China Open 2011 - Day 4 (part I)

14:25:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Another great comeback from Shaun Murphy
After some really nice battles of cues and some surprises, we have the first four names through to the quarter-finals round, due to take place tomorrow. Stephen Lee took down another Welshman, this time it was Ryan Day, Judd Trump continued his wonderful run, defeating Mark Davis, Shaun Murphy took "revenge" on the Chinese wildcard that eliminated two former world champions, as for the current world champion things weren’t so great; he lost to Peter Ebdon.


Another "wise" decision not to cover the Lee v. Day match on television! Why is that?! I don’t know, but what I know is that it deserved to be showed to the viewers.
'The Bulldog" Lee took the opening frame, but things were going to get shared until the mid-session interval kicked off, as Day hit an 88 to draw at 1-1, Lee replayed by taking the second frame with a 47 break and Day made another half century break, this time a 78, to set the score at 2-2.

Peter Ebdon takes down the world champion
However, things were going to take a very different course after the break, as Stephen Lee stormed in to win all the remaining frames and close the deal with another Welshman at 5-2. First name through to the quarter-finals!


Judd Trump booked himself a place into the next round as well, by ending the match played against Mark Davis on the same scoreline, 5-2.
The youngster took the first three frames as to go 3-0 up, with a set of 69 and another 69, Davis succeeded in pulling one back as to enter the interval being lead just by two points, but the first frame after the break was over was going to be also cashed by Trump.
One more effort to go 4-2 behind the EPTC 1 winner, but it was not enough as Judd was with one foot and four toes into the quarter-finals, breaks of 33 and 24 sealing his victory.


Shaun Murphy seems to have a new habit: remarkable comebacks. He did it in the match against Joe Perry when he was 3-1 down and he did it once more today against Li Hang.
Break of 91 and 54 were putting the little Chinese 2-0 in front, but Murphy succeeded in winning his first frame with a top break of 64. Still, Li had one more ace to play, in the form of a 59 one, for he set the score at 3-1 up, as the boys were entering their tea break.

Robbo failing to qualify for the quarter-finals
Just like he used us to act or re-act, Murphy made his comeback after the break, as to go just one step away from victory, at 4-3, breaks of 64 and 85 helping him achieve that.
However, since Hang was now just one point behind he forced the match into a decider, a decider that, sadly for him, didn’t win, Murphy earning his quarter-finals sport fair and square.


The last match to end the morning session was the one between Neil Robertson and Peter Ebdon, the last one being able to defeat the current world champion with an amazing 5-1 scoreline.
It was a slow match....like dhaaaa! Since Ebbo was one of the players, it was only normal, but he played rather well and did real damage to Neil’s confidence I think. The Australian didn’t seem to get anything right and as soon as he was given a chance he would lose it right away.
Runs of 85, 65 and 42 were setting the score 4-0, in favor of Peter, when Roobo hit a marvelous 80 to give his fans hope for a comeback. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, the next frame being won, after a tremendous battle, by Ebdon.


The day continues with the following matches:


From 12:30 (UK time)
Stephen Hendry v. Ding Junhui
John Higgins v. Ricky Walden
Robert Milkins v. Mark Selby
Ali Carter v. Marcus Campbell


TV coverage:
12:00 - 12:30 British EuroSport
12:30 - 15:45 British EuroSport (live)

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Ziua 4 (partea I)

14:23:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Shaun Murphy se specializeaza in reveniri spectaculoase
Dupa primele patru meciuri disputate in cursul diminetii de astazi, avem, in mod logic, si primele nume calificate pentru sferturile de finala. Stephen Lee a reusit sa invinga inca un galez, de aceasta data fiind vorba despre Ryan Day, Judd Trump nu s-a dezis nici de aceasta data, continundu-si evolutia spectaculoasa si trecand de Mark Davis, Shaun Murphy l-a eliminat pe chinezul responsabil de "plecarea" celor doi fost campioni mondiali din competitie, in timp ce pentru actualul campion mondial, Neil Robertson, lucrurile nu erau prea roze, acesta fiind infrant de Peter Ebdon.


Inca o decizie "inteleapta" a celor de la EuroSport, sa nu se difuzeze unul dintre cele mai frumoase si spectaculoase meciuri ale zilei, si anume cel dintre Stephen Lee si Ryan Day.
Asa cum era de asteptat, cei doi au intrat la pauza fiind la egalitate 2-2, dupa ce englezul isi adjudeca primul si cel de-al treilea frame cu break-uri de 44 si 47, in timp ce galezul le castiga pe al doilea si pe al patrulea cu o serie formata din 88 si 79. Totusi, dupa cele 15 minute, Stephen nu avea sa ii mai dea vreo sansa de castig lui Ryan, acesta preluand urmatoarele trei frame-uri si prinzand primul loc liber din sferturi. Scor final: 5-2

Peter Ebdon il elimina cu campionul mondial en-titre
Inca un meci interesant si incheiat cu acelasi rezultat final de 5-2 a fost cel in care Judd Trump l-a intalnit pe Mark Davis.
Tanarul jucator a acaparat primele trei frame-uri cu ajutorul a doua break-uri de 69 de puncte, dar Davis reusea sa isi adjudece primul joc chiar inainte de intrarea in pauza, astfel fiind condus cu 3-1. Fara a inscrie mari break-uri castigatorul de EPTC 1, de anul trecut, isi mai adauga un frame la colectie, de aceasta data apropiindu-se destul de periculos de victoria finala. Inca o "zvacnire" de-a lui Mark pentru 4-2, insa urmatorul frame avea sa fie castigat de Trump, care primea astfel un loc in sferturile de finala.


Murphy si-a facut un nou obicei cred, acela de a reveni in meci cand nimeni nu se mai asteapta. A facut-o in mecul jucat impotriva lui Joe Perry, pe cand era condus cu 3-1 si a facut-o si astazi in fata lui Li Hang, plecand tot de la acelasi scor.
Chinezutul responsabil de eliminarea lui Ken Doherty si a lui Graeme Dott, a fost cel care a preluat conducerea castigand primele doua frame-uri cu ajutorul unei serii formate din break-uri de 91 si 54, Murphy reusea sa mai reduca din deficit cu ajutorul unui 64, insa prima sesiune se incheia in favoarea lui Li Hang, care seta scorul la 3-1 datorita ultimelor 59 de puncte adunate de pe masa.
Asa cum ne-am obisnuit, dupa pauza, plin de elan si ambitionat la maximum, Murphy si-a inceput calatoria printre bile, lovind un 64 si un 85 pentru egala, decizand insa in ultmele minute sa mai castige inca un frame, ce il aducea pentru prima oara la conducere 4-3.

Inca o "iesire" timpurie pentru Robbo
Cum scorul nu era unul care sa-l sperie pe chinez, Li a fortat ajungerea meciului in frame decisiv, pe care insa nu a reusit sa il castige, Murphy rasufland usurat dupa ce a reusit sa treaca de inca un meci.


Ultima disputa din prima sesiune, avea sa fie sustinuta de Neil Robertson si Peter Ebdon, ultimul numit realizand una dintre cele mai importante victorii din ultima perioada de timp si invingandu-l pe australian cu scorul de 5-1!
Fireste, a fost un meci lent, doar il aveam pe Ebbo in arena, insa a jucat destul de bine. Break-uri de 85,65 si 42 de puncte ii aduceau lui Peter primele patru frame-uri, in timp ce Robbo lovea un 80 pentru a-si adjudeca primul frame din meci. Din pacate acest fapt nu a inseamnat si inceputul unei reveniri, Ebbo incheind meciul imediat dupa frame-ul umator.


