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World Snooker Championship

Nah, Selby still lacks the old ruthlessness.

We had one monumental collapse today. We might have a second.

Now he'll be haunted by the Ronnie semi three years ago. 16-14 up and lost. History repeating? This time would be far worse...
 

Good to see Allen competing there, played some snooker in the last sesh. Doubt Selby has shipped five in a row too many times at the Crucible.

Selby nowhere near his best form but can't see Brecel prevailing - doesn't have the stamina to go 35 with the Jester (few do).
 
Selby finally falls over the line.

He's an incredible player. I don't think he's anything near his best, but he thinks the game better than anybody else. He calculates. He overdoes it at times and stymies his own scoring brilliance, but over the long haul matches he generally irons that out. Allen never gave up, but was basically on a free hit at 10-16. Credit to him to bringing it to the brink.

As for the final, Selby should be far too canny for the Bullet, but if Brecel pots them off the lampshades, who knows? He'll need a good start though and a lead going into Monday.
 
Drico said:
Selby finally falls over the line.

He's an incredible player. I don't think he's anything near his best, but he thinks the game better than anybody else. He calculates. He overdoes it at times and stymies his own scoring brilliance, but over the long haul matches he generally irons that out. Allen never gave up, but was basically on a free hit at 10-16. Credit to him to bringing it to the brink.

As for the final, Selby should be far too canny for the Bullet, but if Brecel pots them off the lampshades, who knows? He'll need a good start though and a lead going into Monday.
Click to expand...
This will be a totally different game now, should play straight into Selby's hands now. Though as seen with Allen, if he has too he can just totally slow the pace down and drain him of any confidence he might start with..
 
The only thing I will say is that there might be a hint of unconscious complacency from Selby going into this. He has beaten Higgins and Allen - two dogged obstacles - and might have expected O'Sullivan to be waiting for him. He'd only be human for thinking the hard bit has been done. I even see him talking about "if I come out the right side of the result on Monday..."

Dangerous talk. He is hot favourite and should win - but so was Steve Davis in 1985 and 1986 and Stephen Hendry in 2002. I'm a huge Selby fan, but this is far from a done deal. He's not playing well enough for anyone to think he can win this with ease.
 
Joey66 said:
It's boring compared to the other attacking all potting semi final.....
Click to expand...
Dunno.

All the players can pot balls and control the cue ball. It's a different skill that Selby has. It's almost like test cricket (the long game).

It would be boring if everyone played like this though.
 

Not that I think Brecel has the means to do it, but it'd be interesting to see someone drag a frame down in response to Selby, every shot a safety that's taken an age to deliver. Something like the battles of yesteryear between Davis and Griffiths. A real nightmare with the crowd fighting to get out of the arena.
Don't believe Brecel can steam through consecutive sessions with immaculate potting without getting snagged.
 
Rita_Poon said:
Not that I think Brecel has the means to do it, but it'd be interesting to see someone drag a frame down in response to Selby, every shot a safety that's taken an age to deliver. Something like the battles of yesteryear between Davis and Griffiths. A real nightmare with the crowd fighting to get out of the arena.
Don't believe Brecel can steam through consecutive sessions with immaculate potting without getting snagged.
Click to expand...
To be fair, that's what Allen tried. And Higgins. There is no dragging Selby down. He's already subterranean - and at home there. He's like the undead zombie who suddenly thrusts a fetid arm up from under the water to grab your ankle and pull you beneath the surface to meet your doom.

The only way Brecel can win is build a lead while Selby is tired and somehow hold the momentum as the undead stirs later tonight. John Higgins was almost laughing when he went something like 10-4 up on an exhausted Selby in the 2017 final - but an out-on-his-feet Selby somehow won the last three of the Sunday night session and Higgins was looking in the rearview mirror after that... And we all know what they say about objects in the rearview mirror...

Stuart Bingham thought he had him too in the 2021 semi-final. Unlike the vast majority of players, though, he doesn't ever give up. That's one of his superpowers. He plays every single frame on its own merits - like it's his last.

If Selby gets on top today, he'll massage the match to victory tomorrow. Brecel needs to play very well today - including when he needs to play safe. But he's not the rank outsider some are painting him to be...
 
Drico said:
To be fair, that's what Allen tried. And Higgins. There is no dragging Selby down. He's already subterranean - and at home there. He's like the undead zombie who suddenly thrusts a fetid arm up from under the water to grab your ankle and pull you beneath the surface to meet your doom.

The only way Brecel can win is build a lead while Selby is tired and somehow hold the momentum as the undead stirs later tonight. John Higgins was almost laughing when he went something like 10-4 up on an exhausted Selby in the 2017 final - but an out-on-his-feet Selby somehow won the last three of the Sunday night session and Higgins was looking in the rearview mirror after that...

If Selby gets on top today, he'll massage the match to victory tomorrow. Brecel needs to play very well today - including when he needs to play safe. But he's not the rank outsider some are painting him to be...
Click to expand...
I don't think Brecel has it, but a superman effort of Thorburn spoiler tactics, refusing guaranteed pots just to spoil. Tire an already tired Selby, really get the crowd angry, 4 hour frames, burning through chalk, tripping over laces, complaining the ice cubes aren't cold enough, proper nonsense.
Selby wins he's in the 5 club, and you can bet a certain someone gets referenced almost immediately.
 
Rita_Poon said:
I don't think Brecel has it, but a superman effort of Thorburn spoiler tactics, refusing guaranteed pots just to spoil. Tire an already tired Selby, really get the crowd angry, 4 hour frames, burning through chalk, tripping over laces, complaining the ice cubes aren't cold enough, proper nonsense.
Selby wins he's in the 5 club, and you can bet a certain someone gets referenced almost immediately.
Click to expand...
The problem with that - and for anybody in the game - is that you are then playing Selby at his own game. And there's only ever going to be one winner in that. Some like to disparage "that game" or Selby, but he is a magnificent player. This is his speciality.

No, Brecel will have to pot him to death. Think Ronnie in the 2020 semi. Selby had him beaten. Ronnie threw caution to the wind and played, in my opinion, the greatest three frames of all time. He won because he didn't try to match superior fire with inferior fire. He couldn't beat Selby at his own game. So he played his own.

The slower the game today, the easier for Selby.
 

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