One big chance, Australian Neil Robertson, can tell a lot about what’s wrong with the Crucible Theatre, but English tradition is very strong, so as always since 1977, this time around the cult building in Sheffield hosts the World Snooker Championships starting on Saturday.
| Ronnie O’Sullivan is still enjoying snooker (Photo: AFP) |
Neil Robertson, The 2010 World Cup winner finds the space at the Crucible Theater too tight. This is also true, because the theater, which seats about a thousand people, can accommodate two tables at once and is not very convenient for players. But there is only one table left in the semi-finals and final, which is why Robertson wants to reach the final matches. By the way, under the treaty, the World Cup finals will remain here until 2027.
Defender of the title Mark Selby who recently surprised the sport with a thought-provoking statement: he has mental health issues. He is the Englishman who won the World Cup for the fourth time, and whose main strength lies not in his playing style, but rather his mental strength.
Ronnie O’Sullivan He is already 46 years old, but he is still among the first expectations. The six-time world champion, whose biography is expected to be published in Hungarian later this year, will be battling for his seventh world title. The Englishman, considered by many to be the greatest player of all time, has been playing without pressure lately, spurred solely on by his love of snooker. He’s not complaining about anything, which is why he could be the first player to start at Sheffield again. If he can get the seventh, he’ll catch up Stephen Hendry At the top of the arrangement is the eternal crucible.
“We’ll catch up with age sooner or later, but I still enjoy it and have an appetite for it,” O’Sullivan said. – I still feel good when I can play. I still enjoy this lifestyle. I haven’t won much in the past two years and there are signs I may not be strong anymore, but I still feel like my game is fine.”
By the way, Hendry.
The Scottish legend returned to the world of clothing a year and a half ago, but he couldn’t quite reach the level he had in his prime. He did not even start qualifying for the current world championship, according to his admission, the game did not go well, and he did not want to be a player. The free pass you received upon return after the World Cup will expire and may not last.
And if we are in legends. Jimmy White The former world champion who said goodbye in the first round of the bookmaker Graeme Dot He fell in the last round. He will not be the 1997 champion on the main board Ken Doherty sem.
Judd Trump, John Higgins, Keren Wilson In addition to several Chow Shen Tonggut Zhao Xintong was also ranked among the prospects. The 25-year-old Chinese player, who last won the UK Championship, is a huge talent and is no longer Ting Chun Hoog (Ding Junhui) is considered the best snooker in his country, but he is. However, the eligibility of Ting himself lost.
We can see one of the most famous players hit twice Matthew Stephenst Who said goodbye to Ali Carter in the playoffs. And he’s on the table Hussein Fafai Who may be the first Iranian to appear on the crucible.
Vafaei went out against Ronnie O’Sullivan that day, after the English legend made diabolical comments to his less successful players, calling them insignificant. Favai did not hide his senses: “What kind of legend speak of others like this?— He told the Metro newspaper. – We are still good friends, but they are not. It might make him feel good, but I think that’s exactly how people should treat him. I do the same, I treat him the way he deserves.”
Welsh only Michael White as well as Welsh jackson’s page He took all four playoffs from the first round of playoffs. White also starts in amateur mode, for the second time in World Cup history (the first was James Cahill in 2019, who instantly defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan in the opening round).
The first round of the pairing was pulled on Thursday. The light has already been shed, Mark Selby as a defending champion, Ronnie O’Sullivan He plays second in the world. Only the two of them can play with each other in the final match. The best players in the 16 pairs of the first round were automatically ranked according to the world ranking, and 16 players from the qualifiers were paired with them.
Selby plays for Jimmy Jones of Wales and O’Sullivan for David Gilbert of England. A tough fight awaits both of them.
First round hits include English Keren Wilson Chinese Ting Chun Hog, English Judd Trump And the Iranian Hussein Fafai English Sean Murphy And the Scots Stephen Maguire Meeting.
On the first day of playing, according to tradition, Mark Selby will also be at the table and in the evening it will be clear whether he will reach the second round.
The total prize money is £2,395,000 (HUF 1.1 billion) and the winner’s prize is £500,000 (HUF 227 million).
