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That 17th frame in the Davis Bingham match has literally left me emotionally drained. Harshest thing ever. Think it might have crushed his spirit.

I haven't watched any of it yet which is very unusual. I may do so very soon.

Who won?

Romford Slim is one of my favourite cue sportsmen of all time.

The only man I prefer is Drago.

First week always sucks. Let 'em weed out the dross then tune in.

Bingham won. Epic match. Davis was 8-3 down at one point, got it back to 8-8 before losing a mad frame on the black. finished 10-8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVaUhlgIa6U

Here is Tony Drago knocking in a century break in just over 3 and a half minutes.

That snivelly cunt Dott is on. Just got one hell of a spawny fluke. I hope he trips and his cue goes up his own arse and snaps at the butt.

I found it amusing that Ding is playing Fu at the moment.

It was nip and tuck to the very last.

Damn - bad first week so far - Steve Davis and Mark Selby are out! and Stephen Hendry (who I hate!) came through at the death even tho he never led in the match till the end!

All down to Rocket Ronnie now!!

Ding Fu was another good game. Ding looked like he was doing his best to fuck it up at times. Some well odd shot selection, like he was getting bored. Which he probably was.

Liang Wenbo is looking pretty impressive against Ken Dohery. He could run away with this.

Glad to see cunty chops Dott is out.

I might go and vandalise Shaun Murphy's wikipedia page because I don't like him.

   Shaun's alright he's a christian and that.  Apparently met his wife through the internet....does it say anything about his father competing in the Open at golf ?

Exiting End to the Ronnie vs. Chuang game this afternoon.

Should be a good one.

Hmmm Wenbo...Liang Wenbo

I like his cos his name sounds like land of bo

Right scrappy frame just then between Higgins and Day.

ooooh, that's a bd miss.

Higgins missed a simple black off the spot. He's going off the boil here

Oooh. I stopped watching that, might put it back on.

Ken Doherty joins the list of notable players out of the top 16 next season. Mark Williams will be even if he wins it I think, along with Stephen Lee and Mathew Stevens again. Oh and Steve Davis, but to be honest that was really just a matter of time, he's getting on a bit.

I like Ken Doh.

Billy Bunter can fork off back to Trowbridge to Bowyers.  Williams is a miserable cunt. I quite like Davis, shame he'll drop out but he's just not good enough any more. Matthew Stevens is a bit of a chavmeister as well.

I was gutted Selby went out early doors. I went to Newport to watch the final of the Welsh Open in Feb and Selby was ace, coming back to beat Ronnie.

I'd like to see a few of the chinese do well to be honest, make a good change.

I agree with them all being cunts apart from Davis, but it does highlight that Snookers going through a bit of a transition.

Selby will get plenty more chances so it's hard to be too gutted. I agree about the remaining Chinese players doing ok would be good.

Was it Higgins who said recently that the World Championship should move out of Sheffield and get played in different venues around the world? I sort of agree with that idea, although the crucible is sort of the home of snooker now.

I can see the China Open (or whatever it's called) raising in importance over the next few years, I would like to see that tellivised on the BBC, even if the times would be odd.

Yeah that was Higgins. He's setting up a World Series of Snooker. Could be interesting.

Is that some 8-player invitation thing I vaguely remember reading about, possibly in the same article.

Yeah, to be hosted in countries like Germany, Russia, China where there are rising stars and a growing interest in the sport.

Hope he pulls it off. Will be good for the game.

Anybody know the estimates of how many people in China watched the Ding-Fu game? I imagine it was something stupid like the equivalent of the entire population of England or something.

I estimate it was 22,312.

Does anybody else love watching Ebdon? His concentration is immense. He has a high consistent level of play which could get boring, but then occasionally he goes for a random shot that no other player would try, normally it's an odd safety or shot to nothing that isn't your standard swinging the white back up to baulk effort. I love it when he picks out something which isn't obvious.

I also love it when the bubbling desire beneath his calm exterior erupts through. It obviously means a lot to him, but the concentration he puts in is amazing. You get those moments when you realise that he's playing like an oxymoron, passionate play with concentration, I'm amazed he doesn't go mental.

