devenit 2-2, moment in care Matt s-a detasat cu doua frame-uri avans. A fost extrem de aroape de victorie, insa revenirea stategica a lui Alfie i-a taiat, se pare, tot elanul, in final pierzand cu 4-5.

Selt si Burden ne-au oferit o adevarata lupta de tacuri
Intr-o nota ceva mai diferita, s-a desfasurat meciul dintre Robert Milkins si David Gilbert, cei doi impartindu-si frame-uri pana la cel cu numarul 9 castigat de Robert, strategie aplicata si de Nigel Bond belgianului Bjorn Haneveer (singura sansa a Belgiei pentru China Open).


Break-urile de peste 100 de puncte realizate in cea de-a treia zi sunt: Anthony Hamilton (102), Matthew Couch (105), Jamie Burnett (107), David Gilbert (112) si Tony Drago (137).


Rezultatele complete pentru ziua de ieri:
Matthew Selt 4 - 5 Alfie Burden
Tom Ford 5 - 3 Liu Song
Anthony Hamilton 5 - 0 Joe Jogia
Dave Harold 1 - 5 Kurt Maflin
Mark Joyce 5 - 1 Joe Delaney
Rory McLeod 5 - 2 Barry Pinches
Robert Milkins 5 - 4 David Gilbert
Peter Lines 3 - 5 Jimmy White
Nigel Bond 5 - 4 Bjorn Haneveer
Mike Dunn 5 - 2 James McBain
Tony Drago 2 - 5 Issara Kachaiwong
Michael Holt 3 - 5 Rod Lawler
Steve Davis 4 - 5 James Wattana
Jamie Burnett 3 - 5 Ben Woollaston
Fergal O'Brien 5 - 3 Matthew Couch
Alan McManus 3 - 5 Joe Swail


Programul ultimei zile:


12:00
49. Stephen Lee vs. Alfie Burden (castigatorul joaca cu Mark Williams in China)
50. Ryan Day vs. TomFord (castigatorul joaca cu Ronnie O'Sullivan in China)
51. Matthew Stevens vs. Anthony Hamilton (castigatorul joaca cu Stephen Hendry in China)
52. Mark King vs. Kurt Maflin (castigatorul joaca cu Ding Junhui in China)
53. Stuart Bingham vs. Mark Joyce(castigatorul joaca cu Ali Carter in China)
54. Marcus Campbell vs. Rory McLeod (castigatorul joaca cu Mark Allen in China)


16:30
55. Andrew Higginson vs. Robert Milkins (castigatorul joaca cu Jamie Cope in China)
56. Dominic Dale vs. Jimmy White (castigatorul joaca cu Mark Selby in China)
57. Liang Wenbo vs. Nigel Bond (castigatorul joaca cu John Higgins in China)
58. Martin Gould vs. Mike Dunn (castigatorul joaca cu Ricky Walden in China)
59. Ken Doherty vs. Issara Kachaiwong (castigatorul joaca cuGraeme Dott in China)


21:00
60. Joe Perry vs. Rod Lawler (castigatorul joaca cu Shaun Murphy in China)
61. Mark Davis vs. James Wattana (castigatorul joaca cu Stephen Maguire in China)
62. Judd Trump vs. Ben Woollaston (castigatorul joaca cu Marco Fu in China)
63. Gerard Greene vs. Fergal O'Brien (castigatorul joaca cu Peter Ebdon in China)
64. Barry Hawkins vs. Joe Swail (castigatorul joaca cuNeil Robertson in China)
*program actualizat pentru Romania

Asa ca tineti pumnii bine stransi pentru favoritii personali, intrucit astazi pleaca ultimul tren catre China ;-)

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China Open 2011 qualifiers - Day 2

07:01:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Kurt Maflin is continuing his good run
A very interesting day here in Sheffield, as the Chinese gang is left with only one (out of three) player (Liang Wenbo is yet to perform on Sunday, so things may change), while the Thai team kept all of its remaining players (two, to be more precise) in the run for China Open main event.
The scores for the second day of the qualifying rounds aren’t very different from those registered in the first day, still the first whitewashes were performed, as well as some very nice surprises. ;-)


Anda Zhang was the first to open the day, meeting up with Alfie Burden at Table 1, match that ended with Zhang`s being hammered 5-1 by Alfie, while on Table 3, Xiao Guodong was being defeated 5-2 by Joe Jorgia. The only Chinese that won his match yesterday was Liu Song, him also performing the first whitewash of this competition as he won 5-0 over Adrian Gunnell. Later on, his namesake, Liu Chuang was going to be eliminated by "The Whirlwind" Jimmy White with a 5-3 final result.
The Thai team worked up very good, as Issara Kachaiwong defeated Andy Hicks 5-1, the next to follow, being James Wattana who won 5-2 over his opponent, Stuart Pettman.


Jack Lisowski
Kurt Maflin, the one who beat Simon Bedford the other day, had a very difficult match with Jack Lisowski, a match where top class snooker was played and lots of sparks were noticed. Actually it was the first match of this year’s China Open qualifiers that saw no more than four century breaks (two made by Kurt and two by Jack). That tells you how good it was!

The boys weren’t separated by more than one frame, the one who opened the score being Kurt. Jack leveled up very quickly by hitting a marvelous 116 break, Kurt replayed by taking the next frame, but Jack hit back with an 106 to catch with him again. At 2-2, Kurt took the lead, once more, as he hit his first century break (115), but as usual Jack pulled one back and also won another one, this putting him in fort for the first time. That 7th frame was such a tight one, Lisowski winning it just by being seven points ahead of Maflin. However, Kurt leveled up by performing a beautiful 140 (the biggest break od this competition, until this moment) and also won the decider by hitting a 76 break to end in full glory. Brilliant match! :-)


Nice to see Belgium’s man, Bjorn Haneveer wining his first match (haven’t see that in a while now), as he beat Kuldesh Johal 5-3; also another player that’s doing a very good job in the qualifying rounds is Ben Woollaston, the Englishman that hit the first century break of this competition in the first day, while yesterday totally and utterly crashed the Scot Anthony McGill 5-0.


Couch and Davison keps us awake
Matthew Couch and Paul Davis were going to makes us watch the live scoring system way too much :-)) They finished their battle last and as you’ve already guessed it was a very tight and tiring one (decider and all). Although Davison rushed in to take the lead 2-0 over his opponent, Matt wasn’t going to give up so easily, so he won one frame at a time to level the score and even go up in front, after cashing the 5th frame just by three points ahead (69-66). It was 3-2, in favor of Matt, but he wasn’t comfortable enough to have just one frame advantage, so he won one more to go 4-2 and be just one glance away from the next round. But the Scotsman fought back and did it in style, bringing the match to a decider, a terrible effort by his part, that wasn’t unfortunately fully rewarded as Matthew won the battle 5-4. Anyway, boy players should receive our congratulations as this was a hard match.


