A Tartan Tussle

-
So after a week of frantic Six Reds, we now know who will face the final and it is of course the same faces as we saw in the World Cup at the start of the season, minus the partnership. On that occasion John Higgins and Stephen Maguire won the title for Scotland but now the slipper is on the other foot with both players opposing each other, vying to claim this Thai jewel. Both players breezed through their semi-final matches with Higgins beating Mark Williams, 7-5 and Stephen Maguire v Gary Wilson ended in the same score line.

The final itself was a in essence a scrappy affair with both players missing crucial colours when they had the advantage but in the end Stephen Maguire built on his 6-5 advantage and kicked his game into gear. Both players are great friends off the table and practice together in their local club. The usual puffed out cheeks of Higgins relaxed in this final as John realised that the match was beyond his reach and there were smiles all round as Maguire took frame and match, winning, 8-6. This is Maguire’s second Six Reds title after first claiming the silverware in 2014, after defeating Ricky Walden, 8-7.

Maguire was touted as a future world champion when he first broke out onto the tour as a professional in 1998 but has failed to make the big time so far. With two victories at the start of this season so far, this could be the boost that he needs to propel him into the major titles. The Shanghai Masters is looming next this month and being match fit will put Maguire in good stead to fend off the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan who is aiming to claim this title. Ronnie hasn’t been seen on the main tour since he crashed out of the World Championship at the end of last season and may struggle to improve. He will have to pull out his A game if he is to defeat the likes of Higgins and Maguire. Well done Stephen Maguire, you are the new Six Reds king and get ready for the next stop on the tour as players take the shorter plane ride to Shanghai.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Which way, left or right?

-
Image
One of the greatest spats that occurred in snooker history was between my friend Alain Robidoux and Ronnie O’Sullivan. It occurred in 1996 at the World Championship. Ronnie, a then young whipper snapper at 19, trounced Alain in the match, winning 10-3. However beyond the win, a spat occurred when Ronnie decided to take a number of shots left handed. Robidoux criticised O’Sullivan after the match for being “disrespectful”. Ronnie hit back at Alain saying “if he wants to act like a baby that’s up to him” adding “ the crowd enjoyed it, that’s the main thing”. This was probably the first time that a player had dared to take multiple shots left handed and led to players attempting the same feat. Perhaps this wouldn’t have been become a regular occurrence if this hadn’t of happened. This snooker bust up led to Alain refusing to shake Ronnie’s hand at the end of the match. Robidoux later explained his actions saying “Ronnie was being disrespectful to his fellow professionals and should sa
Read more

Place your bets

-
Image
Match fixing in snooker has unfortunately been in operation since the very early days of the game with reports of Joe Davis having "carried" weaker opponents in multi-session matches to maximise the gate revenue. This trait continued through the history of the sport with players such as Willie Thorne and Alex Higgins claiming they were offered large sums of money to lose matches. Players may not enter a match fixing agreement on their own free will, being subject to threats of violence if they fail to submit. The lucrative criminal act is largely based in the Far East where gangs devise money making scams in various sports, using their players to infiltrate the individual sport and extract multimillion currency earnings. Although this happens, World Snooker has been very vigilant to attempt to stamp out this criminal activity in recent years. The main punishment being heavy fines or bans from the game. Recognisable figures such as Quentin Hann, Stephen Lee and Joe Joggi
Read more

The Beckham of the Baize

-
Image
Revered by players in our sport, Paul Hunter was one of the best players that snooker has ever seen but whose life was sadly cut short by cancer. Paul was instantly recognisable for his good looks and flamboyant style, being the only player I have known to play who has managed to play with a hair band and pull it off successfully. Dubbed “ the Beckham of the Baize”, Hunter represented the flair and youth of sportsmen of the time and brought a refreshing sense of fashion to the table. Best known for his three Masters’ titles, Paul made Wembley his home, taking every victory to the wire by winning the deciding frame and managed in his short career to compile 114 centuries and amass £1,535,730 in career prize money. He also managed to pull off a 146 break in the 2004 Premier League. Hunter started his early career as a junior player, winning titles, most importantly the English Doubles Championship, being described as an “outstanding junior talent “.Taken under the wing of Joe Johnson
Read more