An average final for me. I had tickets for both sessions today, glad I transferred them to next year.
At no time did I think Murphy would win. Even if he'd won that last one, Selby would probably have slowed the game down and the next frame would have been 40 minutes. Murphy's long potting was incredible but he didn't make the most of his chances.
I know Selby is a grinder & a fantastic player, but i find him so boring to watch
Purely coincidentally *ahem* my wife asked me yesterday as I was inflicting the final on her why we'd never seen a robot playing snooker?
My wasted quips about Cliff Thorburn and Eddie Charlton aside I struggled to answer why we've not seen O'Sullivan in an exhibition match against one of Boston Robotics finest yet. If there's one sport suited to something having a metronomic, repetitive action with ridiculously high levels of success percentage calculation and geometry, etc. It's snooker. Or pool I suppose.
With the advances in AI we can't be far off this being theoretically possible, albeit boring as...
I saw a while ago, maybe a few years ago there was one that was playing pool. In practice it sounds pretty easy but a bit pointless, there was also something similar where people bought like a virtual thing (not VR) where it would draw out the lines, where the ball will land. Not sure it will add anything to have any sort of AL playing/practicing, seems alot of money for nothing.
I missed alot of the final, also Saturdays I did see the final 4/5 frames Selby v Murphy, as much as i dislike Smurf fairplay he showed some proper battling qualities, 17-13 down Selby just hit a century and went back to back with his own and nearly got back to 17-16, quality clearance from Selby at the end. Massive respect to both players
I know Selby gets alot of stick, but 4 world titles, he might sometimes be tougher to watch than ROS/Trump/Robbo, although i do think its exaggerated, he is just pure class. I dont think there is any gamesmanship involved, its just how he plays and he finds a way to win whether making tons or through pure grit and tactical play. Should be mentioned along the greats imo, far too much unwarranted stick.
I don't think anyone doubts Selby is a fantastic player, but he is definitely hard to watch sometimes.
He is one of the best at solving a problem and seeing an angle and yet he takes 2 mins to decide on a shot that, realistically, he probably thought was the best shot after about 2 seconds.
And there is definitely some gamesmanship involved vs the top quicker players. Don't blame him necessarily given it helps him win.
I missed alot of the final, also Saturdays I did see the final 4/5 frames Selby v Murphy, as much as i dislike Smurf fairplay he showed some proper battling qualities, 17-13 down Selby just hit a century and went back to back with his own and nearly got back to 17-16, quality clearance from Selby at the end. Massive respect to both players
I know Selby gets alot of stick, but 4 world titles, he might sometimes be tougher to watch than ROS/Trump/Robbo, although i do think its exaggerated, he is just pure class. I dont think there is any gamesmanship involved, its just how he plays and he finds a way to win whether making tons or through pure grit and tactical play. Should be mentioned along the greats imo, far too much unwarranted stick.
I agree. Think it's just become one of those confirmation bias things, where people notice Selby taking his time over a shot, or re-chalking his cue 4 times before playing a simple safety shot, where they don't look for it in others.
He's never going to be the sort of player to take on the sort of shots others might, or make a century in 5 minutes. That's just not his game. But he is a very, very good player. He's a Matty Holland where the crowd are baying for a Claus Jensen.
I do have to chuckle when the MC introduces the Jester From Leicester and out walks one of the most dour looking blokes on the planet though.
I missed alot of the final, also Saturdays I did see the final 4/5 frames Selby v Murphy, as much as i dislike Smurf fairplay he showed some proper battling qualities, 17-13 down Selby just hit a century and went back to back with his own and nearly got back to 17-16, quality clearance from Selby at the end. Massive respect to both players
I know Selby gets alot of stick, but 4 world titles, he might sometimes be tougher to watch than ROS/Trump/Robbo, although i do think its exaggerated, he is just pure class. I dont think there is any gamesmanship involved, its just how he plays and he finds a way to win whether making tons or through pure grit and tactical play. Should be mentioned along the greats imo, far too much unwarranted stick.
I agree. Think it's just become one of those confirmation bias things, where people notice Selby taking his time over a shot, or re-chalking his cue 4 times before playing a simple safety shot, where they don't look for it in others.
He's never going to be the sort of player to take on the sort of shots others might, or make a century in 5 minutes. That's just not his game. But he is a very, very good player. He's a Matty Holland where the crowd are baying for a Claus Jensen.
I do have to chuckle when the MC introduces the Jester From Leicester and out walks one of the most dour looking blokes on the planet though.
I thought that yesterday - I wonder how the conversation went.