Summer, World Championships, Sheffield
To reach the sixteenth (according to the branch scheme) *
Mark Selby (English, 1) – Jimmy Jones (Welsh)
Jin Bing Tao (Chinese, 16 years old) – Chris Wakelin (English)
Barry Hawkins (English, 9th place) – Jackson Page (Welsh)
Mark Williams (Wales, 8) – Michael White (Wales)
Keren Wilson (English, fifth) – Ting Chun Houge (Chinese)
Stuart Bingham (English, 12) – Liu Hao Tin (Chinese)
Anthony McGill (Scottish, 13) – Liam Highfield (English)
Judd Trump (English, 4) – Hossein Vafaei (Iran)
Neil Robertson (Australian, 3) – Ashley Hoegel (English)
Jack Lisowski (English, 14th place) – Matthew Stevens (Welsh)
Luka Preselle (Belgium, 11) – Noppon Saengkam (Thailand)
John Higgins (Scottish, 6 years old) – Thipchaia On Noh (Thailand)
Zhao Shen Tong (Chinese, 7 years old) – Jimmy Clark (Welsh)
Sean Murphy (English, tenth) – Stephen Maguire (Scottish)
Mark Allen (Northern Ireland, 15th place) – Scott Donaldson (Scottish)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (English, second) – David Gilbert (English)
* Matches that lasted until a tenth of the game was won.
Daily first round schedule
Saturday 16th April
11.00
Mark Selby (English, 1) – Jimmy Jones (Welsh)
Zhao Shen Tong (Chinese, 7 years old) – Jimmy Clark (Welsh)
15.30
Barry Hawkins (English, 9th place) – Jackson Page (Welsh)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (English, second) – David Gilbert (English)
8 pm
Mark Selby (English, 1) – Jimmy Jones (Welsh)
Sean Murphy (English, tenth) – Stephen Maguire (Scottish)
Sunday 17 April
11.00
Anthony McGill (Scottish, 13) – Liam Highfield (English)
Zhao Shen Tong (Chinese, 7 years old) – Jimmy Clark (Welsh)
15.30
Mark Williams (Wales, 8) – Michael White (Wales)
Ronnie O’Sullivan (English, second) – David Gilbert (English)
8 pm
Barry Hawkins (English, 9th place) – Jackson Page (Welsh)
Sean Murphy (English, tenth) – Stephen Maguire (Scottish)
Monday 18th April
11.00
Anthony McGill (Scottish, 13) – Liam Highfield (English)
Mark Allen (Northern Ireland, 15th place) – Scott Donaldson (Scottish)
15.30
Mark Williams (Wales, 8) – Michael White (Wales)
Neil Robertson (Australian, 3) – Ashley Hoegel (English)
8 pm
Stuart Bingham (English, 12) – Liu Hao Tin (Chinese)
Mark Allen (Northern Ireland, 15th place) – Scott Donaldson (Scottish)
Tuesday 19 April
11.00
Jin Bing Tao (Chinese, 16 years old) – Chris Wakelin (English)
Neil Robertson (Australian, 3) – Ashley Hoegel (English)
15.30
Stuart Bingham (English, 12) – Liu Hao Tin (Chinese)
John Higgins (Scottish, 6 years old) – Thipchaia On Noh (Thailand)
8 pm
Jin Bing Tao (Chinese, 16 years old) – Chris Wakelin (English)
Jack Lisowski (English, 14th place) – Matthew Stevens (Welsh)
Wednesday 20 April
11.00
Keren Wilson (English, fifth) – Ting Chun Houge (Chinese)
John Higgins (Scottish, 6 years old) – Thipchaia On Noh (Thailand)
15.30
Judd Trump (English, 4) – Hossein Vafaei (Iran)
Jack Lisowski (English, 14th place) – Matthew Stevens (Welsh)
8 pm
Keren Wilson (English, fifth) – Ting Chun Houge (Chinese)
Luka Preselle (Belgium, 11) – Noppon Saengkam (Thailand)
Thursday April 21
14.00
Luka Preselle (Belgium, 11) – Noppon Saengkam (Thailand)
8 pm
Judd Trump (English, 4) – Hossein Vafaei (Iran)
