Snooker

Barry Hawkins is the World Grand Prix champion after beating Ryan Day 10-7.

Breaks of 102, 114, 129, 141, 128, 97 and 85 helped establish a 9-3 lead as Hawkins was producing some outstanding snooker.
With the freedom of little pressure and expectation Day came roaring back as once again Hawkins wobbled with the finishing line in sight.
9-3 became 9-4, 9-5, 9-6, 9-7. Nerves were well and truly jangling.
Eventually however Hawkins got over the line for victory which will be a huge relief to him after playing so well for much of the match.

Boo!

I think Hawkins is probably summed up by a comment Phil Yates made the other night when he said that people were emotional about Anthony Hamilton winning, all the "he's a nice guy" bit, and that Hawkins was just as nice. You can't pretend someone like Hawkins, who's already won a few titles and is a regular in the top 16, compares with someone who hasn't and who isn't.

Fair enough.
But it also can't be denied that the quality of performance in the final would have been worthy of winning any match. 5 centuries and two other breaks over 80.
Had certain other players in the game done that there would have been an outbreak of purring from various quarters. Hawkins has never had the credit he deserves imo. He may not be the biggest personality on the tour but he is certainly one of the best players around right now. In pure snooker terms I would rank him very highly as he has no real snooker weakness.

His only problem seems to be a psychological one i.e clinchers disease.
Gets near finishing lines and chokes somewhat. If he can just learn to finish matches off more clinically he would an even better player.

But he does look like Pob, without the charm.

And "the Hawk"?!? Leave it out.

He's not miserable, like Misery Maguire, or fat, like Tubs Murphy. He's just boring. Bore-kins.

He could get 10 147's in a row, he'd still be about as exciting as an Alan Shearer witticism.

Can't think of many snooker players that are all that interesting in all honesty. Snooker is not the sport it once was. It is a more professional, high stakes game now.
The characters of the past gave us great memories but those days are gone imo.

Selby is. Robertson is. Ronnie still is. Liang Wenbo is.

I've nothing against the workaday "potting & break-building" guys. Nobody watches Joe Perry for flair & fireworks.

I just find Hawkins boring, and unsympathetic. As boring as Lori Buckby? Ooh, wouldn't like to say...

Still not like the good old days.

Alex Higgins, Ray Reardon, Terry Griffiths, Kirk Stevens, Eddie Charlton, Cliff Wilson, Bill Werbenuik, Tony Meo, Dennis Taylor to name just a few.
John Virgo with his impersonations.

I still remember the days when the World Championship coverage on the BBC had an afternoon feature called Snooker Break hosted by David Vine.
Those were the days.
Showing my age now .
I am still a massive fan of the game but not invested in any particular player/s doing well like I used to be.
More appreciative of the skill element now than I used to be rather than characters.

It is illustrative to watch some old games now, how slow and low scoring and tactical they are.

David Vine was a great broadcaster, but the decline of the BBC and elsewhere is really a different topic

It may just be perception. Neal Foulds always struck me as pretty dull then, but he's generally a great commentator to listen to. Mike Hallett has his moments, too, which I also wouldn't have believed possible.

John Virgo can take a long walk off a short pier.

I still remember Cliff Thorburn v Terry Griffiths at the Crucible finishing at 3.51am.
Real thrill a minute, rapid snooker that was .

"Finishing before Midnight is for Wimps!"

(It makes a fantastic change to have a considered discussion on here about something other than babes ).

Forgot the Welsh Open already started today. I see John Higgins was a notable exit, and Neil Robertson beat Jimmy White on Eurosport this evening.