General Snooker Thread

[Fry_4000]

What a bad loser Mark Allen is, glad he lost the way he did.

[maninblack]

What a bad loser Mark Allen is, glad he lost the way he did.

I take it you're referring to this?

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/22042012/58/allen-chinese-snooker-players-cheats.html

Would be interesting to see how this goes.

Edited April 23, 2012 by maninblack

[Starvinho]

Whether or not it was a push shot I don't know, but I'm sure the Chinese dude didn't cheat. Allen is just trying to seek attention away from the table again.

[Baddar]

Wasn't Mark Allen one of the ones bitching about Barry Hearn's involvement with the sport, too?

He comes across as a bit of a dick.

[Bobfoc]

He was also ranting on Twitter earlier in the year about how much he hated being in China during the China Open (which he ended up winning).

[hugobomb]

I thought Ebdon won that?

[Starvinho]

Ebdon did win the China Open, Allen won the World Open, which was in China too.

[Bobfoc]

Yeah, you're right. Allen actually won the World Open, which also took place in China this year.

[brenchill]

The between-the-frames videos get worse and worse every year.

Dear BBC,

I don't give a flying fuck about the lifestory of the first female Chinese snooker referee.

Cheers.

[Baddar]

There's a female Chinese referee? Is she nice like Michaela Tabb?

[brenchill]

Not especially, no.

Michaela

[Lineker]

So, Stephen Hendry has has announced his retirement.

[MJB]

Not really surprising after today's defeat. Still a great 147 earlier in the week to finish his career on though.

[Bobfoc]

Hendry's my all-time favourite player, but I'm glad he's decided to retire. He stated in his latest interview that he's no longer enjoying himself enough to justify carrying on, and it's always depressing watching sportsmen and women performing without the passion they might once have had.

[MJB]

O'Sullivan has won six frames in a row to take the lead 9-5.

[brenchill]

Ronnie is looking in good form. Usually I'd be rooting for Ali Carter to finally land the big one but not at the expense of The Rocket.

[MJB]

Ronnie's the man. Plus, Carter seems like a bit of a cunt.

C'mon Rocket!

[Starvinho]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z74CJ0fF5zA

John Higgins made a 147 earlier in the Shanghai Masters final.

[Lineker]

Reigning world snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan has pulled out of the remainder of the 2012-13 season because of "personal issues", and his manager has warned he may not return.

The 36-year-old, who won his fourth world crown in 2012, looks set to miss the defence of his title in 2013.

Asked whether O'Sullivan was looking to leave snooker permanently, his manager Django Fung told BBC Sport: "Yes.

"Let's hope not. You never know with Ronnie - he's an emotional player."

After beating Ali Carter 18-11 to win his fourth world title in May, O'Sullivan spoke of his desire to take a six-month sabbatical from the sport and one month later he said he was taking time off from the game.

Fung confirmed that O'Sullivan was in a self-imposed exile "due to personal problems with his health" but stressed that his client was "mentally fine" and that "in six months time he may have decided to come back".

"We all have personal problems and some can handle them better than others," said Fung. "When he has these personal problems, Ronnie finds it difficult to concentrate on snooker.

"He's had glandular fever which has been dragging on for some time.

"He also has issues with his children and getting access and he's finding it difficult with all the travelling.

"He needs to get access to see the children and sometimes that coincides with tournaments."

In a statement, World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn said: "[O'Sullivan] has some personal issues which he needs to resolve and we wish him all the best for the future."

After winning the world title, O'Sullivan criticised World Snooker, the sport's governing body, accusing chairman Hearn of "blackmailing" players and criticising plans for a revamped 50-week, 27-event circuit.

Announcing his break from the game the following month, he said he would not sign the players' contract because it was "too onerous". As a result, he made himself ineligible for any World Snooker-sanctioned event.

He missed the first three ranking events of the season and slipped to number 17 in the world rankings - the first time he has been outside the top 16 since he entered the game's elite 19 years ago.

O'Sullivan returned to non-ranking action in September, losing in the first round of a Players Tour Championship event in Gloucester to world number 84 Simon Bedford.

He has since played six 'Snooker Legends' exhibition matches against Jimmy White around the British Isles, concluding with O'Sullivan beating the six-time world finalist 5-4 in front of 1,300 fans in Liverpool in October to level the series at 3-3.

O'Sullivan had been set to return to action at the International Masters in China, which was won on Sunday by new world number one Judd Trump, but he was advised by his doctor to withdraw.

[Starvinho]

Snooker just isn't as good without Ronnie on the tour

Hopefully he is well enough to come back next season.