Ziua continua cu urmatoarele meciuri:


Incepand cu ora 14:30 (ora Romaniei)
Stephen Hendry vs. Ding Junhui
John Higgins vs. Ricky Walden
Robert Milkins vs. Mark Selby
Ali Carter vs. Marcus Campbell


Program TV:
14:00 - 14:30 EuroSport
14:30 - 17:45 EuroSport (live)

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Day 3 (part II)

05:12:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Robert Milkins reaches the Last 16 round
Many fans were, are and will continue to be upset, because O`Sullivan lost his match against Ryan Day, but those backing Mark Selby, Ricky Walden and Robert Milkins have every reason to be happy, for their favorite players have a special place in the Last 16 round. That’s how, the last four matches of the third day, look like on a short note. One more detailed one, here we go...


Quite an entertaining match, the one between Jamie Cope and Robert Milkins started with Roberts taking the first frame and Jamie the next three, by hitting a top break of 50; however the first frame was a very close one and it could have gone either way.
It was 3-1 in favor of Cope, when the mid-session interval kicked off, just in time for Milkins to do some rethinking about his snooker strategy. Well, whatever he did, he did well, because after the break he returned more powerful than ever, as he took all the remaining frames with breaks of 32, 50, 33, 56 and a wonderful 142!!! The highest break so far!
So, in conclusion, Milkins coped with Jamie very well. Final score: 5-3.


Ryan Day beats Ronnie O`Sullivan
A genuine battle of cues was given between Mark Selby and Tian Pengfei as the boys ended their battle on a 5-3 final result, but with a great show in between.
A break of 49 was bringing the Chinese player the first frame, but runs of 38 and 34 were putting Selby in the lead 2-1. Pengfei hit a beautiful 101 to draw as the boys took their 15 minutes break, but as soon as that was over, "The Jester from Leicester" cashed the following frame with a 45, Tian`s response being a 55 that leveled the score once more.
However that was Pengfei last contribution to this match, Selby firing in breaks of 56,38 and 56 to book himself a place into the next round.


Ronnie O`Sullivan`s fans were starting to breath again when their idol took the first frame in the match played against Ryan Day and even when Ryan won the second frame they didn’t worry too much as "The Rocket" hit a wonderful 123 to set the score at 2-1. Was O`Sullivan back in business? Unfortunately not.
The mighty Welshman Day "made his day" and took the rest of the remaining frames, hitting a nice and steady 100 break in the way through victory.

Walden focusing on winning
O`Sullivan made many, many mistakes and although Day’s performance wasn’t the best he can provide, he was wise enough as to keep himself together and take advantage of those balls that Ronnie was "leaving" him to pot. Things don’t look good for "The Rocket"!


One match ended on a decider and sadly it wasn’t televised. By all means, they need to reconsider what matches to show on TV, because this one was great! Ricky Walden was facing Martin Gould, two players with great potential, but who had not such an easy road to follow lately.
The boys shared frames (breaks of 70 and 67 for Ricky and 71 and 59 for Martin) until the score reached 2-2, Gouldie flying at just one step away from the victory with a bit of help from a 71 and a 37.
At 4-2, Walden’s senses were up and running, the Englishman hitting a 69 to pull one back and taking the next two frames as to earn a place into the Last 16. It was a thrilling match, a true battle of cues, as I like to call it!


Today, the Last 16 matches will kick off, so here’s the schedule:


From 07:30 (UK time)
Stephen Lee v. Ryan Day
Peter Ebdon v. Neil Robertson
Mark Davis v. Judd Trump
Li Hang v. Shaun Murphy


From 12:30 (UK time)
Stephen Hendry v. Ding Junhui
John Higgins v. Ricky Walden
Robert Milkins v. Mark Selby
Ali Carter v. Marcus Campbell


TV coverage:
07:30 - 10:30 British EuroSport (live)
12:00 - 12:30 British EuroSport
12:30 - 15:45 British EuroSport (live)

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Ziua 3 (partea II)

05:11:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Robert Milkins in optimi
In timp ce fanii lui O`Sullivan sunt total dezamagiti sau cel putin suparati de infrangerea suferita de acesta in fata lui Ryan Day, sustinatorii lui Mark Selby, Robert Milkins si Ricky Walden nu au decat motive de bucurie, toti cei trei jucatori obtinand un loc in optimile de finala.
Cam asa arata, pe scurt, ultimele patru meciuri ale zilei de ieri. Detaliind insa fiecare meci...


Un meci foarte interesant si care ar fi fost de preferat sa fie televizat, a fost cel dintre Jamie Cope si Robert Milkins.
Desi Robert a preluat primul frame, urmatoarele trei aveau sa fie acaparate de Jamie, care desi nu a inscris break-uri foarte mari, a jucat bine. Intra la cabine cu un avantaj de doua puncte si destul de multumit de performanta sa. Totusi, zarurile nu fusesera aruncate, iar dupa intervalul de 15 minute Milkins avea sa inscrie o serie formata din break-uri de 50, 56 si un magnific 142!!! Cel mai mare break de pana acum, depasindu-l pe cel inscris de Nigel Bond in prima parte a zilei de ieri. Scor final: 5-3


Ryan Day il elimina pe O`Sullivan din competitie
Disputa ca la carte intre Mark Selby si chinezutul Tian Pengfei, chiar daca rezultatul final a fost de 5-3. Primul care spargea gheata era Pengfei, acest preluand conducerea cu ajutorul a 49 de puncte,  Selby incasa doua jocuri la rand cu o serie de 38 si 34, insa se intra la pauza cu scorul de 2-2, datorita break-ului de 101 puncte al chinezului Tian.
Frame-ul nu numarul cinci ii revenea lui Mark, gratie unui 45, in timp ce Tian restabilea egalitatea cu ajutorul unui break de 55 de puncte. Si totusi "The Jester from Leicester" nu mai avea rabdare, asa ca a lovit un 56 pentru a prelua din nou conducerea, un 39 si din nou un 56 pentru a-si incheia meciul victorios! Optimile de finala il asteapta pe Selby!


Dezamagire totala in randul fanilor lui Ronnie O`Sullivan, care a devenit destul de "scump la vedere" in ultima perioada. Totusi trebuie remercat sa si-a inceput disputa alaturi de galezul Ryan Day, destul de binisor, castigand primul si cel de-al treilea frame, ultimul cu un break de 123 de puncte. Insa, cam atat!

Ricky Walden
S-au comis foarte multe greseli ce au fost atent "depozitate" in contul lui "The Rocket", galezul Day nefiind nici el in forma de zile mari, insa jucand mai bine decat O`Sullivan.
Cu inca o eliminare timpurie, setata de scorul de 5-2, Ronnie nu va intra in Campionatul Mondial ca mare favorit, insa cu totii stim ca triplul campion mondial isi poare "revizui" atitudinea in orice moment. 
Pana una alta, insa, Day merge mai departe.