"Mark got his snooker nickname yet?" "Yeah, get this: The Jester from Leicester!" "You know he's nothing like a jester? He's less like a jester than a good 99% of the other players on tour?" "Well, yeah, but... I mean... it rhymes...."
I missed alot of the final, also Saturdays I did see the final 4/5 frames Selby v Murphy, as much as i dislike Smurf fairplay he showed some proper battling qualities, 17-13 down Selby just hit a century and went back to back with his own and nearly got back to 17-16, quality clearance from Selby at the end. Massive respect to both players
I know Selby gets alot of stick, but 4 world titles, he might sometimes be tougher to watch than ROS/Trump/Robbo, although i do think its exaggerated, he is just pure class. I dont think there is any gamesmanship involved, its just how he plays and he finds a way to win whether making tons or through pure grit and tactical play. Should be mentioned along the greats imo, far too much unwarranted stick.
I agree. Think it's just become one of those confirmation bias things, where people notice Selby taking his time over a shot, or re-chalking his cue 4 times before playing a simple safety shot, where they don't look for it in others.
He's never going to be the sort of player to take on the sort of shots others might, or make a century in 5 minutes. That's just not his game. But he is a very, very good player. He's a Matty Holland where the crowd are baying for a Claus Jensen.
I do have to chuckle when the MC introduces the Jester From Leicester and out walks one of the most dour looking blokes on the planet though.
When he first got to the final v Higgins in 2007 he used to crack a few jokes and had a great rapport with the fans. That's when he got the nickname. When he started winning more tournaments he dropped the jokes and now it's an ill-fitting moniker.
Also in the first three rounds Selby played quite quickly and was very fluent. He can score heavily as well as being the best tactician.
Playing slowly to annoy your opponent isn't tactics, it's gamesmanship, and him being warned for slow play shows the officials know it isn't, too.
I dont really agree with this again, For most of the final him and Murphy were actually the same AST (Average shot time), just checked and it finished 4 seconds different. 24.6 for Murphy, 28.2 for Selby. That is probably his slowest of the tournament but when you take into the fact its the final of the biggest event in snooker. Yes i am aware he was warned by the ref at some point, however i do not think its gamesmanship its just how it is. When he is flowing he isn't as hard to watch (subjective), when it gets a bit tricky or he isn't quite on it he will slow down.
Like he isn't as slow as people think. although seems it as he sometimes does take a while over the odd shot. Regardless he is a winner, so even if he was deemed slow so what
75/120 on tour for Average shot time, normal is 24.65, Murphys 22.79 so both around a couple seconds more in the final.
World seniors snooker Starting on Thursday, 6 May, the tournament gets underway from the last-16 stage and will conclude with the final on Sunday, 9 May.
The last-16 full draw:
Jimmy White v Tony Knowles
Lee Walker v Darren Morgan
Igor Figueiredo v John Parrott
Stephen Hendry v Patsy Fagan
Michael Judge v Patrick Wallace
Barry Pinches v Dennis Taylor
David Lilley v Philip Williams
Ken Doherty v Joe Johnson
Full coverage details:
Thursday, 6 May
12:00-16:00 & 19:00-23:00 - BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website & app
Also in the first three rounds Selby played quite quickly and was very fluent. He can score heavily as well as being the best tactician.
Playing slowly to annoy your opponent isn't tactics, it's gamesmanship, and him being warned for slow play shows the officials know it isn't, too.
I dont really agree with this again, For most of the final him and Murphy were actually the same AST (Average shot time), just checked and it finished 4 seconds different. 24.6 for Murphy, 28.2 for Selby. That is probably his slowest of the tournament but when you take into the fact its the final of the biggest event in snooker. Yes i am aware he was warned by the ref at some point, however i do not think its gamesmanship its just how it is. When he is flowing he isn't as hard to watch (subjective), when it gets a bit tricky or he isn't quite on it he will slow down.
Like he isn't as slow as people think. although seems it as he sometimes does take a while over the odd shot. Regardless he is a winner, so even if he was deemed slow so what
75/120 on tour for Average shot time, normal is 24.65, Murphys 22.79 so both around a couple seconds more in the final.
The dislike of Selby is typical English sour grapes reaction to a serial winner. A winner who is gritty and determined, not especially out to please the crowd, isn't a gurning clown despite being misnamed 'the jester' simply 'cos it rhymes with home city Leicester, a skilled and practised pro who just gets on with his job, makes loads of money and wins lots of trophies. What's not to like ? .. probably that he isn't a right good, very 'umble loser.
Im not posting much anymore but have seen about 4/5 people comment about The Jester nickname and need to clear this up to avoid further confusion.
How many of you know him personally? How many of you see him behind the scenes?
