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Snooker is life
Sunday, 28 April 2024 14:54..and we're back at that point again.
That point where snooker is completely taking over my life, and I spend every waking moment either watching it or thinking about it. I decided to follow the World Championships more thoroughly this year, so I even bought myself a TV sports pass for a month just for this. I've been watching and/or following at least a couple of matches each day, and I'm having so much fun.
I probably don't need to point this out, but I want Ronnie to win. He got an easy 10-1 victory vs Jackson Page in his first match, and is currently 5-3 up against Ryan Day in his second, so it's looking positive so far. But this isn't a Ronnie fanpost - I can make one of those another time - so let's move on.
When I'm watching various matches consistently, I almost inevitably end up taking some players to heart that I had no own feelings about before. In this tournament, Si Jiahui was that player for me. I started quietly rooting for him at some point in his first round match, and during the second round match vs Jak Jones, I felt a lot of tension and emotion on Jiahui's behalf. So much that I'm still sad that he lost 9-13, and I hope Judd Trump gives Jones a thrashing in the quarterfinal.
Speaking of Judd, I have exactly one friend who understands snooker. She is a massive Judd fan. Because of her, I've always felt a sort of second-hand joy when I see him do well, but I never truly considered him one of "my" players. Then the 2022 final happened, and the aftermath of that is still one of the most emotional sports aftermaths ever. Because of The Hug, of course, but not only that - also because of the interviews and how Ronnie and Judd were around each other there. Since then, I've started to develop more own feelings for Judd as well, so I definitely want him to do well. (And shhhh, if Ronnie doesn't win, then I want Judd to. It's a pity they're on the same half of the draw, though, so they'll play each other in a semifinal if both get there.)
Finally, the sad/strange part.... normally, I cackle whenever Mark Selby gets knocked out of tournaments early. He is, without doubt, my "love to hate" player in this sport. I've learned a few things during these past few days, though - most notably that "love to hate" is still a form of love, and I felt so bad for him during his first round match, and after he got knocked out. In any normal case, an early Selby exit is a reason for me to grin, but this time my heart was breaking for him. So much that I went back and looked up those articles where he talked about his mental health issues. So much that I even dreamt of him at night - ehm, what? In short, I really hope he doesn't make good on the threat to retire, because he's way too good a player for that and this sport would be a lot emptier and less emotionally tense without him in it.
There, I said it.
I don't understand the scheduling, though. Apart from the Murphy vs Maguire match that finished during the morning session, no other matches finish today. I find that a bit weird, because... shouldn't there be a "finishing" match in every session, ideally? At least while there are still enough matches going on that this should be possible?
I'm also really feeling Neil Robertson's absence from this tournament. It feels strange to watch the World Ch'ship and know that he had failed to qualify. He's one of those players that "should" be there, in my mind, and my brain refuses to understand that he isn't. I feel a similar confusion about Ding getting knocked out in the first round. It just doesn't feel right, doesn't look right.
That point where snooker is completely taking over my life, and I spend every waking moment either watching it or thinking about it. I decided to follow the World Championships more thoroughly this year, so I even bought myself a TV sports pass for a month just for this. I've been watching and/or following at least a couple of matches each day, and I'm having so much fun.
I probably don't need to point this out, but I want Ronnie to win. He got an easy 10-1 victory vs Jackson Page in his first match, and is currently 5-3 up against Ryan Day in his second, so it's looking positive so far. But this isn't a Ronnie fanpost - I can make one of those another time - so let's move on.
When I'm watching various matches consistently, I almost inevitably end up taking some players to heart that I had no own feelings about before. In this tournament, Si Jiahui was that player for me. I started quietly rooting for him at some point in his first round match, and during the second round match vs Jak Jones, I felt a lot of tension and emotion on Jiahui's behalf. So much that I'm still sad that he lost 9-13, and I hope Judd Trump gives Jones a thrashing in the quarterfinal.
Speaking of Judd, I have exactly one friend who understands snooker. She is a massive Judd fan. Because of her, I've always felt a sort of second-hand joy when I see him do well, but I never truly considered him one of "my" players. Then the 2022 final happened, and the aftermath of that is still one of the most emotional sports aftermaths ever. Because of The Hug, of course, but not only that - also because of the interviews and how Ronnie and Judd were around each other there. Since then, I've started to develop more own feelings for Judd as well, so I definitely want him to do well. (And shhhh, if Ronnie doesn't win, then I want Judd to. It's a pity they're on the same half of the draw, though, so they'll play each other in a semifinal if both get there.)
Finally, the sad/strange part.... normally, I cackle whenever Mark Selby gets knocked out of tournaments early. He is, without doubt, my "love to hate" player in this sport. I've learned a few things during these past few days, though - most notably that "love to hate" is still a form of love, and I felt so bad for him during his first round match, and after he got knocked out. In any normal case, an early Selby exit is a reason for me to grin, but this time my heart was breaking for him. So much that I went back and looked up those articles where he talked about his mental health issues. So much that I even dreamt of him at night - ehm, what? In short, I really hope he doesn't make good on the threat to retire, because he's way too good a player for that and this sport would be a lot emptier and less emotionally tense without him in it.
There, I said it.
I don't understand the scheduling, though. Apart from the Murphy vs Maguire match that finished during the morning session, no other matches finish today. I find that a bit weird, because... shouldn't there be a "finishing" match in every session, ideally? At least while there are still enough matches going on that this should be possible?
I'm also really feeling Neil Robertson's absence from this tournament. It feels strange to watch the World Ch'ship and know that he had failed to qualify. He's one of those players that "should" be there, in my mind, and my brain refuses to understand that he isn't. I feel a similar confusion about Ding getting knocked out in the first round. It just doesn't feel right, doesn't look right.