Inca un meci netelevizat, inca un meci extrem de frumos. De aceasta data batalia de tacuri s-a dat intre Ricky Walden si Martin Gould, ambii jucatori cu un potential urias, insa cu o perioada prea putin favorabila castigurilor. A fost primul si singurul meci al zilei terminat in frame decisiv.
Break-uri de 33 si 71din partea lui Martin si setul de 70 si 67 realizat de Ricky, ii clasau pe cei doi la egalitate 2-2, chiar inainte de pauza de ceai. Dupa insa, lucrurile vor lua o alta turnura.
Un 71 strategic si un 37 simplu dar eficient, ii vor netezii calea lui Gouldie spre victorie, acesta conducand meciul cu 4-2, dar din pacate pentru el, Walden avea sa-si insuseasca restul de trei frame-uri ramase pentru a ocupa ultimul loc liber din optimile de finala.


Optimile de finala, ca tot v-am batut la cap cu ele, incep chiar astazi, programul fiind urmatorul:


Incepand cu ora 09:30 (ora Romaniei)
Stephen Lee vs. Ryan Day
Peter Ebdon vs. Neil Robertson
Mark Davis vs. Judd Trump
Li Hang vs. Shaun Murphy


Incepand cu ora 14:30 (ora Romaniei)
Stephen Hendry vs. Ding Junhui
John Higgins vs. Ricky Walden
Robert Milkins vs. Mark Selby
Ali Carter vs. Marcus Campbell


Program TV:
09:30 - 12:30 EuroSport (live)
09:30 - 12:30 EuroSport 2 (live)
14:00 - 14:30 EuroSport
14:30 - 17:45 EuroSport (live)

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Ziua 3 (partea I)

03:14:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Debut minunat pentru Judd Trump
Debut frumos pentru cea de-a treia zi, Capitanul Ali Carter demostrand ca a revenit in joc, acesta eliminandu-l pe Stuart Bingham, Judd Trump si-a impus punctul de vedere in fata lui Cue-Man Fu, Peter Ebdon si-a terminat meciul sustinut impotriva lui Gerard Greene, in mod suprinzator, foarte repede, in timp ce John Higgins si Nigel Bond au pastrat ce e mai bun pentru sfarsit.:-)


Capitanul Carter a dovedit ca este gata sa faca fata, din nou, competitiilor de puncte, dupa ce in ultima perioada nu prea a stralucit. Si cum ultimul titlu important il obtinea anul trecut in China, la Shanghai, ce motiv mai bun decat sa iti incepi cursa in forta, chiar aici?
Desi Bingham a deschis scorul cu un break de 76 de puncte, Carter s-a folosit de un set de 88, 46, 53 si 45 pentru a colectiona foarte frumos restul de frame-uri ramase pentru un loc caldutz in optimile de finala, unde il va intalnii pe scotianul Marcus Campbell.


John Higgins se califica in optimile de finala
La masa doi, Marcu Fu si Judd Trump, ambii jucatori tineri insa extrem de talentati isi disputau tot un loc in optimi, cel care insa avea sa il si obtina fiind Trump.
Ghinionul lui Fu a inceput sa-si arata "coltii" de tigru feroce inca la la inceput, rezidentul din Hong-Kong realizand in primul frame un break de 61 de puncte, intrerupt de ratarea bilei negre de pe punctul sau. O greseala ce il va costa frame-ul pe Marco, pentru ca Judd va veni la masa pentru a castiga la doar un punct diferenta (62).
Totusi Fu reusea sa acapareze urmatoarele doua frame-uri , insa Trump raspundea cu un set de trei pentru a seta scorul la 4-2. Doar un pas pana in runda urmatoare, dar Marco avea sa ne mai tina in suspans "olecutza" castigand frame-ul cu numarul 7 cu un break de 61 de puncte. Ultimul frame ar fi putut foarte bine sa fie castigat tot de acesta, insa Judd a fost mai constincios in a aduna mai multe puncte, gratie unui 19 si unui 47, "curatand" masa pentru o victorie totala.


Peter Ebdon si Gerard Greene au fost protagonistii unui meci destul de scurt, avand in vedere ca Ebbo a fost unul dintre purtatorii de tacuri in actiune. Si mai mult decat atat, Peter a si castigat cu scorul de 5-2. Nu a fost un meci care sa exceleze in materie de break-uri mari, insa s-a jucat bine.
Cel care a deschis scorul a fost Gerard, Peter adjudecandu-si urmatorele doua frame-uri, insa scorul devenea 2-2 datorita unui 65 inscis de Greene; restul de frame-uri ramase ii reveneau campionului mondial din 2002.


O zi nu foarte norocoasa pentru Nigel Bond
Cireasa de pe tort, dar fara Horica si PrimaTV implicati in vreun fel, a fost fara doar si poate meciul dintre Higgins si Bond; si mai precis ultimul frame ;-)
Higgins deschidea scorul castigand primul frame, insa urmatoarele doua aveau sa fie "prinse" de catre Nigel, acesta inscriind si cel mai mare break (de pana acum!) din China Open (2011), un frumos 138. Cu chiu, cu vai, scotianul reusea sa realizeze un 76 pentru a intra la pauza nefiind condus, insa primul frame de dupa aceasta avea sa fie incasat tot de Nigel. Era 3-2 si John nu prea parea in forma, si totusi a reusit sa gaseasca forta necesara pentru a egala si chiar a prelua conducerea cu 4-3.


Frame-ul urmator ar fi putut insemna victoria pentru scotian sau prelungirea meciului, clar in favoarea englezului. Din pacate, sau din fericire, prima varianta a fost cea "adoptata". Higgins inscria un break de 41 de puncte, pierzand insa pozitia de atact, Nigel realiza un 31, stopat datorita ratarii unei bile rosii, pentru ca "The Wizard of Wishaw" sa revina tot pentru un 31.
Era clar ca Bond avea nevoie de doua snookere, asa ca batalia a inceput. Se stie ca lui John ii reusesc loviturile de siguranta poate mai bine decat oricarui altui jucator, insa Nigel avea sa realizeze un snooker atat de perfect, incat John  l-a ratat pe al sau, adversarul sau prind "cadou" un free-ball. Pentru a castiga Nigel avea nevoie de toate bilele de pe masa, insa din pacate nu a reusit sa le "culeaga" si snookerele au inceput din nou sa curga, pana cand, Higgins a pus "piciorul in prag" si a inscris bilele albastra si roz pentru a-si castiga primul meci din China Open.


Ziua continua insa cu:

Incepand cu 14:30 (ora Romaniei)
Ronnie O'Sullivan vs. Ryan Day
Mark Selby vs. Tian Pengfei
Jamie Cope vs. Robert Milkins
Ricky Walden vs. Martin Gould


Program TV:
14:00 - 14:30 Eurosport
14:30 - 17:45 EuroSport (live)
17:45 - 18:45 EuroSport

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Day 3 (part I)

17:44:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Judd Trump makes a wonderful debut in China
A great way to start the day, as the first four matches were pure snooker shows! The Captain Carter seems to be hitting the balls again, Judd Trump succeeded in defeating the powerful Cue-Man Fu, Peter Ebdon ended on a quite quick note his dispute with Gerard Greene, while John Higgins and Nigel Bond saved the best for last.


The Captain Ali Carter flew all the way to the Last 16, after defeating Stuart Bingham 5-1. Although Stuart won the opening frame with a nice and steady 76 break, all the remaining ones were cashed by the Essex-man, who hit in runs of 88, 53, 42 and 45 to set a snooker "date" with the Scot Marcus Campbell.


