UK Championship 2014 Review
Amazing Ronnie O`Sullivan beats Judd Trump
to Complete a fifth Triple Crown
to Complete a fifth Triple Crown
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Well, we can't say that the UK Championship came back to it's glorious year, but BBC's work made it a lot better than it was last year, and of course Ronnie "The Iron Ankle" O`Sullivan's unbelievable performance gave the York based tournament, a big buzz.
Here's the line of facts which made of this a remarkable championship:
Nigel Bond producing one of the greatest UK's comebacks
Nigel Bond made history in his 2nd Round match against former WSC Runner Up Barry Hawkins.
Experienced Bond, came from 0(11)5 down to beat Hawkins 6-5 with a Top Break of 116.
Nigel said after the match: "I could have laid down and died at 5-0 but I showed my tenacity. I was just trying to win one frame to get a foothold in the match and restore a bit of pride, but once it got to 5-3 I felt I could win."
Selby, a 2nd Round Loser
Mark Selby became a father weeks before the start of the UK Championship, he whitewashed his opponent in the 1st Round, but wasn't able to face David Morris from Ireland as the World Champion lost 6-4 and went back home.
Selby says the birth of his daughter didn't affect his game, but anyway he fell in the 2nd Round and isn't in a good moment of his snooker, as he's near to complete 5 months without silver glory.
"Even at 3-1 up, I was shaking on shots because I am not so used to being on the big stage, To beat someone of Mark's class is a big feather in my cap.I had a few good wins last year but you can't compare it to this because it is such a big win for me in front of a packed audience on TV." said Morris, who had the biggest result of his life.
Young Cahill beats Ding in York
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| Is he only a teenager? |
James Cahill was another who produced the biggest win of his career so far. The Englishman beat Ding Junhui in the decider, after being 5-1 in front.
Cahill said: "I'm just so glad and relieved, because if I had lost I would not have got over it for a while," said Cahill. "When I missed the chance to win 6-1, he started coming back at me, and it's the worst feeling in the world. In the last frame I expected him to win in one visit, but after he missed I played a solid frame. My family went through the emotions as much as I did."
In this last 16 match between two World Champions, Graeme Dott won the first five frames with Top Breaks of 62 and 52, but Neil Robertson, champion here 12 months ago, incredibly won five frames in a row with the help of 72, 100, 59, 106 and 59 Breaks, and had all the momentum, but Dott - who's living the worst moment of his career - won the decider with a 56 Break, after both players has had chances. This victory over Neil, was Dott's best victory of the last few years, even he didn't play great. He
said: "Everything was going good to go 5-0 up, I never felt I was playing that well because I felt I was cueing better against Robert Milkins.
Neil let me off the hook in a couple of the frames when normally he just clears up. I was surprised to be 5-0 up but then he started playing the way he normally does and didn't really miss that much.
We saw it when Nigel Bond came back from 5-0 down against Barry Hawkins and you think 'please don't let it happen to me as well.' If I let him see a red I just felt he was clearing up all the time.
I just wanted a chance in the last frame and got one. When I missed a red I thought he had beat me - but luckily I had another chance."
Dott beats Robertson
In this last 16 match between two World Champions, Graeme Dott won the first five frames with Top Breaks of 62 and 52, but Neil Robertson, champion here 12 months ago, incredibly won five frames in a row with the help of 72, 100, 59, 106 and 59 Breaks, and had all the momentum, but Dott - who's living the worst moment of his career - won the decider with a 56 Break, after both players has had chances. This victory over Neil, was Dott's best victory of the last few years, even he didn't play great. He
Neil let me off the hook in a couple of the frames when normally he just clears up. I was surprised to be 5-0 up but then he started playing the way he normally does and didn't really miss that much.
We saw it when Nigel Bond came back from 5-0 down against Barry Hawkins and you think 'please don't let it happen to me as well.' If I let him see a red I just felt he was clearing up all the time.
I just wanted a chance in the last frame and got one. When I missed a red I thought he had beat me - but luckily I had another chance."
Neil said: "At 5-0 down I just had to keep patient and keep calm and I played really well. Once I got some rhythm going, I knew that if I got going against any player in the world, I can reel of four, five, six frames in a row with heavy scoring.
"There are a lot of positives to take from the way I came back but I'm very disappointed to let my title go at the last 16 stage. I would have loved to have got to the one table setup and I believe I would have done that had I won today."
He then got another chance on frame six, and went on to make his 13th career Maximum Break, maybe the most calm and controlled maximum of his career, but not the easier, he did an amazing split early in the break, and after had to force a red in the middle pocket, to create an angle on the black, which he potted with a little distance. He also had to force the 15th black, what he did perfectly, getting an excellent angle in the black.
147s definitely still excite me and get the adrenaline going. I already had the record at 12 and I thought someone will have to go far to beat that, but it's always nice to add to that and make it more difficult for someone to reach.
The fans will go home and feel like they want to come back and watch another snooker game. I feel like I've done my job to make people want to come back and watch snooker again.
I was shaking like a leaf at the end - the blue just about went in and on the pink I was shaking but I hit it good. I celebrated before the black because I thought I can't really miss. Although Ken Doherty missed one once so I thought don't make yourself look stupid."