John Higgins just thumped the table.  :o  Very unlike him.

That was ace. Proper thump it was.

He's losing his mojo

He's gone mad!

4 in a row for Day?

He was 6-3 down when I started watching earlier.

Hahahaha Murphey is getting rape. Not even going to make the last session is it?

I think this session of Ronnie vs Williams is going to be close. Although there's a big difference between 10-6 and 9-7 or even 8-8.

And what's gone wrong with Ronnie's long potting? Disastrous!

I'm watching this too, looks close so far, Ronnie is rushing as usual and williams has cocked up a few too.

thats a better break from Ronnie.

Williams break building looks a bit shot. He's making a fair few errors.

I'm not Mark William's biggest fan, but the bit about his bet with Hendry cracked me up.

i missed that, do tell.

Hendry bet Williams £50 that he wouldn't to a Joe Swail impression during the first session. He did it on the last frame I think.

Nice to see they take the whole thing seriously.

poor joe.

It's his own fault for having such a spastic cue action. And he's part deaf as well so I doubt anybody's told him.

Nah I like Joe Swail, I'm sure it was just a bit of friendly fun.

I do quite like Ray, but I think I prefer the lovely Hazel for the Snooker chill out.

I wish I could find the song I wrote about her.

that was a comedy shot from Ronnie, cost him the frame.

I missed it. BBCtwo had jsut finished and I hadn't got to putting in on the tinterweb.

Ronnie got 147 in the last frame to beat Williams  8)

ACE ONE! Well done Ronnie!! I really hope he can win it this time ...

is he now the first person to score 2 x 147's at the Crucible?

thats his 3rd isnt it?

really??? never realised

Ronnie was ace in that session. Top snooker.

i just watched that on the bbc website, top stuff.

Ronnie reckoned making a 147  was better than any drug...wonder how he knows?

Didn't he get stripped of one of his titles for failing a drug test once?

  :nod:  :doobie:

Imagine Ronnie on speed  :D

I went to play Snooker today. Managed a couple of tidy breaks. Including a an 11 (blue then pink, should have got the black for an 18 but the pressure got to me), a 9 (red black red) and a very sexy 6 (red green yellow).

I'll be in the World Championships next year.

do you wanna go play sometime? where did you go?

  I used to play, it was where I discovered my colour blindness, as I kept fouling the brown thinking it was a red.

I have to look very carefully, although strangely never had any problems with the green, only ever red and brown.

my highest break is 54, any one here play regularly?

 The green looks very green...I can't tell the brown from red at all, either playing or watching on TV, unless its on its spot.

Fucking hell. Maximum fucking city.

Ebdon fucks the last black and then Carter gets one. Ronnie won't be happy about sharing the money.

   :shock:

Madness.

By last black I meant the black of the last red if I wasn't that clear  :D . It was still a proper chance for Ebdon to get a 147 and then next frame Carter does get one. Mental stuff.

Ronnie said his interview afterwards that he'd make an insurance bet so that if anybody else got one he'd have it covered. I wonder if he got around to it in time.

Alarm is set for the morning session tomorrow. Fucking psycho snooker players with their early times. Unthinkable hours.

Oh well. Think I'll have a nice healthy fry up followed by a morning of snooker and a few pots of tea.

You can't top that.

Ben you will be pleased to hear Ronnie being very astute covered that by placing 5k at the bookies.. Jammie bastard got 200-1 and the odds of getting another one have been cut to 7/4 :shock:

Looks like Ronnie is back on form

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/7374052.stm

good start from wenbo, hope this session lasts longer than 2 frames.

Yeah. I want Ronnie to go through for the Big Hendry face off, but I like Wenbo.

Wenbo is my new favourite player. hope this goes down to the wire, but I have a feeling it will be over next frame.

What's the other game on, Perry Maguire?

yep.

Wenbo is a character, I liked it when Virgo described him as a chinese Mr Bean

with his surname he should be nicknamed 'The Clubber'.

He comes across as much more fun that Ding. Ding just seems a bit petulant whenever he plays.