Next in line, Marco Fu and Judd Trump, two full of hope youngsters, ended their battle on a 5-3 scoreline, in favor of the Juddernaut, as Dave Hendon calls him :-)

John Higgins reaches the Last 16
Things didn’t seem to go the right way for Fu from the first frame, a missed black of its spot interrupting the Hong-Kong resident’s break at just 61. Judd came to clear the table and took the frame just by one point, 62. However, Marco seemed to be putting himself together as he won the next two frames with breaks of 55 and 57, but Trump was going to hit again and hit haaaaard! :-)) Runs of 80, 46 and 40 were setting the scoreline at 4-2 in his favor, the EPTC 1 winner being now just one step away from victory.
But Fu decided to prolong the suspense and won the 7th frame, with a top break of 61 and nearly took the next one! He hit a 59, but unfortunately for him, Trump took the black with a 19 and and 47 to secure himself a place into the Last 16.


A very fast match, considering the fact that Ebdon was playing, was the one between him and Gerard Greene. The boys shared frames, not making too much of an impact on high breaks and stuff like that, but still their game was very well played. As the score reached 3-2 in favor of Ebbo, Greene’s run was condemned to be ended, as the following frames were going to be taken by Peter. Breaks of 66 and 54 were sufficient enough as to win him the match and send him to another snooker encounter, this time with the current world champion, Neil Robertson. This won’t be an easy one!


Unlucky day for Nigel Bond
The last match to end the first snooker session of the day was the battle between John Higgins and Nigel Bond and by all means it was one thrilling match!
It all seemed to be going according to plan for Higgins, as he took the opening frame, but Bond responded in the best possible way: by winning the next two frames with a top break of 138. Amazing performance! More since this is the highest break of this tournament (so far!).
However, Higgins was going to enter the mid-session interval by leveling at 2-2, although after this break, Bond cashed another frame to prove he means serious business with the Scotsman.
At 3-2, John needed to draw but also to start potting more of those balls and that’s what he did. He hit in runs of 47 and 43 as to go 4-3 in front, but the boys saved the best for last.


The 8th frame was the most thrilling one! John was stopping his break as 41 as was losing position, Nigel hit a 31 break, due to missing a red, so the Scotsman was given a chance to take the match. However, he only hit a 31, making the score go 72-31 and leaving Nigel in need of two snookers. So the battle began! The boys started snookering each other, until Bond landed a wonderful one that granted him a free ball. Unfortunately for him, he had to clear the table, but he couldn’t do it. More snookers were in order, until, in the end, the match ended on the blue ball, that John potted it. Top class snooker from both players!


The day continues with:


From 12:30 (UK time)
Ronnie O'Sullivan v. Ryan Day
Mark Selby v. Tian Pengfei
Jamie Cope v. Robert Milkins
Ricky Walden v. Martin Gould


TV coverage:
12:00 - 12:30 British Eurosport
12:30 - 15:45 British EuroSport (live)
15:45 - 16:45 British EuroSport

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Day 2 (part II)

23:40:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Ding Junhui makes a remarkable comeback
A truly wonderful day here in Beijing, where almost all of the last four matches of the second day ended on a decider. Amazing comebacks, tension, pressure and top class snooker, were the main ingredients that made winners out of Ding Junhui, Li Hang, Shaun Murphy and Marcus Campbell.


One of the most entertaining and dramatic matches of the day was the one between Ding Junhui and Kurt Maflin. Such a blast it was!
The Englishman based in Oslo was the one who broke the ice as he took over the first frame, but Ding leveled up very quickly. Still, this year’s Masters` champion was going to be kept in his seat for some time, because Kurt was in such a great form and started hitting the balls. He won the next three frames, by firing in breaks of 43, 103 and 99 to set the score at 4-1. He was soooo close to victory, sooo close!
Something happened (well, most likely the fear of losing happen) and Ding stormed in as to hit in runs of 133, 117, 52 and 51 and force the match into a decider. It was insane! :-))
Unfortunately for Maflin he couldn’t start all over again and since Ding was practically on fire, with the entire crowd by his side, he hit a 65 to secure himself a place in the Last 16. Thrilling match!


Shaun Murphy in action
The next match to have its faith decided by the last frame was the battle between Graeme Dott and Li Hang and one more time the Chinese wildcard eliminated a former world champion.
A break of 81 was bringing Hang the first frame, Dott hit a 52 to level the match at 1-1, but that wasn’t going to be enough, as the Chinese rival hit in runs of 117 and 37 to set the score at 3-1 in his favor. But the Scotsman didn’t give up so easily so he win the next frame with a bit of help from an 80 break to reduce the gap at 3-2. Seeing that "you don’t mess with Dott", Li stunned the audience with a perfect 133 as to go just one step away from victory, but that wasn’t going to happen so soon, as Graeme was trying to make his life harder.
Two frames were captured by Dott with a top break of 64, but that last 71 that Hang threw into the match, was going to give him the victory.


Shaun Murphy v. Joe Perry match was the one that made the difference, mainly because it was the only one that didn’t end on a decider, although there were plenty of occasions for that to happen.
The first part of this snooker encounter was dominated by Perry who succeeded in leading Murphy 3-1 before the mid-session interval kicked off, breaks of 51, 49 and 68 making that possible. Buuuut things don’t stay the same for long in snooker and after the break Murphy made his comeback.

Joe Perry leaves the competition, but he`s on for the WC
A steady break of 71 was giving the Smurf a bit of confidence to start the battle, while a 56 and an 89 were putting him in the lead for the first time! Last frame saw Perry trying to make use of a 50, but sadly for him Murphy’s runs of 33 and 34 closed the match in his favor 5-3.


Last match to pick his winner and send him to the Last 16 was the one were Mark Allen and Marcus Campbell were the main actors.
The boys shared frames all the way through frame six, when a 74 was giving Campbell a two points advance 4-2, but that won’t last very long because Allen hit a marvelous 95 as to go just one point behind his opponent and a 56 in order to bring the match into a decider.
The last frame was a very scrappy affair, but in the end the one who survived it was the Scotsman Campbell.


Tomorrow we shall continue out quest to "collect" more winners and set the complete line-up for the Last 16 round:


From 07:30 (UK time)
John Higgins v. Nigel Bond
Marco Fu v. Judd Trump
Ali Carter v. Stuart Bingham
Peter Ebdon v. Gerard Greene


From 12:30 (UK time)
Ronnie O'Sullivan v. Ryan Day
Mark Selby v. Tian Pengfei
Jamie Cope v. Robert Milkins
Ricky Walden v. Martin Gould


TV coverage:
07:30 - 10:30 British EuroSport 2 (live)
07:45 - 10:45 British EuroSport (live)
12:00 - 12:30 British Eurosport
12:30 - 15:45 British EuroSport (live)
15:45 - 16:45 British EuroSport

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Ziua 2 (partea II)

23:39:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Ding Junhui, revenire spectaculoasa
O zi cat se poate de productiva pentru snooker, aproape toate cele patru meciuri ramase a fi disputate in etapa de dupa-amiaza vazandu-si toate frame-urile "consumate". Reveniri spectaculoase, tensiune si snooker de calitate, iata cateva dintre ingredientele ce au facut din Ding Junhui, Li Hang, Shaun Murphy si Marcus Campbell castigatori.