Century breaks for the second day: David Gilbert (101), Jack Lisowski (106,116), Kurt Maflin (115, 140), Stuart Pettman (136) and Jimmy Robertson (138).


The complete list of results for the second are:
Alfie Burden 5 - 1 Zhang Anda
Adrian Gunnell 0 - 5 Liu Song
Joe Jogia 5 - 2 Xiao Guodong
Jack Lisowski 4 - 5 Kurt Maflin
Jimmy Robertson 3 - 5 Joe Delaney
Barry Pinches 5 - 3 Liam Highfield
Ian McCulloch 0 - 5 David Gilbert
Jimmy White 5 - 3 Liu Chuang
Bjorn Haneveer 5 - 3 Kuldesh Johal
Jamie Jones 2 - 5 James McBain
Andy Hicks 1 - 5 Issara Kachaiwong
Rod Lawler 5 - 1 Kyren Wilson
Stuart Pettman 2 - 5 James Wattana
Anthony McGill 0 - 5 Ben Woollaston
Matthew Couch 5 - 4 Paul Davison
Joe Swail 5 - 3 Michael White


Today`s matches:


10am
33. Matthew Selt v. Alfie Burden
34. Tom Ford v. Liu Song
35. Anthony Hamilton v. Joe Jogia
36. Dave Harold v. Kurt Maflin
37. Mark Joyce v. Joe Delaney
38. Rory McLeod v. Barry Pinches


2.30pm
39. Robert Milkins v. David Gilbert
40. Peter Lines v. Jimmy White
41. Nigel Bond v. Bjorn Haneveer
42. Mike Dunn v. James McBain
43. Tony Drago v. Issara Kachaiwong


7pm
44. Michael Holt v. Rod Lawler
45. Steve Davis v. James Wattana
46. Jamie Burnett v. Ben Woollaston
47. Fergal O'Brien v. Matthew Couch
48. Alan McManus v. Joe Swail
*all hours are UK time


I remind you that this being the qualifiers we don’t have the possibility to watch the boys, so NO live streaming, However we have the live scoring system that’s available here and this blog to keep you in touch with snooker ;-)


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China Open 2011 (etapa de calificare) - Ziua 2

07:00:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Kurt Maflin isi continua cursa
O zi destul de interesanta aici in Sheffield avand in vedere ca gasca chinezutilor a ramas doar cu un sigur reprezentant din cei patru (insa il mai aveam pe Liang Wenbo gata sa concureze duminica), in timp ce echipa thailandeza si i-a pastrat pe toti (mai precis doi).
Scorurile inregistrate nu au fost prea diferite de cele din prima zi, insa am avut parte de cateva surprize din partea unor jucatori ;-)


Andra Zhang avea sa deschida ziua secunda a etapei de calificare, acesta razboindu-se la masa 1 cu Alfie Burden si...pierzand in cele din urma cu scorul de 5-1, in timp ce la masa 3, Xiao Guodoung era infrant de Joe Jorgia cu scorul de 5-2. Singurul chinezut ce a reusit sa isi invinga adversarul a fost Liu Song, acesta eliminandu-l fara prea mari dubii pe Adrian Gunnell cu 5-0, in timp ce tizul acestuia, Liu Chuang urma sa piarda meciul sustinut in fata lui "The Whirlwind" Jimmy White cu 5-3.
Thailandezii au un loc asigurat in runda cu numarul trei, Issara Kachaiwong trecand cu 5-1 de Andy Hicks, in timp de James Wattana castiga meciul jucat impotriva lui Stuart Pettman cu 5-2.


Jack Lisowski
Dupa ce in prima zi de competitie, Kurt Maflin il elimina din "afarerea China Open" pe Simon Bedford, iata ca in ziua cu numarul doi avea sa il intalneasca pe Jack Lisowski, un adversar cat se poate de periculos. Insa ce meci frumos a fost! S-au jucat toate cele 9 frame-uri permise si s-au inscris patru break-uri de peste 100 de puncte (doua de caciula). Si cum deja stim de la Jimmy White ca atmosfera a fost cam incinsa (la propriu), va dati seama cat de incinsa a fost pentru cei doi adaugand si "figuratul" :-P

Kurt a fost cel care a spart gheata castigand primul frame, insa Jack a rezolvat deficitul inscriind un frumos 116. Ambitios din fire, rezprezentantul Norvegiei (nascut insa pe plaiuri cat se poate de britanice) a preluat din nou controlul meciului, dar Jack a raspuns cu un 106 pentru a egala la 2-2. Acum era randul lui Kurt sa isi inscrie primul break-minune, asa ca a lovit un 115 ce il ducea din nou la conducere, de aceasta data insa raspunsul lui Lisowski fiind mult mai complex, jucatorul urcand doua trepte. cat sa stabileasca scorul la 4-3 (era pentru prima oara la conducere). Maflin insa nu s-a impacientat, inscriind un 140 (cel mai mare break de pana acum in calificari) si ducand meciul in frame decisiv, pe care l-a si castigat de altfel. Superb jucat! :-)


Belgia poate fi mandra de "trimisul" special, Bjorn Haneveer castigandu-si primul meci cu 5-3 in fata lui Kuldesh Johal (e ceva timp de cand nu l-am mai vazut pe belgian castigand ceva, chiar si un meci de calificare), in timp ce Ben Woollaston, cel care a dat startul break-urilor de peste 100 de puncte in prima zi, si-a continuat cursa trecand cu 5-0 de scotianul Anthony McGill.


Couch si Davison au fost ultimii jucatori ramasi in academie
Si pentru ca tot suntem la capitolul scotieni, Paul Davison a avut de dat o lupta grea in fata lui Matthew Couch, cei doi fiind ultimii jucatori ce au parasit academia din Sheffield. Un meci greu care a ajuns inevitabil in frame decisiv.
Desi Davison a preluat conducerea cu 2-0, lui Couch nu i-a trebuit prea mult timp sa egaleze, castigand cu rabdare cate un frame pe rand si chiar inca doua in plus pentru a stabilii scorul la 4-2 (penultimul frame castigat la diferenta de doar 3 puncte! 69-66). Paul a reusit sa egaleze, un efort ce insa nu a fost pe deplin rasplatit, Matt castigand frame-ul decisiv, si implicit meciul cu 5-4.