Still strikes me as weird that players will complain about any little bit of noise in their half of the arena, but a huge round of applause and shouting on the other side is fine and they'll happily play a shot whilst it's going on.

he's taking silly risks now.

Could be game over for Boxer Jedi.

He loves his plants.

Agree about Ding Ben would be nice to see a few of the Younger Chinese lads learning English now aswell

hoohooo, genius!

Within a decade it'll be the English players learning Chinese if it keeps becoming popular out there.

Very true although i saw Ronnie talking partly Chinese last month..

Wattana ? now where is he lately

he must be bloody ancient by now.

Only 38. He'll have dropped down the rankings to 66ish next year.

I'd like to see Tony Drago make a come back.

Maguire Perry is getting  a bit epic

 Is that his new name....has a certain ring to it.

i'm watching it online.

Haha, I'll see your Tony Drago and raise you Ray Rearden.

Me too.

I'll re-raise you Alex Higgins.

I'll super re-raise you a Paul Hunter. Beat that.

Do John Virgo's count as Wildcards?

Only when following a Higgins/White break.

I'm ready for some 25th frame action before bed.

That was ace, although I think Carter will beat Perry quite comfortably.

Got the mega-excitement of the Big Hendy Ronnie mega match. Should be good.

Woo. Go snooker.

Perry 1 up against Carter but again missing frame balls.

Ronnie and Hendry 4-4 going into tomorrow.

Found my snooker smiley as well though he's a bit big

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b100/landofbo/snookersmiley-1.jpg

Ronnie Hendry was good this afternoon, Ronnie was a bit lucky to go in level, he looked a bit tense at times.

I'll put the Perry Carter on in a min I think.

Perry 2 up now. Long second frame.

Surely you'd want to bring back Quentin Hann for some crazy break madness

And playing in his socks.

He was a bit shit really, and a cock.

He got done for match fixing didn't he? Fixing matches isn't very exciting. Unless nobody knows they're fixed and he's fixing them for MAXIMUM EXCITEMENT. But then surely you'd need both players to be in the matchimcfixness?

Yeah, at the China open. He took a bribe to lose.

Probably the best pay day he ever had.

Perry 3-0

I've got the day off tomorrow so i can watch snooker all day  :D

and me

:mrgreen:

brilliant clearance from perry off the blue and pink.

I'm having a break and listening to the Dan le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip Album.

Might put in on in the background.

snookers on 301 btw.

Yeah I know. My internal ariel construction is a bit out of alignment at the moment so I'll tinterweb it.

Real Media Alternative, in Windows Media Classic, Top right corner of my screen, higher resolution that Ralphy's shitty PS3, Always on top, Tef and Snooker on one screen.

Magic stuff.

I thought that Carter would win this quite comfortably. He still might I suppose, but it looks like I've underestimated Perry a bit. From what I've seen so far the standard hasn't be immense so far. I suppose it's a fairly massive game for both of them. I'm sure they'll both settle down a bit in the next session.

The winner of Hendry Ronnie match has got to be odds on favourite though I'd imagine.

i can't imagine either of these two winning the competition based on this session.

carters frame then looks like, 5-3

There's a morning session again tomorrow isn't there?

Bloody 10 am starts. Might save some white ace to keep me going.

yes, although i'll probably wake up at 7 as usual even though i'm not working.

hendry's getting raped, thats about 9 in a row ronnies won.

Mental stuff.

I wish I'd got up this morning now.

 :| That can't be very good television.

its ok, we're on to carter / perry now. Gentleman Joe would never do anything like that.

Captain Carter is always up for some raping action though.

Is this rubbish still on television. The rights must cost next to nothing

piss off, I like it.

Banned.

Don't get me wrong snooker is OK in moderation, this seems like it has been dragging on for a long time

It's ok. I wasn't really going to ban you. Although I did play with the idea for a second.

 8)

At least it's better than golf.

I love the Snooker. Been a quality World Championships. The last few years have been a bit poor, but this year has been awesome

2nd longest annual sporting event or something.

Surely all the tennis competions take longer?

I think they're all 2 weeks, or 2 weeks plus the extra weekend.

