Today a day of mixed emotions, Disappointed that Ronnie hasv irtually put the game to bed. Expected Stevens to have at least made it a closer game. Arsenals draw today a little disappointing but not a disaster as still in our hands to finish 2nd. Judd Trump making things good so far with a very good performance. Can he finish the job tonight with a session to spare?

Murphy, Ronnie, Robbo and Trump all well in control. Four very one sided second round matches.

I don't really agree with you with regards to Hendry being similar to Trump, yes agreed at the start of Hendry's career, Hendry in my opinion was just as exciting to watch as both Trump and Ronnie, but when he first came on the scene he soon realised and sobered up to the fact that to beat the likes of Steve Davis and not only beat him but to be better than him and surpass his achievements he had to change his game and adopt a solid defensive game and allied to that change his tactics on the attacking side to make it attacking but not so risky, the shot where he went in to the pack at the beginning of the frame was as attacking as any shot in the game today but it didn't involve splitting the pack wide open but to take out only a few balls and to have a small edge of safety to it if it didn't work out as if it missed the position wouldn't have been in the correct place to pot the intended shot he meant to play for, I also think there were many players in the era who were at a high level and more characters and probably more talented players with the likes of White and Hurricane Higgins, there were a lot of talented players in the game then also particularly later in his career when you had some of the guys now who were at their peak then like stevens, docherty, Williams, there were some skilful players such as drago, Johnson and steve james who would give the likes of ding and trump a game these days, it was a different game back then tough more attacking, less tactical, you had guys like Higgins then and McManus, ebdon, hunter, Ronnie, and davis was still good then, I think if you took the time and looked back you could find a lot of talent back in these eras also, so I don't really go along with this era being harder, I think every era is different and the game evolves.

I don't agree with you in relation to Ronnie not being able to take out BOTH Ding & Trump... Ronnie has the wood over Ding... If they play in the semi then Ronnie will win by at least 5 frames..

Jimmy White should have won 2 of the finals he played against Hendry. 1992-14-8 up, lost 10 on the bounce, 1994, in in the final frame.. Blew it.

There won't be much snooker tomorrow! These second round games are all but over..

Shame that Judd Trump and Ding will meet in the Quarter Finals (assuming Judd does win this match) that would have been an ideal and perfect final!

Hi Wether, I totally agree with you but I'm only saying that they both on their day are capable of beating Ronnie with their talent in potting, but Ronnie really would have to have an off day also or his concentration would have to go, if Ronnie was to play either and he was at the top of his game all thru the match there would be no contest in my opinion but we all know Ronnie can sometimes blow hot and cold and Trump in particular is like Ronnie if he is on top of his game and Ronnie struggles he can be like Ronnie and all of a sudden he can reel off three or four frames on the spin, trump is quite capable of that, and if that happened early on in the match I think it would affect Ronnie, but that's the only chance I think Trump could beat him, I think you are right Ding has been in a position to beat Ronnie in the past and bottled it, so I don't know if ding has the confidence to beat him, I doubt it, to be honest the only two I think who can beat him is Murphy and Robertson but they will have to be at their best.

Murray - Whilst Hendry could play solid safety, there's no doubt that given the choice of potting his way out of trouble or playing a telling safety, then more often than not he potted his way out of trouble. The difference with Hendry was that not only did he go into the pack as early as possible, but he cleared up with unbelievable consistency, and so few players could punish him in the early years. After a number of years, when the likes of Williams, Higgins and O'Sulliavn came along, they were able to match his game, but Higgins and Williams in particular, also played a more tactical game, whereas Hendry continued to be in attack-mode. It proved to be his downfall in the end, because he pushed out the boat too often, and began to be punished on a regular basis.

The players of the 80s and early 90s required a different skill-set to today's players, due to thicker cloths and different conditions etc, but for me there is more strength in depth in today's game than there has ever been

These 2nd round matches have been disappointing - no tight ones at all. Ronnie is still above the others, but they are getting closer to him, and it would be good to see an in-form Ding or Trump really put it up to Ronnie to see how he responds. (or even Bingham give him a close game)

Hawkins v Allen was a great match, caught the ending and it was good. All the rest have been won by who would be expected bar Selby.

I think ding will beat Judd, Ronnie will beat Ding, then battle Robertson of Murphy for the title..

How many years now have I been wanting a Robbo v Ronnie final? Eh, how many I ask?!

comment by Wetherbyterrier (U2075)
posted 3 minutes ago
Jimmy White should have won 2 of the finals he played against Hendry. 1992-14-8 up, lost 10 on the bounce, 1994, in in the final frame.. Blew it.
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Don't agree with you on the first one 14-8 Wether Hendry just went up a gear, and White collapsed, that's what made him a winner. And it wasn't the first time Hendry did that he had a reputation for coming back like that to win important matches throughout his career, this only stopped when he lost to Ebdon in my mind the match that finished him mentally, when he 1st realised he didn't want to go in for the kill, the first time he realised his opponent wanted it more, the special ingredient had gone, that hunger to win, the first time I think he expected to win, and just go through the motions, instead of going for the knockout when he had ebdon on the ropes.

Perry makes sure Murphy has to come back tomorrow, looking like 12-4

comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 18 minutes ago
Murray - Whilst Hendry could play solid safety, there's no doubt that given the choice of potting his way out of trouble or playing a telling safety, then more often than not he potted his way out of trouble. The difference with Hendry was that not only did he go into the pack as early as possible, but he cleared up with unbelievable consistency, and so few players could punish him in the early years. After a number of years, when the likes of Williams, Higgins and O'Sulliavn came along, they were able to match his game, but Higgins and Williams in particular, also played a more tactical game, whereas Hendry continued to be in attack-mode. It proved to be his downfall in the end, because he pushed out the boat too often, and began to be punished on a regular basis.

