Here's a genuine question or two for all you snooker (and betting) experts.
As far as I can tell since the World Champs have been held at the Crucible (40 years this year I believe) it has been won as follows:
Hendry 7 Davis 6 O'Sullivan 5 Higgins J 4 Selby 3 Williams M 2
In addition14 players have won it once.
The correlation between the number of times won and the value of the balls is apparent and if 2018 throws up a first time winner, say Judd Trump they will match exactly and total 42.
That's incredible. I love stuff like this and now I can't wait for the tournament and I'll be praying for a first time champ.
Day 1 of the Northern Ireland open didnt actually finish until an hour ago after a few tough matches.
Day 1 Results Noppon Saengkham 4-1 Hamza Akbar Jamie Barrett 4-1 Ian Preece Li Hang 4-3 Cao Yupeng Robin Hull 4-3 Eden Sharav Yu Delu 4-1 Craig Steadman Tian Pengfei 4-2 Vahedi Soheil Ricky Walden 4-0 Miah Hammad Neil Robertson 4-1 Jamie Jones Ashley Hugill 4-2 Josh Boileau Alex Borg 4-3 Peter Ebdon Adam Duffy 4-2 Rory McLeod Thepchaiya 4-2 Allan Taylor Jimmy White 4-3 Dominic Dale Niu Zhuang 4-3 Ian Burns Hossein Vafaei Ayouri 4-2 Anthony Hamilton Chen Zifan 4-1 Shaun Murphy Robert Milkins 4-3 Alfie Burden Billy Joe Castle 4-2 Declan Brennan Sam Craigie 4-1 Kyren Wilson Liam Highfield 4-3 Mark Davis Oliver Lines 4-3 Xu Si Ken Doherty 4-2 Peter Lines Mark Allen 4-2 Sanderson Lam Lyu Haotian 4-3 Joe Swail Kurt Mafflin 4-1 Andrew Higginson Ross Muir 4-3 Thor Chuan Leong Elliot Slessor 4-0 Kurt Dunham Joe Perry 4-3 Gerard Greene Mark King 4-1 Matthew Bolton Mei Xiwen 4-0 Jordan Brown
So Shaun Murphy obviously biggest shock.of the day but also a surprise to see Peter Ebdon Rory McLeod Dominic Dale Anthony Hamilton Kyren Wilson Mark Davis all lose so early.
33 matches tomorrow but that could go down to 31 with 2 big names possibly pulling out.
Judd Trump- Issues with an airline having his cue still from last weeks tournament in Shanghai, He said yesterday unless he gets it back he will pull out(snooket players hate using someone else cue, most play with same cue all there career)
Mark Williams- Not sure what is wrong but he has tweeted a few times this past week about going up to hospital with his wife, she went back in yesterday and he said he will make a decision in the morning if he is playing or not.
No confirmation either way from Trump or Williams but there have been 2 further withdrawals Martin O'Donnell and Luca Brecel So Michael Holt and Fang Xiongman have got byes into the 2nd round
Below is a list of todays matches the player whose name is first is the player I expect to win.
Zhang Anda v Akani Songsermsawad Sam Baird v Zhanh Yong Ali Carter v Chen Zhe Scott Donaldson v Wang Yuchen David Grace v Michaeel Georgiou Xiao Guodong v Christopher Keogan Jack Lisowski v Sean O'Sullivan Aditya Mehta v Li Yuan Matt Selt v Rhys Clark Mike Dunn v Jamie Rhys Clark Rod Lawler v Paul Davison Tom Ford v Fergal O'Brien Mitchell Mann v Duane Jones Lee Walker v Jak Jones Judd Trump v Stuart Carrington Yan Bingtao v Robbie Williams Graeme Dott v Zhou Yuelong John Higgins v Nigel Bond Liang Wenbo v Jackson Page Michael White v Jimmy Robertson Matthew Stevens v Leo Fernandez Stephen Maguire v Basem Eltahhan Alan McManus v Yuan Sijun Barry Hawkins v Zhao Xintong Mark Williams v James Wattana Mark Joyce v Ben Woollaston Ronnie O'Sullivan v Lukas Kleckers Chris Wakelin v Chris Totten Dave Gilbert v Daniel Wells Alexander Ursenbacher v Gary Wilson Ryan Day v John Astley
A bit petulant then from Trump 3-2 behind missed a red to middle and just smashed his cue into a bunch of reds to concede frame and match, fine heading his way after that
Slacking i know got a lot going in atm The 4 semi finalists Yan Bintao Lyu Haotian(1st ever semi for this young man) Elliot Slessor(1st ever semi for this young man) Mark Williams
Mark Williams 6-2 Elliot Slessor Yan Bingtao 6-2 Lyu Haotian
Final is Mark Williams v Yan Bingtao
Should Yan win he will be the youngest ever player the win a ranking event passing Ronnies record by 3 months
Should point out the Mark Williams has stated on twitter he recieved a phone call this evening his wife was rushed back into hospital, not sure if he will pull out of final or not
