Recommended Posts

Round 1 so far:

[bold=win]

Shaun Murphy 10 (19) 5 Martin Gould

Barry Hawkins 10 (19) 3 Jack Lisowski

Mark Williams 6 (19) 10 Michael White

Ricky Walden 10 (19) 1 Michael Holt

Ronnie O'Sullivan 10 (19) 4 Marcus Campbell

I'm a little sad that Lisowski didn't win his match. I expected him to on the basis of his play this season. Think the pressure of the crucible got to him. :(

The Williams-White match too! Man that was a shocker... if you came to me from the future and told me White was going to win I would never have believed you..

EXCITED FOR TOMORROW.

Link to comment
https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1148292-snooker-world-championships-2013/
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Final predictions?

Both semi finals are a really tough to call. O'Sullivan looks on fine form but Trump did really well against Murphy. I still think O'Sullivan can beat him.

The other semi final is a tough call. I'm edging towards Hawkins though.

O'Sullivan Vs Hawkins - is my predication. Watch it be the exact opposite.

I may change my mind after the first sessions :laugh:

Ronnie was looking absolutely deadly in the last round against Bingham. That's the most lethal I've ever seen him. He completely whizzed through that match. Trump is very good, but Ronnie looks in a different class at the moment! Hawkins is my dark horse for the win, he did pretty impressively in the last round and to knock out Mark Selby, world number 1 who has been on some fine form until now, was a pretty impressive feat, but if Ronnie gets to the final, I can't see anyone beating him on current form.

Snooker World Championship 2013: Ronnie O'Sullivan - this is my last farewell

Ronnie O'Sullivan chose the eve of his Crucible semi-final against Judd Trump to announce this World Championship will be his last.

Today the four-time champion tackles showman Trump in a match he is determined to win to reach another final in Sheffield.

But the 37 year-old, who has spent most of the last year in self-imposed exile from the sport, claims he only returned to action because he needed the money to pay overdue school fees.

He has vowed to retire, claiming snooker is bad for his health.

Asked if he would be in Sheffield for next year's World Championship, O'Sullivan said: "I've no intention to come back. If I find something else to do, you definitely won't see me.

"I've kept my cards close to my chest but there's no reason to keep them close now. This is my last farewell, it's my swansong. I'm happy; I'm done. I can't keep putting myself through being unhappy.

"I wish I could just smile it off, shrug it off, but it's not like that for me. I wish I had the attitude of players who come here and smile and enjoy it. I just beat myself up too much and it's not healthy."

O'Sullivan brushed aside Stuart Bingham 13-4 in the quarter-finals but Trump should provide a stiff test in the three-day semi-final, that precedes the two-day final.

"I'll be out there trying my nuts off," O'Sullivan said. "I'm a competitor and I hate losing. I will fight to the death. They'll have to scrape me off the table.

"I've got five days left potentially - it could possibly be three - and if I can't get through that then something's seriously wrong.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is it doesn't have to go on any longer."

He added: "I'll be honest, I still owe the school money for my children's school fees - I haven't paid the last two or three terms.

"I didn't know what was going to happen here but I've made a little bit of money now so I can go and pay the school fees now for the next two years.

"But really I don't think snooker is for me. This could be my last proper major event.

"I have signed a contract with my sponsor to play in 10 events so I'll play in those."

But O'Sullivan stated those events could include Legends tour events, and low-profile tournaments, and stressed there was no stipulation that he should appear at events such as the UK Championship, Masters or another World Championship.

Trump said he is not frightened of O'Sullivan and their clash promises to be a classic, just like Trump's 13-12 quarter-final victory over Shaun Murphy.

"I've got a good record against Ronnie," Trump said. "I've beaten him more times than he's beaten me, so hopefully I can go out and scare him.

"I think people are just scared of the name. The big stage is where I want to be. I'm not scared of the name."

While O'Sullivan and Trump start this afternoon, first-time Crucible semi-finalists Ricky Walden and Barry Hawkins begin their match this evening.