Break-urile de peste 100 de puncte inregistrate astazi: David Gilbert (101), Jack Lisowski (106,116), Kurt Maflin (115, 140), Stuart Pettman (136) si Jimmy Robertson (138).


Rezultatele complete pentru cea de-a doua zi:
Alfie Burden 5 - 1 Zhang Anda
Adrian Gunnell 0 - 5 Liu Song
Joe Jogia 5 - 2 Xiao Guodong
Jack Lisowski 4 - 5 Kurt Maflin
Jimmy Robertson 3 - 5 Joe Delaney
Barry Pinches 5 - 3 Liam Highfield
Ian McCulloch 0 - 5 David Gilbert
Jimmy White 5 - 3 Liu Chuang
Bjorn Haneveer 5 - 3 Kuldesh Johal
Jamie Jones 2 - 5 James McBain
Andy Hicks 1 - 5 Issara Kachaiwong
Rod Lawler 5 - 1 Kyren Wilson
Stuart Pettman 2 - 5 James Wattana
Anthony McGill 0 - 5 Ben Woollaston
Matthew Couch 5 - 4 Paul Davison
Joe Swail 5 - 3 Michael White


Programul de astazi:


12:00
33. Matthew Selt vs. Alfie Burden
34. Tom Ford vs. Liu Song
35. Anthony Hamilton vs. Joe Jogia
36. Dave Harold vs. Kurt Maflin
37. Mark Joyce vs. Joe Delaney
38. Rory McLeod vs. Barry Pinches


16:30
39. Robert Milkins vs. David Gilbert
40. Peter Lines vs. Jimmy White
41. Nigel Bond vs. Bjorn Haneveer
42. Mike Dunn vs. James McBain
43. Tony Drago vs. Issara Kachaiwong


21:00
44. Michael Holt vs. Rod Lawler
45. Steve Davis vs. James Wattana
46. Jamie Burnett vs. Ben Woollaston
47. Fergal O'Brien vs. Matthew Couch
48. Alan McManus vs. Joe Swail
*program actualizat pentru Romania


Va reamintesc ca fiind vorba despre o etapa de calificare, NU avem transmisiuni directe, insa avem scoruri la minut (click aici) si prezentul blog pentru stiri din snooker ;-)

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China Open 2011 qualifiers - Day 1

07:07:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

"Davids" gang fighting for the victory
As always, the first day of a qualifying rounds competition saw a wonderful diversity of players, meaning that China and Thailand were cheering like crazy for their nationals to win their first match :-)) So yes, the first day was overwhelmed by the little Chinese players and the very eager to compete Thai players, in the end the score favoring the Chinese party who has four players through tothe next round, while the Thai gang has only two.
A very classic battle was given between Ireland and England as David Morris took on David Gilbert in a match that kept us hypnotised by the live scoring system :-))) It was the only match of the first day, that was ended by a decider. ;-)


As I was telling you before, the Chinese players were at their best kicking ass all day long, no one of them losing one single battle. Anda Zhang beat Patrick Wallace by 5-2, as well as Xiao Guodong beat Dermot McGlinchey, Liu Song hammered the Thai Noppon Saengkham with a 5-1 scoreline, while the second Liu of the competition, Liu Chuang sent Jak Jones home with a 5-3 final score.

The "other side", Thailand’s team had had just one defeat, but also "a conflict of interests" as two fellow-country players had to play against each other :-))) Kidding! But it was weird to see "Double T" (aka. Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon) play Issara Kachaiwong and being eliminated 5-1. The blog will feel lonely without him to talk about :-( Man, I should interview this guy! Here’s a great idea! Just imagine the title "An interview with Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon" :-)) I don’t think you’d be interested in reading the article after reading such a looong title :-P However he is a very good player, so all credit to him even though he lost yesterday.

Ben Woollaston hits the first century break of the COQ
In the meantime, James Wattana was "saving" the team as he beat Justin Astley 5-2 and he’ll face Stuart Pettman today.


Great start for Kurt Maflin, a very talented player, who hasn’t had a very good period lately (snooker related), as he beat Simon Bedford 5-2. Unfortunately I can’t say the same about the only girl in the main tour, for Reanne Evans lost yet another match :-( Although she won her first frame, her opponent, Ben Woollaston ended the match with a 5-1 lead as he hit the first (and only, so far) century break of the China Open Q. - a beautiful 130.
But one of the most exciting matches of the day was the one played by David Morris and David Gilbert. The David’s gang showed us what it means to play all nine frames at a time, as their battle ended up on a decider. Although Morris was the first to open the score, Gilbert won the next frame, but the Irishman succeeded in taking the lead by cashing the following two frames and setting the score at 3-1 in his favor. Gilbert made a comeback (the second frame was won only by a difference of four points 66-62), but Morris moved one step further from his as he cashed the 7th frame just by being two points ahead (68-66).
However, the Englishman succeeded in equalising the situation and bringing the match to a decider, that he won with a final score of 63-51. Tight, tight, tight!


Here are China Open qualifiers - Day 1 results:
Patrick Wallace 2 - 5 Zhang Anda
Liu Song 5 - 1 Noppon Saengkham
Xiao Guodong 5 - 2 Dermot McGlinchey
Simon Bedford 2 - 5 Kurt Maflin
Andrew Pagett 2 - 5 Joe Delaney
Liam Highfield 5 - 2 Jamie O'Neill
David Morris 4 - 5 David Gilbert
Liu Chuang 5 - 3 Jak Jones
Igor Figueiredo 2 - 5 Kuldesh Johal
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon 1 - 5 Issara Kachaiwong
James Wattana 5 - 2 Justin Astley
Ben Woollaston 5 - 1 Reanne Evans
Paul Davison 5 - 3 Adam Wicheard
Michael White 5 - 3 Michael Judge


Today’s schedule:


10am
17. Alfie Burden v. Zhang Anda
18. Adrian Gunnell v. Liu Song
19. Joe Jogia v. Xiao Guodong
20. Jack Lisowski v. Kurt Maflin
21. Jimmy Robertson v. Joe Delaney
22. Barry Pinches v. Liam Highfield


2.30pm
23. Ian McCulloch v. David Gilbert
24. Jimmy White v. Liu Chuang
25. Bjorn Haneveer v. Kuldesh Johal
26. Jamie Jones v. James McBain
27. Andy Hicks v. Issara Kachaiwong


7pm
28. Rod Lawler v. Kyren Wilson
29. Stuart Pettman v. James Wattana
30. Anthony McGill v. Ben Woollaston
31. Matthew Couch v. Paul Davison
32. Joe Swail v. Michael White
*all hours are UK time


Good luck to the boys and see you tomorrow for some comments ;-)

