The draw for the First Round of the 2010 World Snooker Championships has been made this morning, and it has, as usual, thrown up a couple of intriguing ties, including a clash of two of the game’s most attacking players, and the meeting of snooker’s most successful ever player against a Crucible debutant.
At the bottom of the bracket, three-time Champion Ronnie O’Sullivan has been drawn against Liang Wenbo, who had a superb and unexpected run to the 2008 Quarter Finals but fell to compatriot Ding Junhui in the First Round last year. The bottom half of the draw also sees debutant Anda Zhang face Stephen Hendry in what will undoubtedly be a great occasion for the diminutive teenager. Elsewhere, Ken Doherty returns after missing out in 2009 but has a hard task against Mark Selby, whilst defending champion John Higgins will square off against Barry Hawkins.
The draw in full:
John Higgins v Barry Hawkins
Mark King v Steve Davis
Neil Robertson v Fergal O’Brien
Marco Fu v Martin Gould
Ali Carter v Jamie Cope
Joe Perry v Michael Holt
Ding Junhui v Stuart Pettman
Shaun Murphy v Gerard Greene
Stephen Maguire v Stephen Lee
Peter Ebdon v Graeme Dott
Mark Allen v Tom Ford
Ryan Day v Mark Davis
Mark Selby v Ken Doherty
Stephen Hendry v Zhang Anda
Mark Williams v Marcus Campbell
Ronnie O’Sullivan v Liang Wenbo
More on this throughout the day.
Not great to see Mark Selby drawing Ken Doherty. I fancied both players could go a long way this year but it will end at Round One for one of them, great pity.
I like the phrase Dave Hendon has used to describe Ronnie O’Sullivan, Liang Wenbo, Stephen Hendry, Mark Selby, Mark Williams, Zhang Anda & Ken Doherty being drawn in the same quarter, being “The quarter of Death”. (No disrespect to Marcus Campbell intended).
Some intriguing line ups to say the least. Rather than go for the obvious, I like the look of Peter Ebdon v Graeme Dott, two world champions fighting it out in the 1st round with the added possibility of one being in the Top 16 next season & the other not being.
Another good match up for me, could see a potential surprise to some, being Ryan Day against Mark Davis. Two very similar style of players in my book & this is one match which I think will be very tight. Never more than the odd frame in it.
Another possible upset could see Martin Gould overcome Marco Fu. Martin Gould seemed to relax very quickly previously in the Crucible & will give Marco Fu all sorts of problems.
Ali Carter will know that he’ll need to be bringing his best game to the table if he is to beat Jamie Cope. For me, Jamie Cope would have been the one players the Top 16 would have wanted to avoid. Someone has to draw him, & Ali Carter has. I’ll be watching this match with great interest.
Lastly, another player I love watching, being Michael Holt, sees him drawn against Joe Perry, again, if Joe Perry doesn’t bring his best game to the table & Michael Holt gets any sort of fluency going early on, then Joe Perry will find himself in trouble.
Roll on the Crucible.
Loving the draw for Steve. Fantastic result. Mark King has reinvented his game recently and got back into the top 16 and been very solid in picking up wins in most of his first round match ups. However these two go way back and Steve would have put Mark down as a possible win if he got him in the draw. I made only 3 opponents for Steve beatable and he’s got one of them. If he can play as well or a bit better than he did against Gunnell Steve could take this one 10-7 ish. Higgins in the last 16 would be a fitting way to bow out over 25 frames. A dream match up to hang up his cue on. Clearly with another 1000 pts Steve would have rescued a season with enough pts to realistically stay in the top 32 a bit longer than just next season but I look at the top half of the draw and start to dream a little too!! Hawkins is due a win, Higgins is the holder and could suffer a giant killing. Could Steve repeat a UK run from a few year’s back and go deep in this event. Im calling it early but it could happen. Anyway Steve’s smile at the draw says it all. Robbo last year was shocking. I think this year he will be a different player, relaxed and I expect Mr King to have a really tough game. Can’t wait for April. Bring it on!
A joke Wenbo faces Ronnie in R1. The perfect reason we need rolling rankings so the draw id not so one-sided in quality, and we lose some top players in R1.
Wenbo will probably miss out on the top 16 next season because of this, even though he is clearly deserving of being there at present. Whilst the likes of King and Fu with their easy draws will yet again scrape the points they need to stay safe for yet another year.
No wonder the game is stagnant
Can’t see King or Fu getting the pts required. Steve has King’s number and I make him slight favourite.
Cheerio Steve, turn the light off on the way out please!
What’s with the last comment. Which ever way u look at it, Steve played very well v Gunnell and on that form has to be evens with King at least. Given he plays him a lot over the years in practice and beat him last time up 9-7 in UK Im slightly bemused. I call it close but give Steve the edge as form goes out the window and it purely becomes a match up between two mates and we know who has the pedigree. I sense Steve will come out on top and am happy to take anyone on having seen how solid SD was last w/e at EISS!
SD comments before and after WC qualifier.
Apparently there is also a snooker event on this week. Mmm! I might practice for this one.
I did practice! I might try practicing for the next round as well. As a method of preparing for a competition, this might just catch on.
I think now he has a winnable match against King he will put even more practise in and we all know who has the pedigree. SD to win and play Higgins. I would love a real epic with SD playing top stuff and taking John to the wire! Pure magic – what a sign off – bring it on!
hi this a long shot hopeing someone can get this email to ronnie osullivan.i am the owner of his 1st table when he was around seven years of age.i purchesd the table from his dad ron senior when they lived in eton road ilford essex i have the table and two sets of balls and all his old cues his father ron will remember me can be contacted by email.