In prima parte a articolului dedicat zilei secunde de China Open, va spuneam ca meciul dintre Mark Williams si Stephen Lee a fost cu siguranta cel mai bun dintre cele jucate in acest an la Beijing, insa iata ca ziua ne mai pregatea inca o surpriza: meciul dintre Ding Junhui si Kurt Maflin. Un meci absolut extraodinar!
Englezul stabilit in Norvegia cea inghetata insa incantatoare, Kurt Maflin, a fost cel care deschidea scorul, insa Dingushor venea si el repede la inaintare pentru a egala la 1-1. Hm...dar Maflin avea ganduri mari, asa ca s-a avantat in lupta insciind break-uri de 43, 103 si 99 pentru a fi cu un picior in optimile de finaaaaalaaaa! Il conducea cu 4-1 pe nimeni altul decat campionul Masters-ului din acest an!

Shaun Murphy isi asigura un loc in optimi
Dar, pentru ca intotdeauna exista un dar, Ding nu s-a lasat pus la zid de Maflin, asa ca a pornit incet, dar sigur catre victorie. Break-urile de 133, 117, 52 si 51 au stabilit egalitatea pe tabla de marcaj la 4-4, meciul ajungand in frame decisiv. Cu siguranta ca Maflin era destul de descumpanit de cum a putut sa "arunce" meciul "pe fereastra", tocmai de aceea nu a putut face fata atacului strategic al chinezutului  ce isi rezerva un loc in runda urmatoare gratie unui 65.

Inca un chinez, de aceasta data Li Hang, avea sa scoata inca un fost campion mondial din joc, de aceasta data fiind vorba despre Graeme Dott.
Li a deschis meciul cu un break de 81 de puncte ce ii garanta primul frame, Dott a raspuns cu un 56, suficient pentru a egala, insa chinezul nostru avea sa isi mai adauge la "umila" colectie inca doua frame-uri pentru scorul de 3-1 (break de 117 puncte). Scotianul a realizat un 80 pentru a mai reduce din diferenta, insa Hang avea sa se pozitioneze din nou la doua puncte distanta prin intermediul unui break de 133 puncte, de aceasta data fiind foarte aproape de victorie (4-2).
Insa Graeme nu avea sa ii faciliteze prea mult drumul spre optimile de finala, astfel ca a egalat prin intermediul unei serii compuse din 64 si 35, insa break-ul de 71 a lui Li avea sa fie "fatal", acesta invingandu-l pe scotian cu 5-4.


Cursa pentru Joe Perry se incheie aici, dar reincepe la CM
Disputa dintre Shaun Murphy si Joe Perry avea sa fie pata de culoare a dupa-amiezii, acesta fiind singurul care a ocolit cu maiestrie sa ajunga in frame decisiv.
Prima parte a intalniri a fost dominata de Perry, fara doar si poate, acesta intrand la pauza cu trei frame-uri la activ, spre deosebire de Shaun care avea doar unul, insa partea secunda avea sa schimba foarte mult scorul. Break-uri de 71 si 56 il ajutau pe Murphy sa egaleze, in timp ce un 89 strategic il "punea" la conducere, iar seria de 33 si 34 il declara invingator. Scor final: 5-3.


Ultimul meci al zilei a fost cel dintre nord-irlandezul Mark Allen si scotianul Marcus Campbell, cei doi impartindu-si "frateste" frame-uri pana la scorul de 3-2, in favoarea lui Marcus. De aici insa, scotianul a luat-o la picior spre 4-2 cu ajutorul unui break de 74 de puncte.
Vazand Allen cum sta treaba, a inscris un 95 pentru 3-4, dar si-a asigurat si participarea in frame-ul cu numarul 9, castigand jocul imediat urmator. 4-4 si frame-ul decisiv incepe, Campbel insa dovedindu-se mai iute in colectionarea de puncte, chiar daca nu a realizat break-uri prea mari. Si iata cum, ziua se incheia cu o inca surpriza: Mark Allen fusese eliminat de un jucator nu la fel de bine cotat ca el. ;-)


Ziua de astazi ne va ajuta sa completam lista jucatorilor ce vor juca in optimile de finala, asa ca tineti pumnii bine stransi pentru:


Incepand cu 09:30 (ora Romaniei)
John Higgins vs. Nigel Bond
Marco Fu vs. Judd Trump
Ali Carter vs. Stuart Bingham
Peter Ebdon vs. Gerard Greene


Incepand cu 14:30 (ora Romaniei)
Ronnie O'Sullivan vs. Ryan Day
Mark Selby vs. Tian Pengfei
Jamie Cope vs. Robert Milkins
Ricky Walden vs. Martin Gould


Program TV:
09:30 - 12:30 EuroSport 2 (live)
09:45 - 12:45 EuroSport (live)
14:00 - 14:30 Eurosport
14:30 - 17:45 EuroSport (live)
17:45 - 18:45 British EuroSport

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Day 2 (part I)

13:36:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Mark Davis starts his run full of confidence
The second day of this year’s The Bank of Beijng China Open tournament has started with the two my wildcards being eliminated, Rouzi Maimaiti losing to Robert Milkins and Yu Delu to Gerard Greene, while the defending champion Mark Williams saw his chance to keep his title gone with the wind after Stephen Lee ended their encounter on a very tight result of 5-4.


Robert Milkins and Rozi Maimaiti were the first two players to finish their match, the Englishman hammering the little Chinese 5-1. Robert broke the ice with a break of 52, but Rozi was careful enough as to hit in runs of 43 and 61 and take the following frame bringing the score at 1-1. Still, that was going to be the first and last frame Maimaiti was going to win, as Milkins took care of cashing all the remaining ones with breaks of 32, 42, 72 and 52. The magic number was two, as you may have noticed :-))


The mighty Stephen Lee defeats the current champion
One of the two matches that were televised was the one between Mark Davis and Stephen Maguire, a match with a very interesting result. After losing his chance to participate in this year World Championship, Davis seemed pretty determined to end his season the right way, so he fought like a lion to win over Maguire. And he managed to succeed.
Mark took the opening frame with a break of 64, but a 75 was giving Stephen the next one. One more time, the Englishman took the lead, this time by winning two frames on a row, but again the Scotsman managed to level up at 3-3, by hitting a marvelous 97. The game was one, but the one who dominated the rest of it was, without doubt, Davis, as he hit a 73 to make the score go 4-3 in his favor and he cleared the table with a stunning 137 to assure his victory. Top class!


Yu Delu and Gerard Greene ended their match on a 5-2 scoreline, after the Englishman took the first three frames with breaks of 38, 24 and 39, the Chinese player responded with a 52 and a marvelous 117 to start his comeback, but Gerard took the next two frames with runs of 37, 53 and 60 as to secure a place into the next round.


Mark Williams is not very happy
The last match to end was the second one that EuroSport decided to cover as it has had the defending champion trying to take care of his title from the mighty Stephen Lee.
Although the battle started more than good for the Welshman, as he hit two century breaks to take over the first two frames (100 and 113), it continued by losing some of its rhythm after that; also Lee leveled at 2-2, by hitting in breaks of 86 and 46 and even took the lead for the first time since the beginning of the match.
What happened next was a "bit of history repeated" because Williams hit another two beautiful century breaks (104 and 137), after that Lee forcing the match into a decider and winning it. It’s true that the Welshman has a pretty good chance as to win that last frame, but he lost position while he was reaching 53 points, Lee coming to the table and clearing it for a 61 break and the victory.


It was a very entertaining match, maybe the best one since the 2011 China Open started and it proved something that many of us refuse to believe sometimes, that snooker is more than just about century breaks. It’s a real shame to see Williams lose, but we all know that Lee is a very tough opponent.