The players of the 80s and early 90s required a different skill-set to today's players, due to thicker cloths and different conditions etc, but for me there is more strength in depth in today's game than there has ever been
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He only tailed off as he like every player like Davis got older, had family and had more important things in life he had done everything in the game he wanted to do, became the best in my opinion beat every record out there won 7 world titles, beat davis's record and didn't really have to prove anything anymore to anyone, he could probably kept on winning but other hungrier players came along he fell away as happens in all sports it has to come to an end sometimes as with Phil Taylor in darts, I think his time is coming now and his record is phenomenal, I think Hendry's motivation went when he lost the world final to ebdon, in my mind the only motivation he had left was to go for 10 world titles, double figures as I think he reckoned that would never be beaten, and I really think when he overtook ebdon in that final to go 14-12 ahead he thought it was a done deal but he took his eye off the ball for the first time in a major final as he thought ebdon would crack and he didn't lost his concentration which was not like him and lost the match, ebdon wanted it more and fully deserved the win for his mental toughness and never giving up, if Stephen had won that it would have made it 8 wins, I reckon he would then have been fully motivated to come back the next few years and go all out for nine, then he could have maybe had another 3-4 years at the top to try and get 10, just my own hunch.

I'm not sure if other players were 'hungrier', but more a fact that he had been at the top for about 10 years, and other players were just finally catching up. Probably a combination of the 2, but the fact that he didn't adopt his game to be more tactical (which he admits to not doing) probably speeded up his downfall.

It's funny how top players suddenly quite quickly stop being so dominant - Davis stuffed Parrot 18-3 in '89, and then wouldn't reach another final, Hendry didn't reach another one after losing to Ebdon. I doubt Higgins will reach another one, and probably 2 or 3 years down the line Ronnie may struggle to reach one (even he's still playing!!!)

Taylor in darts is unbelievable, he's given new meaning to the term longevity.

Tailed off like Davis when he got older.... How do you explain Ronnie then? Hendry won his last 'Major' at the 1999 World Championship, he was 30.. Ronnie & John Higgins have won majors well into their 30's (particular Ronnie) Hendry was washed up too early.....

Hendry suffered from the yips in his 30s though and after winning 7 World Titles he most likely wasn't as motivated as he was in the 90s as he done all the hardwork. He also started to practice a lot less as well!

10-6 to Judd, solid lead but not all over yet. A lot will depend on if Fu can win the first mini session at least 3-1 tomorrow afternoon.

comment by Wetherbyterrier (U2075)
posted 26 seconds ago
Tailed off like Davis when he got older.... How do you explain Ronnie then? Hendry won his last 'Major' at the 1999 World Championship, he was 30.. Ronnie & John Higgins have won majors well into their 30's (particular Ronnie) Hendry was washed up too early.....
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Think what you like Wether, you can only achieve what's put in front of you and what was in front of Hendry was Steve Davis's record, now steve davis was exceptional some people me included at that time though he was that good he was a machine, even the media sometimes portrayed this, but Hendry went on to even surpass his achievements, that's saying something, now once you have achieved that there's no further pinnacle than to aim possibly slightly higher as you already know that Steve's achievements were awesome in the first place so if you beat that and push it slightly higher then surely that will be good enough, but the target has been achieved and bettered there's no further benchmark, now Ronnie and Higgins have came in and it's now their turn to aim at Hendry beat it and go higher, but they haven't yet have they?? Then I suppose you would expect them to surpass that and keep on going until they themselves eventually become washed up???

Could it be due to the standard of the rest of the players now being better? With all due respect the number of top players in the 90's compared to now isn't as many. And with more tournaments nowadays the so called "lesser" names are only going to get stronger, thus making the top players have to raise their game even higher.

Good effort by Fu to get back to 10-6. Quick start may make things interesting.

I think with Hendry, he was just dominant from an early age, so whilst i don't think he was burnt out at 30, he had been at the top of the game for a decade, and so it was natural to start a gradual decline.

The same happened to Davis after the 80s.

With Higgins and Ronnie, neither dominated in a similar way to Davis or Hendry, so perhaps without being top dog for a number of years, both still had a bit more fuel in the tank. We can see with Higgins right now that there's not much left, Ronnie out of all them has taken very little out of himself, and indeed, has probably put more effort into his game in the last 5 years than he has ever done, but I give him another 3 years before we see his decline.

I think Ronnie is a special talent compared to the rest and although I do expect him to decline at some stage, whilst he's still chasing Hendry's World titles record I think deep down he'll be as hungry and as sharp as ever to at least equal seven titles.

comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 11 minutes ago
I'm not sure if other players were 'hungrier', but more a fact that he had been at the top for about 10 years, and other players were just finally catching up. Probably a combination of the 2, but the fact that he didn't adopt his game to be more tactical (which he admits to not doing) probably speeded up his downfall.

It's funny how top players suddenly quite quickly stop being so dominant - Davis stuffed Parrot 18-3 in '89, and then wouldn't reach another final, Hendry didn't reach another one after losing to Ebdon. I doubt Higgins will reach another one, and probably 2 or 3 years down the line Ronnie may struggle to reach one (even he's still playing!!!)

Taylor in darts is unbelievable, he's given new meaning to the term longevity.
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Look all i'm saying Kinsang is that he had nothing else to aim for he beat davis's record, and I seriously do believe that he was capable of winning 10 titles if he had beaten ebdon. You need to want to win and Hendry was a winner but after that final his desire went in my opinion, then after Ronnie hammered him after having a chance to go 5-1 ahead in the worlds a few years later that put the final nail in the coffin as Ronnie had the belief to beat him where it really mattered at the big one "the crucible" and don't forget b4 that Hendry had his number at the crucible.