World Snooker Championship 2015
Since the Masters was over the buzz for the World Championship was getting louder and now that the Crucible is less than 24 hours away, it's time to isolate yourself from the rest of the World and enjoy the Snooker.
The Qualifiers finished Wednesday and the draw were made on Thursday, with the World Championship starting next Saturday (18) at 10:00am (local time).
I'm not the only one who thinks the World Championship this year have the strongest ever field, with so many players on their peak or on great form.
The Top 16 has names like defending World Champion Mark Selby, UK Champion Ronnie O`Sullivan, Masters Champion Shaun Murphy and others like Joe Perry, Judd Trump & Mark Allen playing their very best game.
The Qualfiers - with the new format in what all the players had to win 3 matches best-of 19, and it's not easy to beat three players in a best of 19 match - are going very powerful against the top ones at the main stage.
Chinese Zhang Anda will comeback to the Crucible after 5 years and he really done very well to conquer his place as he made one 130+ Break in every match beating national hero Liang Wenbo in the Last Round.
2006 Champion Graeme Dott also came through the three Qualifying matches and said he's not afraid of anyone while Robin Hull qualified after a defeat of Igor Figueiredo who won matches against Nigel Bond and Rod Lawler and dreamed of being the first Brazilian at the Crucible.
Others names like Matthew Stevens, Robert Milkins, Matthew Selt and Mark Davis played very good Snooker to qualify.
This year we will also have four debuts at the Dream Theatre, Scot Anthony McGill, who's tagged by many as a future World Champion, will have his first Cruible experience as he takes on Stephen Maguire in the first Round. Stuart Carrington also qualified for the first time and will be face-to-face against World Grand Prix Champion Judd Trump while others debutants Kurt Maflin and Craig Steadman will have the tougher job as they were drawn to face Mark Selby and Ronnie O`Sullivan respectively.
World Number 16 Michael White, became the first ever Top 16 player failing to qualify for the World Snooker Championship, as he lost 5-10 in the penultimate Round against Craig Steadman. White had to play the Qualifier because Ali Carter's 13th position was frozen when he was diagnosed with cancer. Michael White should be the biggest hope of Wales, but the country which dominated Snooker in early 2000's will have Ryan Day, Jamie Jones, Matthew Stevens and of course Mark Williams representing them.
The standard is so high and every player is well capable of getting a sequence, win a lot of consecutive frames and put the opponent in trouble, we saw a lot of it in the Qualifier, so all the seeds and contenders gotta be careful because they'll be in trouble at any Round.
But I still think the tournament is around the one who miss less between Ronnie O`Sullivan, Mark Selby, Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy.
Talking about the seeds who can suffer upsets at the First Round against Qualifiers, Mark Selby (19) Kurt Maflin is an interesting one, Maflin is such a great player and should be at the Crucible much earlier in his career but struggled with sponsorships until he got one in Norway. He's a great Break-Builder, has made two 147's and considered a tough draw.
Selby at the other corner, will feel the emotions and nerves of entering the Crucible as defending Champion for the first time and even himself admitted it, so depending on how it affects his game, it can be game over, but Maflin also won't be feeling at home at the Crucible, it will be always in the back of his mind what he needed to overcome in his life, but I still fancy him at this match if he's more self controlled than Mark.
Anthony McGill - who made a 127 Break at the last qualifying round in the decider versus Mark King - is another player who will fancy his chances at the Crucible, he'll be starting his campaign against Stephen Maguire, both are making great seasons so far, but I expect Maguire will take it due to his experience, but it's nice for McGill to create an experience at the tournament that even before he's played in, he's already considered a future champion and for sure if he gets a sequence of good frames and show form in right time he can put all the pressure on his fellow Scotsman.
Mark Davis is another Qualifier who I expect to overcome a seeded player, he's been playing well this season, he's beaten Ronnie O`Sullivan at the Championship League in Crondon Park and made a very good run at the Qualifier beating former World Champion Ken Doherty 10-3 in the decisive Round.
Robert Milkins, who failed to keep at the Top 16 this year but came through three matches in Ponds Forge, drew Four-Times Champion John Higgins, and I should say he's fortunate with that. Since 2012 John Higgins has been struggling a lot with his form, and despite he's won the Welsh Open, that doesn't means too much for me as apart from that he's still being poor this year.
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No matter what happens there, I'm sure the World Snooker Championship will be such an enjoyable event just like it is every single year.
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