Four matches to follow today:


From 12:30(UK time)
Ding Junhui v. Kurt Maflin
Shaun Murphy v. Joe Perry
Graeme Dott v. Li HangDoherty
Mark Allen v. Marcus Campbell


TV coverage:
12:00 - 12:30 British EuroSport
12:30 - 15:45 British EuroSport (live)
20:15 - 22:15 Britisdh EuroSport 2


See you tonight for some comments and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter, for the score updates. :-)

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Ziua 2 (partea I)

13:35:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Mark Davis isi incepe evolutia plin de incredere
Ziua secunda a competitiei, cunoscuta sub numele ei complet drept The Bank of Beijing China Open, a inceput cu eliminarea celor doua wildcard-uri, Rouzi Maimaiti pierzand in fata lui Robert Milkins si Yu Delu in fata lui Gerard Greene, in timp ce campionul en-titre, Mark Williams s-a vazut in incapacitate de a-si pastra titlul, fiind invins de Stephen Lee cu scorul "ingrat" de 5-4.


Meciul dintre Robert Milkins si Rouzi Maimaiti a fost primul care a luat sfarsit, englezul reusind sa il invinga pe chinezut cu scorul de 5-1. Robert a fost cel care a preluat primul frame, cu ajutorul unui break de 53, insa Rouzi s-a grabit sa raspunda pe masura, cu o serie formata dintre-un 43 si 61. Din pacate pentru el insa, acest frame avea sa fie primul si ultimul castigat, Milkins avand grija sa le "colecteze" pe cele ramase, cu break-uri de 32, 42, 72 si 52. Numarul magic fiind 2, dupa cum bine vedeti! :-))


Unul dintre cele doua meciuri ce s-au decis a fi televizate, i-a avut ca protagonisti pe scotianul Stephen Maguire si pe englezul Mark Davis, iar rezultatul acestei intalnire avea sa fie unul destul de surprinzator, intrucat dupa ce a ratat calificarea pentru Camionatul Mondial din acest an, Davis pare destul de hotarit pentru a-si incheia sezonul bine. Asa se face ca l-a invins pe Maguire cu scorul de 5-3.
Stephen Lee il invinge pe campionul en-titre
Davis avea sa sparga gheata cu ajutorul unui break de 64 de puncte, insa un 75 strategic inscris de Maguire egala situatiunea la 1-1. Din nou englezul prela conducerea, de aceasta data castigand doua frame-uri la rand cu un 88, insa scotianul nu se lasa mai prejos acaparand si el doua, cu un break de 97.
La 3-3, soarta meciului nu era decisa, insa Mark avea sa incline balanta in favoarea sa, prinzand curaj pentru a insrie un 73 ce il aducea din nou la conducere si un minunat 137 pentru a-si "sigila" victoria! Evolutie extrem de frumoasa!


Gerard Greene a reusit sa il invinga pe chinezul Yu Delu cu scorul de 5-2, dupa ce a castigat primele trei frame-uri cu break-uri de 38, 24 si 39, Delu incercand sa revina in meci cu ajutorul unei serii de 52 si 117, insa Gerand concretizandu-si dominatia cu un set de break-uri in valoare de 37, 53 si 60 de puncte. Loc asigurat in runda "Last 32" pentru englez.


Ultimul meci din seria celor patru si cel de-al doilea televizat de EuroSport, i-a avut ca actori principali pe Mark Williams si Stephen Lee.
Desi meciul a inceput foarte bine pentru galez, acesta inscriind doua break-uri-minune, primul de 100 de puncte, iar cel de-al doilea in valoare de 113, ritmul intalnirii de snooker dintre cei doi a inceput sa fie din ce in ce mai lent, iar in defavoarea lui Williams, Lee egala la 2-2 (break-uri de 86 si 46) si chiar prelua conducerea pentru prima data de la inceputul disputei.


Mark Williams, nu foarte fericit de cum decurg lucrurile
Ceea ce a urmat, a avut gustul de "istoria de repeta", pentru ca, din nou!, Williams avea sa inscrie doua break-uri de peste 100 de puncte, de aceasta data un 104 si un minunat 137, insa Lee forta meciul in frame decisiv si avea sa il si castige. Este adevarat ca Mark a avut sanse bune sa castige ultimul frame, insa a pierdut pozitia de atac pe cand atingea un 53, Stephen venind la masa pentru a inscrie toate bilele ramase (avea nevoie inclusiv de ultima bila neagra) pentru un break de 61 si o victorie definitiva.
Desi eliminarea campionului in exercitiu nu poate fi un lucru imbucurator, acest meci ne demonstreaza inca o data ca snooker-ul nu inseamna doar break-uri mari. Iata si cu patru break-uri de peste 100 de puncte si galezul nu a reusit sa castiga batalia de tacuri. Oricum ar fi, cu totii stim ca Stephen Lee este un jucator grozav si ca meciul de azi nu avea sa fie unul tocmai usor pentru Williams.


Ziua continua insa cu inca patru meciuri:


Incepand cu ora 14:30(ora Romaniei)
Ding Junhui vs. Kurt Maflin
Shaun Murphy vs. Joe Perry
Graeme Dott vs. Li Hang
Mark Allen vs. Marcus Campbell


Program TV:
14:00 - 14:30 EuroSport
14:30 - 17:45 EuroSport (live)
14:30 - 17:30 EuroSport 2 (live)

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Day 1 (part II)

09:44:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Robbo seems to be back in business
The first day of the China Open tournament ended with one wildcard through to the next round, as Li Hang succeeded in defeating the Irishman Ken Doherty, one wildcard being eliminated, as Jin Long lost 5-3 to this 007 Agent of snooker, Nigel Bond, as for the current world champion, Neil Robertson, he qualified for the Last 16 after beating Barry Hawkins.

Ken Doherty ends his season not in the best possible way, as he’s sadly, been hammered by the little Chinese Li Hang 5-1. Li took all four first frames, by hitting in runs of 68, 78 and 63, but Ken seemed to start a comeback as last frame the Chinese won was a very close one, and more since the Irishman cashed the next one, with a bit of help from a 43 break. Unfortunately for him, Hang was "hanging" on to that match to go straight to the Last 32 round so he won the sixth frame of the match with a 61 break.

Ken Doherty ends his snooker season very disappointed
Although he didn’t seem to shine at the beginning of the match, the current world champion, Neil Robertson has proved us he is back in business, as he beat his opponent, Barry Hawkins 5-1.
Roboo won the first frame, a very scrappy, but soon after that things chanced and they changed for the better...well, at least for the Aussie. He hit some beautiful breaks of 79, 66 and 124 as to go 4-0 up and enter the mid-session interval not worrying a thing.
Hawkins tried to make a comeback and he did have a wonderful start as he hit a marvelous 124, but Robertson so too anxious to win this so he hit in runs of 28 and 40 to seal his victory.

Li Hang, a very dangerous player
Since Jimmy White had to pull out of the China Open due to visa problems, it seems like he "used" his last "chance" when he went to Thailand for some exhibition matches, we only had three matches, the last one being the battle between Nigel Bond and Jin Long; and that took some time to finish :-P
Nigel took over the first two frames, with a break of 63, but Jin succeeded in leveling at 2-2 with a 44 and a 41 and he also took the lead with a 63 break. Still, that was going to be the last frame the Chinese won that day, for Bond took the remaining ones to set the score at 5-3.