Kent man Hawkins, 34, ousted former UK and Masters champion Ding Junhui 13-7 in the quarter-finals, and Walden saw off 21-year-old Welsh qualifier Michael White 13-6.

Source: The Telegraph

I mean no disrespect to his opponent in the final but Ronnie's going to walk it. It's a huge testament to his talent that he can take such a long break and return still playing such amazing snooker.

Also, credit must go to Judd. He got outplayed here but his tactical play has came on massively. Once he masters cue ball control (which is something that will come with experience) he will be hard to stop. He will win the title before too long but Ronnie just couldn't be stopped this time. I fear a very one sided final.

That last frame before the end of tonight (frame 17) was stunning. Ronnie was so dominant but it looked like he was being overly cautious to try not to lose the frame. I know it was a massive frame, going into the night break either 1 or 3 frames ahead is a big difference, but I thought that when Hawkins was struggling with his safety shots (4/5 in a row at one point), Ronnie could have taken one on fairly safely and put the frame away.

I can't really see Hawkins winning it even if it's not been the walkover the half the media were hyping it as - Ronnie's just got too much class to turn on.

I hope he doesn't retire completely. He is great to watch when on form and in my opinion the greatest Snooker player of all time. When he is happy and enjoying it he can beat any player easily with either hand. It's ridiculous. It's the best i've seen him play for years.

Every World Championship. Afterwards it always makes me want to go out and play Snooker.

I used to play, but then the two main local snooker halls closed down. One has reopened as a "Styx" which is pretty much a sports bar. No full size tables and the snooker/pool tables and dart boards are a stones throw away from the bar, not my idea of a snooker hall im afraid. So as a result I have not played for years now :(

I used to play, but then the two main local snooker halls closed down. One has reopened as a "Styx" which is pretty much a sports bar. No full size tables and the snooker/pool tables and dart boards are a stones throw away from the bar, not my idea of a snooker hall im afraid. So as a result I have not played for years now :(

A big one round here closed down a few years back which ruined my playing...all we got now is this run down gentleman's club that has a few tables

