Similar to last year, when Snooker Shorts was brand new, we ran through categories of some the highlighting moments that transpired over the 17-day marathon. There were considerable ups and downs, tension and everything we’ve come to expect from the World Snooker Championship. We’re going through the same list of categories as before, plus some thoughts on the overall tournament!
Best Match:
Kurt Maflin/John Higgins (R2)
Noppon Saengkham/Mark Selby final session (R2)
Kyren Wilson/Judd Trump (QF)
Best Shots:
O’Sullivan off the cushion opening pot in Frame 32 against Selby
Saengkham five-cushion escape against Selby
McGill long red stun to free black 15-14 down against Wilson
Predicted Winner:
Judd Trump/Neil Robertson/Mark Selby. Got that one wrong O.o
Biggest Surprise:
Shaun Murphy eliminated in Round 1
Mark Selby losing the semi-final
Standout Moments:
Ronnie O’Sullivan becoming the six-time
Semi-final day
John Higgins 147
Neil Robertson dropping coffee
Favourite Players:
Jamie Clarke
Noppon Saengkham
Kurt Maflin
Honourable Mentions:
Rob Walker on commentary
Marcel Eckardt as the youngest referee in a world final
Hendry saying on commentary that no one could afford him as a positional coach
There were many things that fans and players had to adjust towards, chief among them being the artificial applause. While they did improve the audio quality of the canned applause as the event went on, there’s no real substitute for the presence of an actual crowd, which provided a little extra liveliness to the final.
Alas, the Crucible Curse is something we’ll have to wait a few more years to see if it gets broken. Despite not getting the result he may have wanted, Judd Trump cements his place at the top of the rankings thanks to his stellar performance in securing six ranking events this season alone. Players like Mark Williams and Selby who seemingly found good form during the WSC won’t have to wait too long to get back into it as the Championship League is right around the corner.
The fact that we had a WSC this year was pretty spectacular and credit must be given to all those involved behind the scenes, as well as the players and officials for adjusting to the circumstances. Nevertheless, I thought the tournament this year was terrific and despite the final not living up to standards, everything before that provided quality entertainment and tension. I think the day that resonated with most would be the conclusion of the semi-final matches where each contest went to a decider. There will be a Short post about this on Saturday so stay tuned for that!
Like this Short? Click here to read: The Trials of a World Snooker Champion
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