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China Open 2011 (etapa de calificare) - Ziua 1

07:06:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Cei doi David-zi lupta pentru victorie
Asa cum ne-am obisnuit deja, primele zile ale unei etape de calificare pentru un turneu de puncte sunt "napadite" de nume straineze, cu tente asiatice, asa ca suflarea amatoare de snooker din China, dar si cea din Thailanda, au sperat sa isi vada nationalii faimosi castigandu-si prima intrevedere. Da, asa cum era de asteptat multe nume chinezesti si thailandeze si-au disputat primul meci, in final echipa Chinei trecand cu patru jucatori in runda secunda, in timp de Thailanda are doar doua.
Ziua de ieri a fost marcata de o batalie tipica pentru ciocnirea Irlandei cu Anglia, David Morris si David Gilbert tinandu-ne lipiti de ecranul calculatorului ce "exprima" scorul dintre cei doi. ;-)


Dupa cum va bine spuneam la inceput, echipele asiatice din concurs si-au cam facut de cap. :-P China va fi reprezentata mai departe de catre Anda Zhang, micutul chinezut trecand cu scorul de 5-2 de Patrick Wallace, scor inregistrat si de Xiao Guodong impotriva lui Dermot McGlinchey, in timp ce Liu Song il stergea din ecuatie pe thailandezul Noppon Saengkham cu 5-1, iar celalalt Liu din competitie, Liu Chuang, il elimina pe Jak Jones cu 5-3.


In tabara thailandezilor s-a inregistrat o singura infrangere insa si un teribil "conflict de interese" intrucit doi thailandezi au trebuit sa de razboiasca intre ei! :-)) Glumeeesc! Insa, recunosc ca a fost ciudat sa il vad pe "Double T" (aka.Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon) infrant de Iassara Kachaiwong cu scorul de 5-1. Blogul o sa-si simta lipsa :-( Poate ca ar trebui sa ii iau un interviu domnului cu nume interminabil...va dati seama numai cum ar suna titlul : "Interviu cu Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon". Titlu de disertatie si nimic mai mult! :-)) Insa, lasand gluma la o parte, thailandezul este un jucator destul de bun, chiar daca ieri a fost infrant.

Ben Woollaston deschide ziua cu un break de 130
Salvarea venita pe final de zi, a fost cea oferita de James Wattana care a trecut cu 5-2 de Justin Astley, pentru ca astazi sa il intalneasca pe Stuart Pettman. Thailanda mai are sanse de calificare.


Start foarte bun pentru Kurt Maflin, jucator ce nu a prea avut o perioada favorabila in cariera, in ultimul timp, reprezentantul Norvegiei castigand cu 5-2 disputa cu Simon Bedfred. Din pacate insa, nu pot spune acelasi lucru si despre singura fata din circuitul profesionist, Reanne Evans pierzand inca o data calificarea, dupa ce a fost pusa la zid cu 5-1 de Ben Woollaston. Ben este de altfel si cel care a inscris primul (si singurul pana in momentul de fata) break de peste 100 de puncte, si anume un frumos 130. ;-)


Batalie apriga intre David Morris si David Gilbert, ambii dorindu-si un loc in runda cu numarul doi. Desi Morris a fost cel care a deschis scorul, Gilbert a egalat imediat. Irlandezul David s-a lansat cu scorul de 3-1, pentru ca englezul .... David :-P sa egaleze, castigand doua frame-uri la rand, cel de-al doilea la diferenta de doar 4 puncte (66-62). Morris a mai facut un efort pentru a se detasa, de aceasta data fiind randul sau sa castige la diferenta de doar 2 puncte, (de aceasta data 68-66), insa Gilbert a avut grija sa il prinda din urma si sa duca meciul in frame decisiv, pe care de altfel, l-a si castigat cu scorul de 61-53. Foarte strans!


Dar iata si rezultatele complete ale primei zile:
Patrick Wallace 2 - 5 Zhang Anda
Liu Song 5 - 1 Noppon Saengkham
Xiao Guodong 5 - 2 Dermot McGlinchey
Simon Bedford 2 - 5 Kurt Maflin
Andrew Pagett 2 - 5 Joe Delaney
Liam Highfield 5 - 2 Jamie O'Neill
David Morris 4 - 5 David Gilbert
Liu Chuang 5 - 3 Jak Jones
Igor Figueiredo 2 - 5 Kuldesh Johal
Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon 1 - 5 Issara Kachaiwong
James Wattana 5 - 2 Justin Astley
Ben Woollaston 5 - 1 Reanne Evans
Paul Davison 5 - 3 Adam Wicheard
Michael White 5 - 3 Michael Judge


Programul pentru astazi:

12:00
17. Alfie Burden vs. Zhang Anda
18. Adrian Gunnell vs. Liu Song
19. Joe Jogia vs. Xiao Guodong
20. Jack Lisowski vs. Kurt Maflin
21. Jimmy Robertson vs. Joe Delaney
22. Barry Pinches vs. Liam Highfield


16:30
23. Ian McCulloch vs. David Gilbert
24. Jimmy White vs. Liu Chuang
25. Bjorn Haneveer vs. Kuldesh Johal
26. Jamie Jones vs. James McBain
27. Andy Hicks vs. Issara Kachaiwong


21:00
28. Rod Lawler vs. Kyren Wilson
29. Stuart Pettman vs. James Wattana
30. Anthony McGill vs. Ben Woollaston
31. Matthew Couch vs. Paul Davison
32. Joe Swail vs. Michael White
*program actualizat pentru Romania


Multa bafta tuturor jucatorilor, iar noi ne revedem maine pemtru comentarii ;-)

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China Open qualifiers 2011 in action

06:54:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

To have a few days off after a big and important competition it’s always good for your mind and soul, but too much "sitting and doing nothing" is not going to help your ranking position :-)) So yep, here we go again with snooker at full speed, only that this time we have the qualifying rounds for a foreign tournament, but a very dear one to our souls - the China Open. It has tradition, it’s in a mystical and beautiful land, so the boys of snooker, along with the only girl bold enough as to beat the hell out of them, are ready to play some magnificent snooker so they could book themselves a place in the main event, due to start on 28th of March and last for seven days full.