Just because on the table he concentrates on what he needs to do(and that by the way has won him 4 world titles in the last 8 years) and doesn't laugh and joke around the table you think its a stupid nickname.
So many pros and other people around the circuit have said off the table he is one of the funniest people around hence the nickname.
But when he has a match on he knows he needs to be in match mode and is fully focused on what he needs to do
Also in the first three rounds Selby played quite quickly and was very fluent. He can score heavily as well as being the best tactician.
Playing slowly to annoy your opponent isn't tactics, it's gamesmanship, and him being warned for slow play shows the officials know it isn't, too.
I dont really agree with this again, For most of the final him and Murphy were actually the same AST (Average shot time), just checked and it finished 4 seconds different. 24.6 for Murphy, 28.2 for Selby. That is probably his slowest of the tournament but when you take into the fact its the final of the biggest event in snooker. Yes i am aware he was warned by the ref at some point, however i do not think its gamesmanship its just how it is. When he is flowing he isn't as hard to watch (subjective), when it gets a bit tricky or he isn't quite on it he will slow down.
Like he isn't as slow as people think. although seems it as he sometimes does take a while over the odd shot. Regardless he is a winner, so even if he was deemed slow so what
75/120 on tour for Average shot time, normal is 24.65, Murphys 22.79 so both around a couple seconds more in the final.
The dislike of Selby is typical English sour grapes reaction to a serial winner. A winner who is gritty and determined, not especially out to please the crowd, isn't a gurning clown despite being misnamed 'the jester' simply 'cos it rhymes with home city Leicester, a skilled and practised pro who just gets on with his job, makes loads of money and wins lots of trophies. What's not to like ? .. probably that he isn't a right good, very 'umble loser.
I don't think it's many disliking him exactly, just commenting he's a bit boring to watch.
It's the difference between watching a team who play good attacking football and a team who defend and try to nick a 1-0. Up to them, it gets results, but it's also fine for people to admit they prefer watching the attacking team's games.
Im not posting much anymore but have seen about 4/5 people comment about The Jester nickname and need to clear this up to avoid further confusion.
How many of you know him personally? How many of you see him behind the scenes?
Just because on the table he concentrates on what he needs to do(and that by the way has won him 4 world titles in the last 8 years) and doesn't laugh and joke around the table you think its a stupid nickname.
So many pros and other people around the circuit have said off the table he is one of the funniest people around hence the nickname.
But when he has a match on he knows he needs to be in match mode and is fully focused on what he needs to do
Come off it, it's a stage nickname as it rhymes with Leicester, nothing else.
Same as Neil Robertson bring the Thunder from Down Under.
Im not posting much anymore but have seen about 4/5 people comment about The Jester nickname and need to clear this up to avoid further confusion.
How many of you know him personally? How many of you see him behind the scenes?
Just because on the table he concentrates on what he needs to do(and that by the way has won him 4 world titles in the last 8 years) and doesn't laugh and joke around the table you think its a stupid nickname.
So many pros and other people around the circuit have said off the table he is one of the funniest people around hence the nickname.
But when he has a match on he knows he needs to be in match mode and is fully focused on what he needs to do
I think 'Jester' is just a nickname that rhymes with Leicester. Nothing to do with his bubbly, outgoing personality!!
Im not posting much anymore but have seen about 4/5 people comment about The Jester nickname and need to clear this up to avoid further confusion.
How many of you know him personally? How many of you see him behind the scenes?
Just because on the table he concentrates on what he needs to do(and that by the way has won him 4 world titles in the last 8 years) and doesn't laugh and joke around the table you think its a stupid nickname.
So many pros and other people around the circuit have said off the table he is one of the funniest people around hence the nickname.
But when he has a match on he knows he needs to be in match mode and is fully focused on what he needs to do
Come off it, it's a stage nickname as it rhymes with Leicester, nothing else.
Same as Neil Robertson bring the Thunder from Down Under.
Whilst Paulies post seems to have taken it personal, because he is a big fan. His point remains, his nickname originated from his personality and off the table demeanor, yes it rhymes with Leicester but that wasnt the sole reason lol
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, i think Lincs actually summed it up perfect. There is a similar player in the pool community who has won alot and still young and he gets as much stick as Selby (Liam Dunster) he is slow, methodical and will often play tactical to give himself a better chance. I enjoy seeing different styles combat and if they are winning then thats all that matters, although its supposed to be entertaining (loosely) it doesn't pay the bills if you dont get results, just look how Trump reigned it in and learnt to play more tactical.
Im not posting much anymore but have seen about 4/5 people comment about The Jester nickname and need to clear this up to avoid further confusion.