"There are a lot of positives to take from the way I came back but I'm very disappointed to let my title go at the last 16 stage. I would have loved to have got to the one table setup and I believe I would have done that had I won today."
O`Sullivan's 147
Ronnie O`Sullivan, who did a hard physio during the event with the Sheffield United's Physio Team, looked very uncomfortable in the first 2 Rounds, but started to show improvement, as he whitewashed Matthew Selt in the Last 16.
When the match was already 4-0 to The Rocket, he went on for a Maximum Break, but missed an routine black on 89.
He then got another chance on frame six, and went on to make his 13th career Maximum Break, maybe the most calm and controlled maximum of his career, but not the easier, he did an amazing split early in the break, and after had to force a red in the middle pocket, to create an angle on the black, which he potted with a little distance. He also had to force the 15th black, what he did perfectly, getting an excellent angle in the black.
In the last red, the match in the other table, between David Morris and Stephen Maguire stopped, and at this arena, without the "pseudo wall" in the middle, Ronnie O`Sullivan could see that the other players just stopped their match to watch him.
He really finished as the Champions do.
"I'm lucky that I'm able to play to such a level and perform like that," said O'Sullivan after winning his eighth consecutive competitive match. "I don't think there are many sports people that feel that feeling in their job. So I feel extra lucky and special that I'm able to create the great moments.147s definitely still excite me and get the adrenaline going. I already had the record at 12 and I thought someone will have to go far to beat that, but it's always nice to add to that and make it more difficult for someone to reach.
The fans will go home and feel like they want to come back and watch another snooker game. I feel like I've done my job to make people want to come back and watch snooker again.
I was shaking like a leaf at the end - the blue just about went in and on the pink I was shaking but I hit it good. I celebrated before the black because I thought I can't really miss. Although Ken Doherty missed one once so I thought don't make yourself look stupid."
Selt said: "I just didn't settle at all. I had a couple of chances early in the first frame - I think I missed the black and nearly fell over. I didn't play how I wanted to and didn't settle and I felt it was always going to be 6-0 from 3-0 onwards.
I'm more happy than he is that he made that 147. It was a great experience and I had the best seat in the house to watch it. I was sat in my chair when he went up for the yellow and I could barely sit down, I was shaking that much for him."
I'm more happy than he is that he made that 147. It was a great experience and I had the best seat in the house to watch it. I was sat in my chair when he went up for the yellow and I could barely sit down, I was shaking that much for him."
Ronnie beats Trump in the greatest final of the 21st Century
Well, this is just my opinion, but for me this was the greatest UK Championship Final of the 21st Century, maybe alongside with John Higgins' comeback against Mark Williams.
Judd Trump couldn't settle and O`Sullivan took advantage of it building a 5-1 lead with Top Breaks of 82 and 81, but Trump got his nose in the match again winning the last 2 frames of the session.
In the second session, O`Sullivan rapidly got a 9(19)4 lead top scoring with a 133 and it looked just a matter of time for the Trophy on his hand.
But Judd Trump won the next and then made a Back-to-Back Centuries (120 & 127) to get a little bit more of confidence and believe, as he went on to win the next two frames with Top Breaks of 86 and 67 to force a decider.
In a tense decider, which both had chances, O`Sullivan played a nice snooker behind the green close to the bottom cushion to get a chance and make a 51 winning break.
O`Sullivan said: "I had the upper-hand for most of the match and I just lost a bit of concentration at 5-1. I went off the boil a bit and let him back to 5-3. From 9-5 up to 9-9, he's not missed a ball really - he's just knocked everything in and I didn't get a chance. At 9-8 I had a good chance but to be honest my mind was just gone, I felt really nervous after having such a big lead because you think if I lose it from there, the disappointment would've been unbelievable.
The pressure was just mounting and mounting and it's difficult to put that out of your mind but in the last frame I managed to get a chance. The balls were nice and I had to just concentrate on hitting solid shots.
Years ago at 9-4 down, you would've probably expected to have got three or four chances and someone wouldn't have come at you that quick, but nowadays you get players who can reel off three, four or five frames off on the bounce. It's just a game of momentum really - I had the early bit of momentum with things going for me and Judd had it towards the end.
Judd is a tough opponent. He's very dynamic and he's very explosive. He's got so much cue power, he can pot like you wouldn't believe, he's fearless and that's difficult because he's in your face the whole time.
If you go slightly off the boil he's on you and everyone else is going to have to get on their game to stay with him or keep him in check because if he's allowed to get away he will do some damage in the game because he's a strong player."
Towards the end I was kind of giving in but then I managed to get to 9-5 and then I got a few chances and made a few breaks and felt good. I made a really good clearance to go 9-9 and then I felt so relaxed going out there.
I'm a bit annoyed that I didn't really have a chance in the last but I didn't bottle it and gave it my best.You've got to get off to a good start against Ronnie. You can't be giving him five frame leads. I know when I get going in most matches I tend to reel off three or four frames so I know I've always got it in me. But once again I left it too late and fair play to Ronnie, he took them well in the last frame and overall he was a deserving winner."
This was such a great event, which I loved to watch, there are still improvements to be done by World Snooker, but BBC did a better work, and it was much better than last year.
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