The defending champion, the Welshman Mark Williams is also the guy who holds the record of wining that shiny "plate" (that’s how the trophy looks like :-P) three times, back in 2002, then in 2006 and last time in 2010. Second to follow, is Ronnie O`Sullivan, the one who won the first edition of this tournament (as a ranking event) in 1999, but also the next one, in 2000. What will happen next, I really don’t know, but that’s none of my concern as right now I’m looking at the players who want a place, out of those spare 16. So, let’s not waste too much time of words and wish the players the best of luck in their conquest of a China Open spot, shall we? :-P


First day schedule, looks like this:


10am
1. Patrick Wallace v. Zhang Anda
2. Liu Song v. Noppon Saengkham
3. Xiao Guodong v. Dermot McGlinchey
4. Simon Bedford v. Kurt Maflin
5. Andrew Pagett v. Joe Delaney
6. Liam Highfield v. Jamie O'Neill


2.30pm
7. David Morris v. David Gilbert
8. Liu Chuang v. Jak Jones
9. Igor Figueiredo v. Kuldesh Johal
11. Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon v. Issara Kachaiwong


7pm
13. James Wattana v. Justin Astley
14. Ben Woollaston v. Reanne Evans
15. Paul Davison v. Adam Wicheard
16. Michael White v. Michael Judge
*all hours are UK time


Please note that the rule at hand is "the best of nine" and that it’s very much likely that the qualifiers will play a wild card in China to reach the last 32 for the China Open. Also, as this are the qualifiers, we won’t be able to see the players in action, but we can follow their performances through the live scoring system. ;-)

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China Open 2011 - start pentru etapa de calificare

06:53:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

O scurta pauza dupa un turneu important si obositor este intotdeauna binevenita pentru minte si trup, insa prea mult "stat degeaba" nu o sa te ajute in clasamentul general :-)) Asa ca pornim din nou la drum, cu snooker jucat de persoane cu adevarat pasionate de ceea ce fac zi de zi, de aceasta data pregatindu-ne pentru unul dintre cele mai importante turnee de peste mari si tari - China Open. Aflat intr-o tara indepartata, magica si extrem de diferita de tot ceea ce noi numim "obisnuit", turneul are o traditie destul de frumusica si multi dintre jucatori isi doresc un loc`sor asigurat in competitia ce incepe pe data de 28 martie si ia sfarsit pe 3 aprilie.


Cel care detine recordul de trofee colectionate este chiar campionul en-titre, si anume galezul Mark Williams, care a deschis seria castigurilor in 2002, pentru ca apoi sa o continue in 2006 si sa termine (cel putin pe moment) cu cea din 2010. Cu doar doua "farfurii aurii" (cam asa arata trofeul China Open :-P) in portofoliu, este Ronnie O`Sullivan, cel care a castigat prima editie de China Open (prima ca si competitie de puncte) in anul 1999, insa si pe cea de-a doua, din 2000. Ce o sa se  intample anul acesta, nu stiu, insa ceea ce stiu este ca momentan trebuie sa ne concentram atentia spre baietii si singura fata destul de curajoasa cat sa isi incerce norocul cu ei, intreaga gasca dorindu-si unul dintre cele 16 locuri libere de China Open.
Asa ca nu are rost sa mai lungim vorba, tineti pumnii bine stransi pentru cei pe care ii indragiti si sa-i dam drumul, da? :-)


Prima zi debuteaza cu urmatoarele meciuri:


12:00
1. Patrick Wallace vs. Zhang Anda
2. Liu Song vs. Noppon Saengkham
3. Xiao Guodong vs. Dermot McGlinchey
4. Simon Bedford vs. Kurt Maflin
5. Andrew Pagett vs. Joe Delaney
6. Liam Highfield vs. Jamie O'Neill


16:30
7. David Morris vs. David Gilbert
8. Liu Chuang vs. Jak Jones
9. Igor Figueiredo vs. Kuldesh Johal
11. Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon vs. Issara Kachaiwong


21:00
13. James Wattana vs. Justin Astley
14. Ben Woollaston vs. Reanne Evans
15. Paul Davison vs. Adam Wicheard
16. Michael White vs. Michael Judge
*programul este actualizat pentru Romania

De retinut ca regula de joc este "cel mai bun din 9" si ca este foarte posibil ca cei ce se vor califica sa joace impotriva unui wild card in China pentru a ajunge in runda de "Last 32". De asemenea, cum avem etapa de calificare, inseamna ca nu avem transmisiuni LIVE, insa le putem urmarii evolutia jucatorilor prin sistemul de scoruri la minut. ;-)

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Interview: The South West Snooker Academy - out of passion for snooker (part II)

17:55:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Mr. Mount along with Stephen Lee,the ETPC 4 event winner
Yesterday I presented you the first part of a lovely interview with the South West Snooker Academy gang. Today, the story continues.....

So hosting the World Open pre-qualifying, constantly improving their playing facilities, offering “legendary snooker on bread” to all the snooker fans out there…what more was the SWSA going to amaze us with? Maybe staging a new ranking-event…let’s say the EPTC 4 event? You can betcha!


Although the ETPC 4 tournament was scheduled for Germany, due to lack of ticket sales and the concern that the event was not financially viable to go ahead in this country (this was the forth competition that would have been staged in Germany), World Snooker decided it would be a great idea if they would ask the SWSA to be the host. Mr. Mount gladly accepted this marking the moment when all the eyes were on the beautiful and brand new re-opened Snooker Academy from Gloucester.


“The players all enjoyed playing at the Academy and were impressed with the facilities we can offer. It was great to see so many fantastic players playing in our Academy and only four months after we had opened. Now that the players and World Snooker have seen what we can offer, we would hope it would lead to more World Snooker events at the South West Snooker Academy.”, confessed Mr. Mount.


SL: You have a mighty “Pink Army” at your orders. :) How did the captain find his recruits?


PM: “The Pink Army now has 18 recruits and we are very happy with the mixture of experience and youth. We have a fantastic array of players and some very promising young talent. All of our players are players who approached me looking for a manager or to get involved with the Academy. We have a fantastic team spirit and I truly believe our team is full of talent and, just as importantly, honest and decent people who I enjoy working with.”


The Pink Army
SL: And now is “bragging time”!!! How were the first eight months of life for the SWSA? Was “she” a well behaved “girl”?


PM: “The first 8 months of the Academy have been fantastic and we are really pleased to be able to look back at the events we have held there already.
We have had the Pink Ribbon, World Open Qualifier, Jimmy v Tony Exhibition and EPTC4! We already have lots of thing in the pipeline for 2011 including the second Pink Ribbon tournament to mark the anniversary of the Academy. At least this year's Pink Ribbon will be a little more relaxed with no worries of not being able to open!
We also have our new Q School Preparation Series which gives players the chance to win their £1000 Q School entry fee to be paid for them by us.”


And since we are on this subject I think it is impetuously necessary to add that the common fee requested from every player that wants to enter this QSP (Q School Preparation) series has been reduced, from £500 to £350, in order to give everyone a fair chance during these hard times. The QSP series is basically an event designed to prepare snooker players more so they can obtain better results while entering the Q School (the new way of making it into the Main tour).