Snooker throws in the extra bank holiday on top of that.

You mean the snooker goes on till monday?! Fuck sake.

Out of interest what is the longest annual sporting event?

Joe Perry = blatantly related to Calzaghe. Look at him.

tour de france?

ooooooo yeah i forgot about that

What the fuck just happened?

Shit have I missed something. I was trying to make a pot of tea without the tea. Ooops.

I think they started the frame again, or something.

Oh a re-rack

tense.

But I don't know why.

They do it when a frame hits a bit of a stalemate.

That means nothing to me, explain Ben.... :D

Basically when neither player is scoring and both are just playing safety shots.

Ahh right, cheers.

Pretty much what Sam said, although it tends to be when they're both playing negative safety shots. Like playing close into the pack or something.

How many shots untill they decide that there going to have a re-rack?

its up to the players, they need to agree on it.

THere's no set rule. Just when the players agree. It tends to be pretty obvious that a frame's not going anywhere.

Okey dokey.

tough to call this one, perry's been fairly consistent but carter is starting to find some form now.

thats 12 in a row for ronnie, craziness.

I'm getting the feeling that this may not require the final session tomorrow.

This is more than just rape now. It's like a multi orifice rape. Possibly involving snooker balls and the cue.

how many do they play tonight? 4 or 8?

8.

could be all over in an hour, that'd have to be a record for a semi.

boo, scotty got one.

I'm writing a snooker song

is it snooker loopy?

hendry must feel proper shat upon, 15-6 down and ronnie gets 2 flukes in one frame.

I just saw that. I think we all know who Jesus wants to win.

and allah.

One more frame.

The hendry is cursed.

Hendry clearly missed that on purpose so they could go home.

he wanted the day off tomorrow too.

Ace. Just in time for Brian Blessed presenting Have I got News for You.

People still watch snooker? well I never.

better than soaps.

Depends, are we talking Imperial Leather or Palmolive?

dove. it's one quarter moisturiser don't you know.

which suggests it'll be more slippy than other soaps, which would mean you'd have to watch it more closely to avoid such slippage, surely?

yes, and thats why watching snooker is better than watching soaps. Because of the greater friction of snooker you don't have to watch it as closely thus leading a to a more relaxed and enjoyable experience.

I see.  Have they spiced the sport up yet like cricket? you know, provide 1 minute to pot all the balls....wait, that's been done with Davidson hasn't it.

I miss the Snooker Loopy song, urban classic.

It was also the first record I owned.

The b side was called 'Wallop! She's gone down', which is still brilliant.

I know you're taking the piss but I'll answer you anyway; in the snooker premier league they only have 25 seconds per shot.

don't know how far this has got yet but ronnie was incredible to watch against hendry the other day. post-game he said his performance was a bit scrappy.

the other semi was a bit embarassing, whoever gets through will be ripped apart.

bloody hard though, snooker.

Come on Ali, i want to watch some snooker tonight :x

Yeah. i wouldn't mind this being at least a bit competitive. Pull your self together carter.

bit dull at the moment, not sure its gonna get any livelier.

YAY, definately an evening session, if my maths is correct (not watching, i'm at work)

at least 2 frames as it stands.

:Ride On Fatbury's Lovestick: they had a streaker.

Just now? I've been looking for 20p, must have missed it. Rubbish

Well that was an exciting finish.

it was an early finish.

Ronnie saying he might quit on a high  :shock:. He's always saying he might quit.

 Male or female?

  Reminds me of when there was a streaker at teh World Indoor Bowls....now I'll put my hand up,  I don't mind a bit of bowls....great skill involved.

  The bird had huge tits and ran down the green ....the audience which shall we say is spending the grey pound and consists of a fair number of women,  loved it and were rolling about with laughter.

unfortunately male, he did manage to evade security and get under the table though.

same dude as 2004 i think

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qWclbb6578

I was mad at my b/f for making me watch the snooker but the streaker cheared me up!

Touching ball ?

I think that game is called 'pocket billiards'.

yes, on the pink.

At least he didn't try and pot the brown.

ugghhhhh. that'd need some chalk.