Ronnies record is safe for now. I say for now because i wouldnt put it past Yan Bingtao to win a ranking event in the next 3 months, possibly even the uk's(Ronnies first)
Comments
I love stuff like this and now I can't wait for the tournament and I'll be praying for a first time champ.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-3 Judd Trump
Northern Ireland open starts tomorrow if Ronnie wins he will be halfway to a million pound
Day 1 Results
Noppon Saengkham 4-1 Hamza Akbar
Jamie Barrett 4-1 Ian Preece
Li Hang 4-3 Cao Yupeng
Robin Hull 4-3 Eden Sharav
Yu Delu 4-1 Craig Steadman
Tian Pengfei 4-2 Vahedi Soheil
Ricky Walden 4-0 Miah Hammad
Neil Robertson 4-1 Jamie Jones
Ashley Hugill 4-2 Josh Boileau
Alex Borg 4-3 Peter Ebdon
Adam Duffy 4-2 Rory McLeod
Thepchaiya 4-2 Allan Taylor
Jimmy White 4-3 Dominic Dale
Niu Zhuang 4-3 Ian Burns
Hossein Vafaei Ayouri 4-2 Anthony Hamilton
Chen Zifan 4-1 Shaun Murphy
Robert Milkins 4-3 Alfie Burden
Billy Joe Castle 4-2 Declan Brennan
Sam Craigie 4-1 Kyren Wilson
Liam Highfield 4-3 Mark Davis
Oliver Lines 4-3 Xu Si
Ken Doherty 4-2 Peter Lines
Mark Allen 4-2 Sanderson Lam
Lyu Haotian 4-3 Joe Swail
Kurt Mafflin 4-1 Andrew Higginson
Ross Muir 4-3 Thor Chuan Leong
Elliot Slessor 4-0 Kurt Dunham
Joe Perry 4-3 Gerard Greene
Mark King 4-1 Matthew Bolton
Mei Xiwen 4-0 Jordan Brown
So Shaun Murphy obviously biggest shock.of the day but also a surprise to see
Peter Ebdon
Rory McLeod
Dominic Dale
Anthony Hamilton
Kyren Wilson
Mark Davis all lose so early.
33 matches tomorrow but that could go down to 31 with 2 big names possibly pulling out.
Judd Trump- Issues with an airline having his cue still from last weeks tournament in Shanghai, He said yesterday unless he gets it back he will pull out(snooket players hate using someone else cue, most play with same cue all there career)
Mark Williams- Not sure what is wrong but he has tweeted a few times this past week about going up to hospital with his wife, she went back in yesterday and he said he will make a decision in the morning if he is playing or not.
Martin O'Donnell and Luca Brecel
So Michael Holt and Fang Xiongman have got byes into the 2nd round
Zhang Anda v Akani Songsermsawad
Sam Baird v Zhanh Yong
Ali Carter v Chen Zhe
Scott Donaldson v Wang Yuchen
David Grace v Michaeel Georgiou
Xiao Guodong v Christopher Keogan
Jack Lisowski v Sean O'Sullivan
Aditya Mehta v Li Yuan
Matt Selt v Rhys Clark
Mike Dunn v Jamie Rhys Clark
Rod Lawler v Paul Davison
Tom Ford v Fergal O'Brien
Mitchell Mann v Duane Jones
Lee Walker v Jak Jones
Judd Trump v Stuart Carrington
Yan Bingtao v Robbie Williams
Graeme Dott v Zhou Yuelong
John Higgins v Nigel Bond
Liang Wenbo v Jackson Page
Michael White v Jimmy Robertson
Matthew Stevens v Leo Fernandez
Stephen Maguire v Basem Eltahhan
Alan McManus v Yuan Sijun
Barry Hawkins v Zhao Xintong
Mark Williams v James Wattana
Mark Joyce v Ben Woollaston
Ronnie O'Sullivan v Lukas Kleckers
Chris Wakelin v Chris Totten
Dave Gilbert v Daniel Wells
Alexander Ursenbacher v Gary Wilson
Ryan Day v John Astley
Fair play. Keep it up mate
Just to cheer me up,
Robert Milkins v Yan Bingtao
Tian Pengfei v Lyu Haotian
Elliot Slessor v Li Yuan
Mike Dunn v Mark Williams
Not a quarter final lineup many expected with defeats for Trump, Murphy, Maguire, Allen, Higgins and O'Sullivan all leaving earlier than expected
The 4 semi finalists
Yan Bintao
Lyu Haotian(1st ever semi for this young man)
Elliot Slessor(1st ever semi for this young man)
Mark Williams
Mark Williams 6-2 Elliot Slessor
Yan Bingtao 6-2 Lyu Haotian
Final is
Mark Williams v Yan Bingtao
Should Yan win he will be the youngest ever player the win a ranking event passing Ronnies record by 3 months
Yan Bingtao 3-1 Mark Williams
Can Yan Bingtao do it, can he become the youngest ever winner of a rankig event
MARK WILLIAMS IS THE NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN CHAMPION
I say for now because i wouldnt put it past Yan Bingtao to win a ranking event in the next 3 months, possibly even the uk's(Ronnies first)
Straight back after the final and on the practice table first thing today, this boy has the desire to win