SL: I’m sure you’ve had a helping hand given by friends and people who are as passionate as you are about snooker, in putting this beautiful Academy together. Who would you like to thank?


PM: “Family are the obvious ones to thank as they have given their support unconditionally throughout the process. My daughter Sarah has been a great help and I have enjoyed sharing this experience with her and would like to thank her for all of the hours she has put into the Academy.

Family...always there for you
All of the builders who worked relentlessly to ensure the Academy was completed to the highest standard in time for the opening including the project manager and my good friend, John Redfern. Also, Colin Jones who worked tirelessly to ensure we were ready for the exhibition evening. All of the staff at MIUS (Mount Intrenational Ultrasound Services Ldt.) who have always given me their support in everything I do. Brandon Parker and Terry Griffiths were also a great support throughout the process which was much appreciated.

All of the On Q Promotions (Mr. Mount`s managing company) players and staff who have always given me their support-it is great to now see them using the facilities. Finally, to everyone who has visited the Academy as either a player or a spectator. We have been overwhelmed by the level of support in the first 8 months and we look forward to seeing many more snooker fans in the future.”


A very important part, as Mr. Mount previously said, has been played by his lovely daughter, Sarah Mount a very ambitious and devoted person, whom I was lucky to have talked to.
She has a pretty amazing story for a girl her age (she’s only 27), working with her dad happening more as an accident rather then by a strong and determinate choice of hers.

As any teenager she was eager to gain her independency and fulfill her dreams so she started by going to Bournemouth University to study Retail Management but in her final year she realised she didn’t want a career in retail so she decided it is for the best to enter a Master program in TV production (her dream as a child). She worked very hard and got to play some small parts in productions such as “Big Brother” and “Britain’s got talent”, but somehow, at the end of the day she didn’t feel like this was it; plus, as she says “I was getting frustrated with the lack of opportunities”. But when God closes a door, somewhere He opens a window…so the inevitable happened and she started working with her dad.


Sarah`s NOT daddy`s little girl, but his right hand
“I was offered to help my Dad out with office based work as I had a lot of free time and I could be flexible if any television work came up! Within a few months I was suggesting I have a contract and I've worked for Dad full time ever since-that was almost two years ago. Come to think of it, I'm not sure how much of a choice my Dad had in me following in his footsteps but I think we compliment each other well and I love my job and all of the people I work with-I am very lucky! When I really caught the buzz and decided to focus fully on snooker with my Dad as opposed to looking for freelance television work was after the 2009 Grand Prix. I spent several days there supporting Robert Milkins and I had such a great time that there was no question in my mind to what I wanted to do thereafter.”


Although she is not what you would call a regular snooker player, being more a football lover (as she likes to describe herself) I don’t think I’m wrong, when I say that she is deeply devoted to the snooker business. She works beside her father and along with the whole team to provide the snooker players with the best facilities and try and help those who want to make it in the snooker industry.

As we all know from being an amateur player to being one who makes thousands of fans come to your matches it’s a pretty long way, practicing and giving it 100% being part of the plan. But for practice you need a place, a place where you can feel like home, a place that suits your needs, a place that also offers coaching and management for those in search of these types of things – this is where the SWSA kicks in.
Still, snooker is not just about the players, but also about the fans, the supporters that come to see their idols play and that’s why the SWSA took care of putting together a very friendly web-site, especially for those who want to keep an eye on what’s going on with snooker.


“We are going to be providing exclusive features on the Academy and the players who practice there. Since the launch of the new site, we have hosted EPTC4 and we streamed two of the tables live for all three days of the main event and, except for a couple of small technical issues, it ran smoothly and visitors to our site were happy with the quality of both the stream and the snooker they got to watch.

The practicing tables at the SWSA
We ran an online advent calendar over Xmas where we tried to give visitors a small treat each day they visited. We featured Xmas themed interviews with the SWSA players, exclusive videos and pictures including photos of the SWSA players enjoying Xmas as children. This is something we are keen to build on and in the New Year; we will be providing exclusive features with the players away from the table. So many people feel there are no or few characters in the game these days but the truth is, it is difficult for players to show their character when they are focusing on playing their match. Believe me, there are some right characters based at the Academy!

Overall, the website will be the place to visit for news on the Academy and an insight into the Academy players' lives on and off the table.” said Sarah


The “Pink family” of the SWSA is very passionate about snooker, there’s no doubt of that, and it was proved big time for the last eight months. It was hard, it was easy, it was fun, it was a nightmare but in the end it was a dream come true and this dream put a very important brink on “Snooker’s back baby!” wall. That wall which needs all the help it can get in order to become bigger and stronger, so snooker will finally enjoy its long and partially forgotten period of glory.


I started this article with a quote and I’m going to end it with another, this time one of Nelson Mandela’s. He said: “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that’s less than the one you are capable of living”.
Paul Mount knows what he wants from life, he had a dream, he has worked for it, he has gave it 100% of his heart and soul, he fought back even when things looked against him and he will definitely do it again if the circumstances require it. He wasn’t afraid of starting from zero, he has embraced change with its ups and downs, and he has stood still and has kept on going until the South West Snooker Academy was ready to open its arms to the players.

A champion doesn`t give up!!!
Commitment? Indeed. Believing in you and in others? Always the key. Strength? Required. Passion? That’s what makes the difference.


The SWSA story is the story of a “non-giving up” strategy practiced by Mr. Mount and his whole team. Not giving up even when the snooker business is not as popular as before, not even the economic rises is reaching its apogee, not even when people rise their eyebrows at your projects, not even when the entire world is watching you stage a EPTC event and the streaming goes down (although you double checked the signal the day before) so you find a last minute solution and keep the viewers entertain by streaming from your iphone! You just don’t give up!


SL: If you were to start all over again, would you do it the same way?


PM: “Without Doubt! I am delighted with the Academy and there is not one thing I would change.”

If you want to know more about the SWSA, please pay them a visit in Gloucester, or just visit thier lovely web-site ;-)

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Interviu: The South West Snooker Academy - din pasiune pentru snooker (partea II)

17:54:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

D-ul Mount alaturi de castigatorul EPTC 4, Stephen Lee
Daca ieri va prezentam prima parte dintr-un interviu extrem de drag mie, iata ca astazi, povestea continua...


