This years line ups for the semi-finals of the World Championships
2.30...
S. Maguire............. 11/4 v A. Carter............. 7/1
7.00...
R. O'Sullivan.......... 4/7 v M. Stevens........... 10/1
Now we get down to the one table and a best of 33 frames. This is where the mental toughness of the players will be tested. In Stephen Maguire and Ronnie O'Sullivan you would assume that they would be the fresher becasue of the ease and speed of how quick they have played and won this year. Maguire sauntered past Hendry and wasnt exactly stretched in his earlier rounds with Perry going cheaply, 13-7 and a 10-5 swatting of Luca Brecel. As for Ronnie the much anticipated grudge match between himself and Peter Ebdon was all one way and a 10-4 didnt flatter Ronnie at all. As was the way he dispatched Mark Williams 13-6, it was quick, lethal and done with great authority. The Robertson match was tougher but a match that lasted not much past 20 hours for 23 frames - average of 20 mins per frame, wouldnt have took much out of him.
Ali Carter and Matthew Stevens however have had a harder time of it and this might take its toll in the end. Although Matthew Stevens played well against Ryan Day, he won 11 frames on the trot, Ryan gave him all sorts of problems in the first session and Stevens would have had to dig deep in the 2nd session. Maybe it helped that Ryan Day was suffering with a migraine and probably couldnt see a ball let alone pot one, Stevens would have known he was in a match. His match with Barry Hawkins really tested him and Hawkins might think that with a little more composure he might have gone through. But Stevens dug in and showed why he made it into the top 8 rankings once over.
If we thought Matthew Stevens has had a tough passage through to the semis spare a thought for Ali Carter. After as easy a game as you would want in the first round, a 10-3 beating of Mark Davis, things changed after that. The match of the tournament so far against Judd Trump was full of tension, emotion and nerve tingling drama right to the very end in a 13-12 victory for Ali. That match and scoreline would have felt like the whole tournament rolled into one and that was just to get past Trump to get into the Quarter finals where the very talented Jamie Jones put up a very impressive fight. A 13-11 victory would have been a great feeling for Ali as he just couldnt shake off Jamie Jones and much credit must go the welshman for putting up such a fight. I hope we see him back at the Crucible as he has definitely left an impression on this years tournament.
All in all the World Champion looks like being Ronnie O'Sullivans to lose and with the bookies putting him at 4/7 its looking like he will add to his 3 World Titles that he already has...
O'Sullivan to beat Stevens... 17-10...
Maguire to beat Carter... 17-12...
2.30...
S. Maguire............. 11/4 v A. Carter............. 7/1
7.00...
R. O'Sullivan.......... 4/7 v M. Stevens........... 10/1
Now we get down to the one table and a best of 33 frames. This is where the mental toughness of the players will be tested. In Stephen Maguire and Ronnie O'Sullivan you would assume that they would be the fresher becasue of the ease and speed of how quick they have played and won this year. Maguire sauntered past Hendry and wasnt exactly stretched in his earlier rounds with Perry going cheaply, 13-7 and a 10-5 swatting of Luca Brecel. As for Ronnie the much anticipated grudge match between himself and Peter Ebdon was all one way and a 10-4 didnt flatter Ronnie at all. As was the way he dispatched Mark Williams 13-6, it was quick, lethal and done with great authority. The Robertson match was tougher but a match that lasted not much past 20 hours for 23 frames - average of 20 mins per frame, wouldnt have took much out of him.
Ali Carter and Matthew Stevens however have had a harder time of it and this might take its toll in the end. Although Matthew Stevens played well against Ryan Day, he won 11 frames on the trot, Ryan gave him all sorts of problems in the first session and Stevens would have had to dig deep in the 2nd session. Maybe it helped that Ryan Day was suffering with a migraine and probably couldnt see a ball let alone pot one, Stevens would have known he was in a match. His match with Barry Hawkins really tested him and Hawkins might think that with a little more composure he might have gone through. But Stevens dug in and showed why he made it into the top 8 rankings once over.
If we thought Matthew Stevens has had a tough passage through to the semis spare a thought for Ali Carter. After as easy a game as you would want in the first round, a 10-3 beating of Mark Davis, things changed after that. The match of the tournament so far against Judd Trump was full of tension, emotion and nerve tingling drama right to the very end in a 13-12 victory for Ali. That match and scoreline would have felt like the whole tournament rolled into one and that was just to get past Trump to get into the Quarter finals where the very talented Jamie Jones put up a very impressive fight. A 13-11 victory would have been a great feeling for Ali as he just couldnt shake off Jamie Jones and much credit must go the welshman for putting up such a fight. I hope we see him back at the Crucible as he has definitely left an impression on this years tournament.
All in all the World Champion looks like being Ronnie O'Sullivans to lose and with the bookies putting him at 4/7 its looking like he will add to his 3 World Titles that he already has...
O'Sullivan to beat Stevens... 17-10...
Maguire to beat Carter... 17-12...
but not the right player...