Great week for Ronnie. I didn't see every game but you only have to look at the stats to know how good he was. Looking at CueTracker, he got 30 breaks of over 50! 10 of them of course ended up being centuries!

He'll be in the Championship League a week on Wednesday in the final group so that will be interesting, he won all 9 matches last time he played in it!

Best interview answer of the week.

Last night after Ronnie had won his semi final, the Welsh presenter asked him ....

"You have won this tournament three times already, how much would you like to get your hands on the trophy for a fifth time?

Ronnie: 'Have you seen the trophy?'

Sorry to say that the lump of slate with a jagged edged top doesn't look a great prize.

If you had told me when Robbo went 5-2 up, that, that would be the last frame he'd win , i would have laiughed and called you insane ! Astonishing turn around from Ronnie to reel off the next 7 frames without reply! Yes he was helped a lot my Robbo constantly letting him in, but he still had to do it !

LOl not the most elegant of trophies is it? and Ronnie looked to be having some difficulty manhandling it lol Although of course the actual trophy isnt as important as the win, the ranking and the money!

well done to ronnie back to his best if plays like that at the worlds no one will beat him

I just cannot understand how his eyesight when flicking between cue and object ball is still so sharp. Normally at that age it seems to falter but his seems stronger than ever

Robbo proper bottled it for some reason. Ronnie was playing at 70% if that. But if they gift it he'll take it.

Can you see anyone beating Ronnie on this form

Sublime performance all week from Ronnie.

Is he gonna play though? Didn't he say he's putting cue away for about a month maybe more to get ready for worlds. Don't even know if he'll enter the grand prix he qualified for next month.

Apparently the Grand Prix also clashes with an exhibition he has already booked with Jimmy White in Cassblanca, so it seems very unlikely.

This is true ..... however I still cannot see Ronnie's rationale for not finishing of the 147 when he had the opportunity.

He won £60k for winning the tournament, a sixth of that was on offer for the 147. Perhaps the ranking points for winning were more important? He also lost the prize for the highes break with Ding going on to get his 147.

I don't know whether he would have any regrets but the whole scenario was rather strange.



Edit: Just to be accurate, my quote from Ronnie should have read .... 'how much would you like to get your hands on the trophy for a fourth time?

He said in his interview that he's got crondon Park coming up so yes, he'll play in the championship league.

Barry must have had a word with him after the afternoon session and reminded him of the script!

Yes i spotted the typo

I doubt Ronnie will be too bothered about missing the high break prize + the 147 bonus, having won the tournament anyway, not to mention he already has 13 - 147's to his name.....

Good tournament all round though, and 5 breaks of 140+ which can't be ignored - that's a very high standard indeed.

I think crucially the last frame of the first session and the first of the final session were both pivotal - Ronnie only being 5-4 behind meant he could kick on - whereas being 6-3 behind might have been a different story.

All players can go on that sort of run winning frame after frame - but it did remind me of the likes of Steve Davis or Stephen Hendry in their prime (Hendry was 14-8 down against Jimmy White in the 1992 World final and won ten on the bounce) and although some of the frames were scrappy, you have to take your chances and Ronnie did that.

Be interesting to see though if his tactic of not playing every tournament works so well for the longer game of the Worlds this time around (it has done before with his sabbaticals), and he does have Steve Davis' 6 titles to attempt to level up, and I suspect he might not stop till he gets a 7th and levels with Hendry (or even an 8th and bypasses..)

5 breaks of 140+ is impressive as you say zawtowers...

Even more impressive when you think that the highest break at the German Masters a few weeks back was just 125! Longer matches too.

The good news for Rocket fans and terrestrial viewers is his exhibition date has been moved freeing him up to take part in the Grand Prix (on ITV 4 8-13th March)

Congrats to Fergal O'Brien who has just made his maiden competitive 147 in the Championship League at Crondon Park 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

It is now on YouTube:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=...&v=i1pPpoPgRxM

Fergal's the oldest player to make a competitive 147 now too.

Cheers for that TC, always liked Fergal. Seems one of the games nice guys

Great stuff- Been around for ever Fergal and I've always liked him too.
Shame it had the great booming foghorn of Phil Yates all over it through.

Loved his reaction at the end!

Even though there was no one there, he seemed pretty chuffed! Great stuff!

That was great to see (thanks for the link) and well done Fergal!

His reaction was indeed fabulous to see. He was just so chuffed. Cheshire cat grin.

Just before the black he wiped the cloth and it looked like he was going to knock the cue
ball away with his hand. Also love the chairs that made it look like he was going to
stoke the fire and sip his brandy.

D'you know what, I thought exactly the same thing. Doesn't bear thinking about 😬