Asa ca au gazduit etapa de pre-calificare pentru World Open, au imbunatatit conditiile de joc din cadrul academiei, au oferit „snooker legendar pe paine” tuturor fanilor avizi dupa evenimente de acest gen...oare cu ce avea sa ne mai uimeasca SWSA in continuare? Poate ca aveau sa gazduiasca o competitie de puncte? Poate chiar EPTC 4? Ei, bine DA! :-)


Chiar daca EPTC 4 a fost programat sa aibe loc in Germania, datorita faptului ca nu s-au inregistrat vanzari prea mari de bilete si exista temerea ca evenimentul sa nu fie viabil din punct de vedere financiar (era deja cea a patra competitie din seria EPTC gazduita de Germania), World Snooker a decis ca ar fi mult mai intelept sa mute turneul chiar la ei in tara, asa ca le-au propus idea celor de la SWSA. D-ul Mount a acceptat, acest eveniment marcand momentul in care toti ochii curiosi ai planetei s-au indreptat catre academia din Gloucester.


„Toti jucatorii s-au simtit bine jucand la noi si au fost impresionati de conditiile pe care le oferim. A fost de-a dreptul extraordinar sa vedem atat de multi jucatori faimosi jucand chiar aici, la noi, la doar 4 luni de cand ne-am deschis portiile.
Acum ca atat jucatorii cat si cei de la World Snooker au vazut ceea ce puteam face si ce putem oferii, sper sa mai fim invitati spre a fi partasi la astfel de evenimente.”, a declarat d-ul Paul Mount.


SL: Aveti o „Armata roz” la dispozitia dvs. Cum si-a recrutrat capitanul, cadetii ? :-P


PM: „Armata roz” are acum 18 jucatori si suntem foarte incantati de combinatia dintre experienta si varsta. Avem o paleta fantastica de jucatori si cativa jucatori carora le prevad un viitor stralucit in snooker. Fiecare dintre cei care acum fac parte din echipa m-au contactat pentru a aveau nevoie de un antrenor si de o firma care sa ii reprezinte.
Avem o echipa frumoasa, si spun cu mana pe inima, ca toti baietii sunt extrem de talentati, insa cel mai importat, sunt persoane decente si oneste, cu care este o adevarata placere sa lucrezi.”


Armata roz in plina sarbatoare
SL: Si acum a venit vremea pentru laude. Cum au fost primele opt luni de viata ale academiei? A fost ea o „fetita” cuminte? :-)


PM: „Primele 8 luni de viata au fost extraordinare, iar acum cand privim in urma la evenimentele pe care le-am organizat si gazduit, suntem extrem de bucurosi. Am avut „Pink Ribbon”, etapa de pre-calificare pentru World Open, evenimentul Jimmy White vs. Tony Drago si EPTC 4!
Desi avem in plan multe lucruri noi pentru anul curent, vrem sa tinem cel de-al doilea turneu „Pink Ribbon” pentru a marca astfel aniversarea academiei. Macar anul acesta nu va trebui sa ne facem griji ca nu primim autorizatia de deschidere :-)).
In plus, avem deja inceputa „Q School Preparation Series”(QSPS), un program care da oportunitatea jucatorilor sa castige 1.000£, pentru a se inscrie la ”Q School” (Scoala de snooker, noua modalitate de a intra in circuitul profesionist n.a.).”


Si daca tot suntem la subiectul „scoala” este absolut necesar sa va povestesc faptul ca taxa de inscriere pentru a intra in programul QSPS, a fost redusa de la 500£ la 350£, astfel incit fiecare jucator dornic de afirmare sa isi poata permite acest lucru, in contexul vremurilor nu prea favorabile din punct de vedere financiar si economic.


SL: Un proiect atat de grandios precum acesta (SWSA), nu poate fi realizat singur. Cine au fost persoanele care v-au ajutat si au fost alaturi de dvs. de-a lungul intregului proces si cui ati vrea sa ii multumiti?


PM: „Familiei, in primul si primul rand, pentru ca s-a dovedit a fi mereu langa mine si a-mi oferi sprijinul lor in mod neconditionat. Fiicei mele Sarah, pentru tot ajutorul si toate orele petrecute in cadrul academiei pentru a totul sa fie facut ca la carte. A fost o reala placere sa pot lucra alaturi de ea si sa impart fiecare bucurie ori realizare.

Familia...mereu langa tine :-)
Apoi, vreau sa le multumesc tuturor muncitorilor ce au depus un efort extrem de mare pentru ca academia sa fie terminata la timp si in conditii ce depasesc un standard obisnuit, precum si managerului de proiect, prietenului meu John Redfern. De asemenea lui Colin Jones, celui care a muncit zi si noapte, pentru a se asigura ca totul este pregatit pentru evenimentul de re-deschidere (White vs. Drago), dar si echipei de la MIUS (Mount International Ultrasouns Servicei Ldt.- prima companie fondata de d-ul Mout n.a.). Nu pot sa nu ii mentionez pe Brandon Parker si pe Terry Griffiths al caror sprijin nu poate fi exprimat in cuvinte.

Nu in ultimul rand, vreau sa le multumesc tuturor celor de la OnQ Promotions (firma de management pentru jucatori a d-ului Mount), precum si tuturor jucatorilor si a angajatilor care si-au demonstrat credinta in acest proiect de la bun inceput. In final, nu-mi ramane decat sa le multumesc celor care au trecut pragul academiei, fie in calitate de spectatori, fie de jucatori. Suntem de-a dreptul coplesiti de sprijinul pe care l-am primit in ultimele 8 luni si speram sa vedem din ce in ce mai multi fani ai snooker-ului venind sa ne viziteze.”


Asa cum d-ul Mount a spus-o mai sus, un rol foarte important l-a jucat si fiica acestuia, Sarah Mount, o persoana extrem de ambitioasa si de devotata, cu care am avut placerea sa vorbesc. Are o poveste destul de incredibila pentru varsta pe care o poseda (doar 27 de ani), iar faptul ca a ajuns sa lucreze pentru tatal ei, a fost o pura intamplare.


Ca orice adolescent ce se respecta, Sarah si-a cautat destul de devreme un drum in viata, incercand sa devina independenta cat mai repede posibil. S-a inscris la Universitatea din Bournemouth, pentru a studia „Management de vanzari”, insa in ultimul an a realizat ca nu este tocmai ceea ce isi doreste sa faca in viata, asa ca a urmat un master in „Productie TV” (visul ei de mic copil). A muncit din greu si chiar a primit cateva roluri in productii ca „Big Brother” sau „Britain`s got talent”, insa la sfarsitul zilei parea ca nu se simte implinita si multumita de ceea ce face si asa cum bine o spune „am devenit extrem de frustrata de lipsa oportunitatilor”.
Dar cand Dumnezeu inchide o usa, deschide un geam, asa ca inevitabilul s-a produs si a inceput sa munceasca pentru tatal sau.

