World Snooker Championship 2023

It's a rare year when the draw is heading for a David v Goliath final. Occasional schmucks do get through (eg Ali Carter) but the hype about the semi-finals usually weeds them out.

Mark Selby is through to the semi finals after beating John Higgins 13-7.
And that should be pretty much that.
Barring a miracle he will be a five time world champion by Monday evening and possibly afternoon.
Neither Si Jiahui or Luca Brecel will have any answer to him.

Quite possibly the most one sided final in many years on the cards which would be a terrible disappointment.

Semi Finals - best of 33 frames

Luca Brecel (9) v Si Jiahui

Mark Selby (2) v Mark Allen (3)

Selby v Allen would have been a great final, but the draw is what it is and Si and Brecel have both earned their chance of glory.

(26-04-2023 21:23 )Snooks Wrote:  Quite possibly the most one sided final in many years on the cards which would be a terrible disappointment.

That's it, think positive

It was well worth staying tuned until 11.45 to see Si compound McGill's misery. I'm quite happy who wins on Monday.

Si got off to a blinder this afternoon, at least up to the 1st interval. I think his becoming the 1st Chinese World Snooker champion might be a stretch, but he might well be the 2nd Chinese World Snooker finalist.

And again I think of the Lisowskis, the Robertsons etc who stuffed a golden chance of glory.

And I hope McGill does in fact build on his run and maybe win a proper tournament next season; then I might take his ability more seriously.

Would love SI to win it all just to wipe that fucking smug off Murphys face

think if its not Si then i would go Selby

John Higgins in response to the Selby defeat....

'They’ve just got a monster, in Mark Selby, that the three of them are going to have to overcome, I think,’

‘It’s only just halfway there. He’s a monster on the snooker table and somebody’s going to have to play well for a long time to try to take him out.

‘He’s an incredible animal on the snooker table, he just doesn’t let you breathe. I had no answer to that today.’

I have to say I agree.
It is going to be nearly impossible to compete with him over four sessions.
Once he gets to the semis it's pretty much over as a tournament.

I don't see anyone having the patience, discipline, fortitude or ability to stop him. He is the ultimate destroyer of good form and slowly but surely dismantles the game of every opponent over a period of time.
Some people call it soporific and boring.
To me it's not so much a case of that as dismantlement of the opposition game. It's a difficult watch because nobody has an answer to it in front of a crowd at least. I hope the final is competitive, I really do but to be honest I fear for Si or Brecel in the final playing against Selby.
He will just eat them alive and I do wonder what it will do to them mentally.

I mean he has just beaten arguably the second best match player of all time, winning 12 out of 15 frames from 1-4 down by a total dismantlement.
What on earth he will do to a Si or a Brecel just does not bear thinking about.

Unless Mark Allen can pull off a miracle......
But I shan't hold my breath on that one .

(27-04-2023 18:15 )Snooks Wrote:  I really do but to be honest I fear for Si or Brecel in the final playing against Selby.
He will just eat them alive and I do wonder what it will do to them mentally.

I expect spending next season being introduced as World Championship Runner-up might cheer them up

Given how John Higgins decimated Kyren Wilson in the 2nd round, his talk of retirement seems a bit of a kick in the teeth; rather like the year Hendry retired shortly after IIRC disposing of John Higgins 13-4 in a preceding round.

Day Thirteen.

Overnight scores:

Luca Brecel (9) 3-5 Si Jiahui

Mark Selby (2) 3-5 Mark Allen (3)
It won't last though

Si destroying Brecel in the morning session