Today`s matches are:


From 07:30 (UK time)
Mark Williams v. Stephen Lee
Stephen Maguire v. Mark Davis
Rob Milkins v. Rouzi Maimaiti
Gerard Greene v. Yu Delu


From 12:30(UK time)
Ding Junhui v. Kurt Maflin
Shaun Murphy v. Joe Perry
Graeme Dott v. Li Hang
Mark Allen v. Marcus Campbell


TV coverage:
07:30 - 10:30 British EuroSport (live)
07:30 - 10:30 British Eurosport 2 (live)
12:00 - 12:30 British EuroSport
12:30 - 15:45 British EuroSport (live)
20:15 - 22:15 Britisdh EuroSport 2

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Ziua 1 (partea II)

09:43:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Robbo revine in formula castigatoare
Prima zi a competitiei China Open s-a incheiat cu un wildcard calificat pentru runda "Ultimii 32", Li Hang invingandu-l pe Ken Doherty, un wildcard eliminat, Jin Long fiind invins de Agentul 007 din snooker, Nigel Bond, iar in ceea ce il priveste pe actualul campion mondial Neil Robertson, acesta s-a croit drum frumos, fara mari probleme, spre optimile de finala, trecand de Barry Hawkins.


Din pacate irlandezul Ken Doherty se vede pus in postura de a-si incheia destul de suparat sezonul in snooker, pentru ca nu a reusit sa se califice in Campionatul Mondial si a pierdut disputa sustinuta in fata lui Li Hang.
Chinezutul a pornit la drum setat pe victorie, lovind in break-uri de 68, 78 si 63 pentru 4-0, in timp ce Ken comitea greseala dupa greseala. Totusi, ultimul frame adjudecat de Li a fost unul destul de strans, ca drept dovada urmatorul fiind castigat de irlandez cu un break de 43 de puncte. Mult asteptata revenire totala a lui Doherty nu s-a petrecut insa, Hang reusind sa isi insuseasca si ultimul frame, cu un break de 61 de puncte. 


Ken Doherty, total dezamagit de finalul de sezon
Meciul dintre Neil Robertson si Barry Hawkins nu a avut un inceput prea stralucit, si desi Robbo a castigat frame-ul de deschidere, nu a excelat. Insa ceva s-a intalmplat dupa acest prim frame si australianul a inceput sa joace extrem de bine, asa cum stim ca poate. :-) Nu s-a oprit pana nu a atins scorul de 4-0 (break-uri de 79, 66 si 124), plecand in pauza dintre sesiuni pentru cateva minute de relax. 
Imediat dupa interval, Barry a inscris un break minunat de 128 de puncte, insa nici el nu a mai putut reveni in meci, Robertson incheind intalnirea cu o serie formata dinte-un 28 si un 40. Scor final: 5-1.


Li Hang, un adversar periculos
Avand in vedere ca Jimmy White a fost fortat de imprejurari sa se retraga din competitie, avand probleme cu viza (se pare ca si-a irosit ultima "sansa" cand a jucat in Thailanda), am avut doar trei meciuri de disputat, ultimul fiind cel dintre Nigel Bond si Jin Long.
A fost un meci extrem de luuuung, parca dorind sa compenseze lipsa unei a patra dispute snookeristice si desi Nigel a preluat primele doua frame-uri, raspunsul adversarului sau nu a intarziat sa apara, acesta egaland la 2-2 si chiar preluand conducerea. Insa la cam atat avea sa se rezume aportul chinezutului in acest meci, urmatoarele doua frame-uri fiind incasate de englez. Scor final: 5-3.


Meciurile de astazi:


Incepand cu ora 09:30 (ora Romaniei)
Mark Williams vs. Stephen Lee
Stephen Maguire vs. Mark Davis
Rob Milkins vs. Rouzi Maimaiti
Gerard Greene vs. Yu Delu


Incepand cu ora 14:30(ora Romaniei)
Ding Junhui vs. Kurt Maflin
Shaun Murphy vs. Joe Perry
Graeme Dott vs. Li Hang
Mark Allen vs. Marcus Campbell 

Program TV:
09:30 - 12:30 EuroSport (live)
09:30 - 12:30 EuroSport 2 (live)
14:00 - 14:30 EuroSport
14:30 - 17:45 EuroSport (live)
14:30 - 17:30 EuroSport 2 (live)


0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Day 1 (part I)

14:25:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Stephen Hendry still a champion
The China Open tournament has made its debut with a marvelous surprise, especially for Stephen Hendry’s fans, as the seven-time world champion has whitewashed Matthew Stevens. The other matches saw all three wildcards being defeated by Kurt Maflin, Joe Perry and Marcus Campbell.


Stephen Hendry has put up an enormous show as he succeeded in crashing Matthew Stevens for the first time in his life. With "the best of 9" rule at hand, this means that the first player to score five frames will be declared winner and go into the next round, Hendry being the one who cashed all five frames for setting the next match against Ding Junhui, or Kurt Maflin, it depends on who will win this battle.
Hendry took the opening frame with a marvelous break of 100, hit a perfect 93 as to go 3-0 up and closed with runs of 75 and 65. It’s one of the most important victories that the Scotsman has obtain lately and it’s going to do wonders with his confidence, I’m sure of that. Also he is in desperate need of some ranking points before the Crucible, so this is a very good opportunity to get them.
Stevens was mostly kept in his seat, but when he had the chance to play he sadly didn’t take is, his poor safety shots, meaning that Hendry was given free hand with the match constantly.


Matthew Stevens, a bit surprised of what`s going on
Next to follow was the match between Joe Perry and the Chinese Li Yan, the last one being the one that broke the ice and took the opening frame. However, Joe drew with a beautiful 99 break and kept on winning one frame after another, until reaching a 4-1 lead. A break of 51 was making Li win his second frame of the match, but unfortunately for him this was going to be his last one as well, as Perry hit in runs of 37 and 30 to close the deal at 5-2.


The second table that was covered by the EuroSport was the one where Kurt Maflin and Cao Yupeng were playing and I was very disappointed to see....errr no audience?! Maybe they were one or two, but come on!
The match started very slow, it was like watching Peter Ebdon playing against Rory McLeod, so you imagine that was veeeeery, veeeery slow and none of the players had a fluent game. It was all shared frames, until the score was 3-2 in favor of Yupeng. He was for the first time in the lead, so something clicked in Maflin`s head and he started potting like we know he can. He drew at 3-3 with the help of a 60 break and from that moment on there was no chance to stop the guy! :-))

Kurt Mafin has his eye on the prize
He hit in breaks of 67, 52 and 28 as to set the final score at 5-3 and claim his well-deserved victory. Joe Johnson, one of the commentators and a very well known snooker player, said that this boy has what it takes and the only thing he seems to be missing is confidence. Indeed, more confidence and he can beat anyone! ;-)


Last of the first four matches to end was the battle against Marcus Campbell and Mei Xi Wen...and that was a real battle of cues. Although the Scot started pretty well, breaks of 42 and 85 bringing him the first two frames, the little Chinese fought back as to draw at 2-2. Campbell took the lead once more, but this time, Mei`s response came immediately for a 3-3 scoreline.
Not giving up, Campbell hits a 49 as to secure his lead once more, but his opponent was trying to bring the match into a decider. They fought like lions as the score was 57-52 in favor of the Scot, in the end him being the one who overcame this very tight encounter and set the score at 5-3.