How many of you know him personally? How many of you see him behind the scenes?
Just because on the table he concentrates on what he needs to do(and that by the way has won him 4 world titles in the last 8 years) and doesn't laugh and joke around the table you think its a stupid nickname.
So many pros and other people around the circuit have said off the table he is one of the funniest people around hence the nickname.
But when he has a match on he knows he needs to be in match mode and is fully focused on what he needs to do
More to the point, he used to crack jokes to the crowd and that's how he got the name. Off the table it would seem that he is still the same and I reckon he will make a great commentator when he retires.
John Virgo was a miserable git on the table and then he started doing his impressions of other players and got the job on the game show with that Charlton fan.
Comments
Was shaping up to be so tense.
Murphy's long potting was incredible but he didn't make the most of his chances.
Great clearance from Selby under pressure
And I'd trust his judgement more than mine, to be honest.
Final
Mark Selby 18-15 Shaun Murphy
Highest break
144 - Shaun Murphy v Yan Bingtao
Winner £500,000
Runner-up £200,000
Semi-finals £100,000
Quarter-finals £50,000
Last 16 £30,000
Last 32 £20,000
Highest break £15,000
I know Selby gets alot of stick, but 4 world titles, he might sometimes be tougher to watch than ROS/Trump/Robbo, although i do think its exaggerated, he is just pure class. I dont think there is any gamesmanship involved, its just how he plays and he finds a way to win whether making tons or through pure grit and tactical play. Should be mentioned along the greats imo, far too much unwarranted stick.
He is one of the best at solving a problem and seeing an angle and yet he takes 2 mins to decide on a shot that, realistically, he probably thought was the best shot after about 2 seconds.
And there is definitely some gamesmanship involved vs the top quicker players. Don't blame him necessarily given it helps him win.
He's never going to be the sort of player to take on the sort of shots others might, or make a century in 5 minutes. That's just not his game. But he is a very, very good player. He's a Matty Holland where the crowd are baying for a Claus Jensen.
I do have to chuckle when the MC introduces the Jester From Leicester and out walks one of the most dour looking blokes on the planet though.
"Mark got his snooker nickname yet?"
"Yeah, get this: The Jester from Leicester!"
"You know he's nothing like a jester? He's less like a jester than a good 99% of the other players on tour?"
"Well, yeah, but... I mean... it rhymes...."
Like he isn't as slow as people think. although seems it as he sometimes does take a while over the odd shot. Regardless he is a winner, so even if he was deemed slow so what
75/120 on tour for Average shot time, normal is 24.65, Murphys 22.79 so both around a couple seconds more in the final.
Starting on Thursday, 6 May, the tournament gets underway from the last-16 stage and will conclude with the final on Sunday, 9 May.
The last-16 full draw:
Jimmy White v Tony Knowles
Lee Walker v Darren Morgan
Igor Figueiredo v John Parrott
Stephen Hendry v Patsy Fagan
Michael Judge v Patrick Wallace
Barry Pinches v Dennis Taylor
David Lilley v Philip Williams
Ken Doherty v Joe Johnson
Full coverage details:
Thursday, 6 May
12:00-16:00 & 19:00-23:00 - BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website & app
How many of you know him personally?
How many of you see him behind the scenes?
Just because on the table he concentrates on what he needs to do(and that by the way has won him 4 world titles in the last 8 years) and doesn't laugh and joke around the table you think its a stupid nickname.
So many pros and other people around the circuit have said off the table he is one of the funniest people around hence the nickname.
But when he has a match on he knows he needs to be in match mode and is fully focused on what he needs to do
It's the difference between watching a team who play good attacking football and a team who defend and try to nick a 1-0. Up to them, it gets results, but it's also fine for people to admit they prefer watching the attacking team's games.
Same as Neil Robertson bring the Thunder from Down Under.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, i think Lincs actually summed it up perfect. There is a similar player in the pool community who has won alot and still young and he gets as much stick as Selby (Liam Dunster) he is slow, methodical and will often play tactical to give himself a better chance. I enjoy seeing different styles combat and if they are winning then thats all that matters, although its supposed to be entertaining (loosely) it doesn't pay the bills if you dont get results, just look how Trump reigned it in and learnt to play more tactical.
John Virgo was a miserable git on the table and then he started doing his impressions of other players and got the job on the game show with that Charlton fan.
Lee Walker 2-3 Darren Morgan
Stephen Hendry 3-0 Patsy Fagan
Michael Judge 2-3 Patrick Wallace
David Lilley 3-1 Philip Williams
Full coverage details:
Friday, 7 May
12:00-16:00 & 19:00-23:00 - BBC Red Button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website & app