Sarah NU este fetita lui tata,ci mana lui dreapta
„Tatal meu m-a rugat sa il ajut in birotica si cum aveam destul de mult timp liber iar programul era flexibil astfel incat daca aparea vreun job in televizune puteam sa il fac, am acceptat. Dupa ceva timp mi s-a oferit sa am un contract stabil si sa lucrez full-time...asta intamplandu-se cam acum 2 ani. Daca stau bine sa ma gandesc nu stiu cat impact a avut tata in decizia mea de a ramane sa lucrez pentru el, insa ne completam reciproc si adevarul este ca imi iubesc job-ul. Imi iubesc job-ul si ador oamenii cu care lucrez. Sunt foarte norocoasa, recunosc! :-)
De vreme ce ma prinsese microbul snooker-ului, am decis sa ma implic 100%, asa ca atunci cand am petrecut vreo doua zile la campionatul GrandPrinx 2009, fiind atat de aproape de jucatori si facand galerie pentru Robert Milkins, mi-am dat seama ca asta este! Asta este ceea ce imi doresc sa fac!”


Desi nu este ceea ce a-i numi „jucator de snooker”, Sarah preferand fotbalul mai mult, nu cred ca a-si gresi cand as spune ca este o persoana devotata total acestui sport cu tacul. Lucreaza alaturi de tatal ei dar si alaturi de intrega echipa pentru a oferi jucatorilor conditii optime pentru antrenament, dar si pentru a acorda o sansa celor care vor sa aiba in viitor in industria snookeristica.
Dupa cum bine stiti, de la a juca snooker in calitate de amator, pana la a avea sali intregi pline de fani care sa isi strige numele, este un drum destul de lung si de anevoios, antrenamentul fiind primul pas si cel mai important element al meseriei de jucator de snooker. Insa pentru a te antrena ai nevoie de un loc, un loc unde sa te simtit bine, unde sa beneficiezi de conditii asemanantoare cu cele in care se antreneaza numele grele din snooker, ai nevoie de un antrenor bun insa si de o persoana care sa-si reprezinte interesele pe mai departe – toate aceastea (si lista ar mai putea continua) le poti gasi aici, la South West Snooker Academy. 

Sala de antrenament de la SWSA
Dar snooker-ul nu se rezuma doar la jucatori, ci si la fani. Cei care il sprijina, cei care calatoresc de multe ori, peste mari si tari, pentru a ajuge in locul undei idolii lor joaca. Tocmai de aceea SWSA a lansat un site prietenos, cu multe stiri despre jucatorii de snooker, poze, filmulete, barfe si tot ceea ce are nevoie ochiul curious al unui fan infocat.


„Procesul de actualizare al site-ului este continuu, asa ca cititorii nostri for putea fi la curent cu tot ceea ce se petrece in viata jucatorilor nostrii dar si in viata academiei. La putin timp dupa lasnarea site-ului, am gazduit EPTC 4, asa ca am profitat de ocazie pentru a transmite LIVE pe internet, meciurile de la trei dintre cele cinci mese de joc, si exceptand cateva probleme tehnice ce ne-au cam dat de furca, in rest totul a mesr bine, iar vizitatorii nostrii s-au declarat multumiti.

Pe toate perioada Craciunului, am avut un Calendar special, fiecare zi corespunzandu-i unui jucator astfel incat vizitatorii puteau afla detalii picante despre viata lor. Am avut insa si interviuri in exclusivitate, fisiere video si audio cu jucatorii nostrii, poze de cand acestia erau mici etc. Si aveam de gand sa continuam si anul acesta! ;-)
Acum ne axam pe a publica interviuri cu jucatorii, insa vrem sa aratam mai multe din viata lor ca si persoane simple si nu viata lor ca si competitori. Foarte multi oameni isi doresc sa vada adevarata fata a celor care se prezinta la turnee diverse si sincer va spun ca au ce povestii. Avem niste figuri extrem de interesante!”, ne-a declarat Sarah.


„Familia roz” de la SWSA este una innebunita si pasionata de snooker nevoie mare, nu am nici cel mai mic dubiu in aceasta privinta, mai ales ca acest lucru a fost dovedit cu varf si indesat pe parcursul celor 8 luni de viata. A fost greu, a fost usor, a fost amuzant, a fost un cosmar, insa in final a fost un vis devenit realitate, un vis ce pune o piatra extrem de solida la temeia snooker-ului, cazut in anonimat in ultimii ani.


Am inceput articolul de fata prin enuntarea unui citat si am sa il inchei la fel. Nelson Mandela spunea: „Nu exista pasiune in lucrurile nesemnificative, in a trai o viata ce se dovedeste a fi cu mult sub posibilitatiile tale de a o trai.” 


Un campion nu renunta niciodata!
D-ul Paul Mount a stiut ce vrea de la viata, a avut un vis, a muncit pentru el, s-a daruit in totalitate trup si suflet, a luptat in ciuda piedicilor puse de altii si nu cred ca se va da inlaturi de a actiona la fel, daca circumstantele o vor cere. Nu i-a fost teama sa incepa de la zero, sa imbratiseze schimbarea cu tot cu urcusurile si coborasurile ei, si-a pastrat demnitatea si a continuat pana cand the South West Snooker Academy a fost pregatita sa-si deschida bratele in fata jucatorilor.
Angajament? Intr-adevar. Sa crezi in tine si in cei din juru-ti? Intotdeauna. Putere? Necesara. Pasiune? In asta consta diferenta.


Povestea SWSA este o poveste a strategiei de a nu te da batut, indeplinita de d-ul Mount si intreaga sa echipa. Sa nu te dai batut atunci cand snooker-ul nu este la fel de popular ca acum cativa ani, sa nu te dau batut cand criza economica iti bate in geam, sa nu te dai batut cand toata lumea isi ridica spranceana in fata visului tau, sa nu te dai batut nici macar atunci cand toata planeta este cu ochii atintiti la tine in momentul in care transmiti LIVE pe internet competitia EPTC 4 si conexiunea cade (desi ai verificat-o de doua ori inainte), asa ca gasesti o solutie de ultim moment si trasmiti pe pe Iphone-ul din dotare (nu conteaza cat de astronomica va fi factura). Pur si simplu, nu renunti! ;-)


SL: Daca ar trebui sa o luati de la capat, ati face lucrurile la fel?


PM: „Fara indoiala! Sunt extrem de fericit cu ceea ce am realizat pentru Academie si nu as schimba absolut nimic. „

Daca vreti sa aflati mai multe despre SWSA, puteti sa le vizitati prietenosul site, dand click aici.

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