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The World Snooker Championship is the shining jewel of the sport every year, where the world's top players compete against each other, and whoever wins the crown will surely become a new generation of legends. However, in the just-concluded 16-8 battle, we saw an unprecedented "ugly war".
On April 27, Beijing time, the 2024 World Snooker Championship ushered in the focus of 16 into 8, with Chinese player Si Jiahui challenging England's Jack Jones. Judging from the process of the game, this is not a wonderful and climactic show, on the contrary, it is known as the "top 16 in history".
In the third stage, the two players played very hard. The situation fell into a stalemate, and all kinds of low-level mistakes continued to appear, and the game took more than an hour in one game and more than four hours in four rounds, but not even a single 50+ shot was played. The game was like a marathon battle, with both sides in serious form and extremely dragged and boring. In the end, Jack Jones defeated Si Jiahui 13-9 and advanced to the quarterfinals.
What exactly happened to make this game so "ugly"? Let's analyze the key moments of this battle.
In the first stage, Si Jiahui fell behind 2-6 and was in a very disadvantageous position. In the second stage, he struggled to pull 7-9 and was still at a disadvantage. In the third stage, the game fell into a stalemate, and the two sides frequently made low-level mistakes.
For example, in the 17th game, Si Jiahui scored 11 points and then switched to defense. In the defensive battle, he was penalized for a four-point penalty for a foul error, followed by an offensive error by Jack Jones. Si Jiahui took the opportunity to score a goal, but made another mistake while hitting the basketball, creating a chance for the opponent. The two sides then fell into a stalemate, with snooker attacking and defending each other, and Si Jiahui failed to solve it twice in a row and was penalized by 10 points. In the end, Jack Jones used the green ball to make snooker and extend the score to a 37-17 lead.
That's a microcosm of a game. Both sides were very clumsy in attack and defence, with frequent low-level mistakes, and the whole process was jerky and boring, lacking the high level of performance it deserved.
I think the main reasons for this are as follows:
The pressure is high. This is a key battle of 16 into 8, and the players are aware that they will miss the quarterfinals if they lose, and the pressure is naturally extremely high. Excessive tension leads to abnormal play.
The state fluctuates. Both players had already struggled in the first two phases, but in the third phase, it was difficult to maintain peak physical and mental fitness, and there were inevitably ups and downs in form.
Tactical imbalance. The two sides were difficult to control in terms of offensive and defensive rhythm, and the lack of tacit cooperation made the game stalemate.
Bad luck. The imbalance of luck at some key moments also exacerbated the occurrence of mistakes.
In short, this round of 16, known as the "ugliest", shows the helplessness and helplessness of the two players in the face of pressure. However, we can't judge their performance harshly. After all, on such a major stage, being able to reach the round of 16 is already a remarkable achievement. Whether they can perform their best under such tremendous pressure is indeed a test of the comprehensive strength of the players.
Next, Jack Jones will face the legendary "Little Te" in the quarterfinals. Obviously, if he can maintain this form and enter the next round, I am afraid it will be difficult to beat the vigor of the opponent. However, we should not be too arbitrary to assert that he will be "abused and weeping". After all, in an event, any outcome is possible.
Although Si Jiahui missed the quarterfinals this time, we should still give him full affirmation. As a post-90s rookie, it is already a great achievement to achieve such results at the World Championships. It is believed that he will become a leader in China's snooker industry in the future.
This "ugliest" battle of the top 16 may be the only way for the development of snooker. In the process, players not only need to hone their skills, but also learn to stay calm and focused under pressure. Only after such a baptism can they truly grow into top masters.
What do you think about this? Welcome to leave a message in the comment area to discuss.