The day is far from being over, as we still have three more matches to be played, as it follows:


From 12:30 (UK time)
Neil Robertson v. Barry Hawkins
Jimmy White v. Tian Pengfei (Tian`s got a bye to the next round)
Nigel Bond v. Jin Long
Ken Doherty v. Li Hang

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - Ziua 1 (partea I)

14:24:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

Stephen Hendry, inca campion al snooker-ului
China Open a debutat cu o surpriza neasteptat de frumoasa, in special pentru fanii lui Stephen Hendry, scotianul nu numai ca a reusit sa isi castige primul meci sustinut in fata lui Matthew Stevens, insa sa o faca cu un scor uimitor de 5-0. Meciurile urmatoare si-au vazut eliminate toate cele trei wildcard-uri, victoriosi iesind pe rand, Joe Perry, Kurt Maflin si Marcus Campbell.


Stephen Hendry a reusit sa il puna la colt pe galezul Matthew Stevens, regula de baza fiind "cel mai bun joc din 9", asadar primul jucator care colectiona cinci frame-uri era declarat invingator, Hendry iesind victorios. Scotianul a spart gheata cu un break  minunat in valoare de 100 de puncte si s-a folosit de un frumos 93 pentru a stabili scorul la 3-0, in timp ce seria de 75 si 65 ii consolidau victoria la 5-0. 
Nu cred ca gresesc cand spun ca aceasta este una dintre cele mai importante victorii pe care Hendry le-a incasat in ultima perioada si tind sa cred ca va "produce" minuni pentru increderea in sine. Totodata, scotianul are nevoie de puncte, inainte de Crucible, si chiar si in timpul turneului, pentru ca incepe, incet dar sigur, sa "alunece" din Top 16 si cu totii stim ca sansele de a reveni in el sunt, din pacate, din ce in ce mai slabe.

Matthew Stevens, cuva uimit ce se se pertrece in arena
Urmatorul meci pe lista a fost cel dintre Joe Perry si Li Yan, ultimul numit fiind cel care a incasat frame-ul de deschidere pentru a-si impune ferm, punctul de vedere :-P Insa Joe avea alte planuri pe rol asa ca s-a folosit pe un break de 99 de punte pentru a egala la 1-1 si nici ca s-a mai oprit pana cand nu atins scorul de 4-1. Li a profitat de ocazie pentru a inscrie un 51 si a acapara cel de-al doilea frame al meciului, insa din pacate pentru el, avea sa fie si ultimul, englezul incheind victorios cu 5-2.


Cea de-a doua masa televizata de EuroSport, a fost ca in care Kurt Maflin si Cao Yupeng au fost protagonisti. Un meci care a debutat extrem de incet, incet de parca ii vedeam pe Peter Ebdon si Rory McLeod jucand :-))
Baietii si-au impartit frame-uri pana cand scorul a ajuns la 3-2 in favoarea chinezutului; era pentru prima oara la conducere, fapt ce a produs un click in capul lui Maflin care parca a zburat in meci! S-a folosit de un break de 60 de puncte pentru a egala la 3-3 si de o serie de 67, 52 si 28 pentru a prelua conducerea si a-si castiga primul meci cu scorul de 5-3. O victorie extrem de valoroasa pentru un jucator la fel de valoros.

Kurt Maflin, ocheste victoria
Joe Johnson, unul dintre comentatori si ilustru jucator de snooker, a declarat ca Maflin are pachetul complet pentru a castiga, doar ca ii mai lipseste putina incredere in sine si in joc. Nici ca putea grai mai adevarat! ;-)


Ultimul meci, din seria de patru, a fost cel dat intre Marcus Campbell si Mei Xi Wen si a fost o reala batalie de tacuri. Desi Marcus a inceput destul de bine, folosindu-se de break-uri de 42 si 85 pentru a castiga primele doua frame-uri, Mei nu a stat prea mult pe "bara" si a egalat la 2-2.
Scotianul nostru se avanta inca o data pentru a prelua conducerea, insa de aceasta data raspunsul chinezutului avea sa fie mult mai promt, egaland pentru 3-3.
Un break de 49 ii garanta lui Marcus suprematia in meci, insa Mei a incercat pe cat posibil sa forteze ca terminarea acestuia in frame decisiv. Cei doi s-au snookerit pe cat posibil, scorul ajungand sa fie destul de strans (57-52 in favoarea scotianului), insa in final Marcus a iesit invingator cu scorul de 5-3.


Ziua este insa departe de fi incheiata, pentru ca mai avem inca trei meciuri de disputat:


De la 14:30 (ora Romaniei)
Neil Robertson vs. Barry Hawkins
Jimmy White vs. Tian Pengfei (Tian a primit libera trecere catre runda urmatoare)
Nigel Bond vs. Jin Long
Ken Doherty vs. Li Hang

0 comments:

Post a Comment

China Open 2011 - preview

06:23:00 Ramona Dragomir 0 Comments

The last stop before the mighty World Championship is always China Open. A trip to China, where the snooker players can practice along with their "forever" rivals, earn some precious ranking points and money, the China Open tournament will kick off today and last until April 3rd.
We shall have our share of live snooker again, emotion will run wild and many surprises will again mess with out head. The competition has not even started and the first "bomb" exploded, when we found out that Jimmy White withdrew from the tournament due to some "visa problems". Sad, but what can we do? The show must go on and we still have a tremendous line-up for this event.


Mark Williams, the defending champion
Is no doubt in the fact that China loves snooker. It adores it! It was back in 1997, when China International, a non-ranking event was seeing the legends Steve Davis and Jimmy White reach the final, "The Nugget" finishing on first place. Due to its huge success, two years after that the competition returned to mystical China, this time as a ranking one, the final seeing an all Scottish battle between John Higgins and Billy Snaddon, the first one winning 9-3.


A strange thing happened in 1999, because there were two snooker competitions. First the one I’ve just told you about and second the actually China Open, that was going to last until 2002 and see the likes of Ronnie O`Sullivan as two-time champion and Mark Williams as one-time winner of this tournament.
Feng-shui for the winner :-P
However from 2005, the China Open was back for good, last year the Welshman Mark Williams cashing his second title after 2006, when he beat John Higgins 9-8. Last year, the final was a true delight for all snooker fans as "The Welsh Potting Machine" was taking on the local start Ding Junhui. It was quite a battle, until Mark started potting like a king and ended the match on a 10-6 scoreline. That moment marked his comeback into the light! ;-)


This year, Williams is the defending champion and I’m sure he’ll try to retain his title, so watch out for the "Potting Machine" that’s been in a very good form lately. If he wins this year’s China Open, it will give his confidence a huge push and you know that’s essential, more since the World Championship is coming. But that will apply for any player that will succeed in winning this tournament. A great victory weeks before the most important event of the year...how great is that?! :-))


Day 1 will see the usual battle, against the local wildcards and the programme looks something like this:


From 07:30 (UK time)
Stephen Hendry v. Matthew Stevens
Kurt Maflin v. Cao Yupeng
Marcus Campbell v. Mei Xiwen
Joe Perry v. Li Yan


From 12:30 (UK time)
Neil Robertson v. Barry Hawkins
Jimmy White v. Tian Pengfei (Tian`s got a bye for the next round)
Nigel Bond v. Jin Long
Ken Doherty v. Li Hang


TV coverage:
07:30 - 10:30 British EuroSport
07:30 - 10:30 British EuroSport 2
12:30 - 15:50 British EuroSport
12:30 - 15:30 British EuroSport 2
19:00 - 20:45 British EuroSport 2 (R)


Best of luck to the snooker boys and see you tomorrow for first day’s comments and stories :-)

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)