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • JD Vance will be the next President. Who've the Democrats got? Harris again? lol....
    • Microsoft Edge gets new password feature and security fixes by Taras Buria Microsoft has released a new update for the Edge browser in the Stable Channel. Version 137.0.3296.83 introduces a new password feature and fixes security vulnerabilities to make your browsing experience safer. Starting with new features, Microsoft Edge 137 now supports Secure Password Deployment. Microsoft recently announced this for IT admins, allowing them to share encrypted passwords with user groups. This service lets users log into websites without seeing their passwords, thus enhancing the organization's security. You can read more about Microsoft Edge Secure Password Deployment in our recent article here. Security updates in Microsoft Edge 137.0.3296.83 include two fixes for Chromium vulnerabilities: CVE-2025-5958: Use after free in Media in Google Chrome prior to 137.0.7151.103 allowed a remote attacker to potentially exploit heap corruption via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High) CVE-2025-5959: Type Confusion in V8 in Google Chrome prior to 137.0.7151.103 allowed a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code inside a sandbox via a crafted HTML page. (Chromium security severity: High) You can update Microsoft Edge to the latest version by heading to edge://settings/help. The browser can also update itself automatically in the background and apply updates between restarts. In case you missed it, Microsoft released Edge 137 by the end of May. The update deprecated quite a lot of existing features, including Wallet, Image Editor, Image Hover, Mini menu, and Video Super Resolution. It also introduced Web Content Filtering and enhancements for the picture-in-picture player and Find on Page in Microsoft Edge for Business. The next feature update for Microsoft Edge, version 138, is expected on the week of June 26, 2025, as part of the standard four-week release cadence.
    • Microsoft commits to upskill 1 million UK workers in AI this year by Paul Hill Microsoft has partnered with the UK government in the latter’s ambitious plan to train 7.5 million workers in AI skills over the next five years. Specifically, Microsoft has committed to upskilling 1 million of those workers by the end of this year. This represents a significant portion of the overall target and within a very short timeframe. The education drive by Microsoft builds on its previous “Get On” program, which has given 1.5 million people basic digital skills. The effort to train up 1 million British workers in AI is part of Microsoft’s broader £2.5 billion investment in UK AI infrastructure. Ensuring workers have the skills to leverage AI tools is important. Microsoft CEO UK Darren Hardman said recently that two-thirds of business people wouldn’t hire someone lacking AI skills, showing just how vital it is to get people’s skills up to date. Microsoft's approach to AI skills development Microsoft has several platforms to offer AI training, including Microsoft Learn, AI Skills Navigator, and through partnerships with non-profit organisations such as Catch22 in the UK. Its educational materials cover everything from the basics of generative AI to helping you prepare for advanced roles like being an AI engineer. With Catch22, Microsoft helps to train people who face various challenges to getting tech skills, including gender and ethnicity barriers, homelessness, mental health issues, school exclusion and disability. Microsoft is also trying to get more women into tech fields through programmes like TechHer, where it has trained thousands of women across UK government departments. Many of the courses that Microsoft offers come complete with certificates that you can show off on your CV when applying for a job to impress potential employers and land a job. Who else is partnering with the UK government? While Microsoft is playing a massive role in the government’s plans, it’s not the only big tech giant helping out. The firms that have partnered with the government are: Accenture, Amazon, Barclays, BT, Google, IBM, Intuit, Microsoft, Sage, SAS, and Salesforce. While all of these firms are helping to train workers, Microsoft’s planned efforts are the most notable. This initiative by the government will help the country brace for the changes AI is expected to bring to the economy. In April, the United Nations said that AI will affect 40% of all jobs, so being ready is a must.
    • Microsoft has an update on Exchange Online Basic Auth removal for Office 365 by Sayan Sen Back in 2022, Microsoft announced the retirement of Basic Authentication as it was moving to modern OAuth 2.0 token-based authentication. The reason was simple, to move away from such simple username-password authentication to more secure sign-ins. While Microsoft had previously planned to "permanently remove support for Basic authentication with Client Submission (SMTP AUTH) in September 2025", the company has now updated this timeline, adding a final delay. Perhaps this was on the cards given that Microsoft recently extended Basic Auth support for High Volume Email to 2028. On the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, a new message has been posted that details the changes regarding SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) AUTH Client Submission. The message says: Thus, starting March 1, 2026, Exchange Online will begin phasing out Basic authentication for sending emails via SMTP AUTH. At first, fewer attempts will be blocked, but by April 30, 2026, this older method will be fully disabled. After that, any apps or devices that want to send email this way will need to use OAuth. The message further adds how admins can proceed with the changes in case OAuth is not supported: Users who have access to the M365 Admin Center can view the message under ID MC786329.
    • Weekend PC Game Deals: Total War grabs, management freebies, demos to try, and more by Pulasthi Ariyasinghe Weekend PC Game Deals is where the hottest gaming deals from all over the internet are gathered into one place every week for your consumption. So kick back, relax, and hold on to your wallets. The Humble Store brought out a couple of fresh bundles this week, and up first is the Narrative Arc collection. This comes with Mutazione, Venba, and Frank and Drake in the starting tier with an $8 price tag. Going up a rung will cost you $14, and this adds on Season: A Letter to the Future and Dustborn. Lastly, paying $20 gets you Harold Halibut and Six Ages 2: Lights Going Out. Next, the Case and Consequences Collection landed. This bundle comes with Heavy Rain, Song of Farca, Lacuna, and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments in the starting tier for $6. The second and final tier of this bundle costs $10, adding on Murders on the Yangtze River, BROK the InvestiGator, and Between Horizons. Both bundles will come to an end two weeks from now, so you have plenty of time to decide. The Epic Games Store's mystery giveaways came to an end this week, but the standard promotion has already returned, touting a freebie from Sega. The Two Point Studios-developed construction and sim experience Two Point Hospital is now yours to claim. Arriving as a spiritual successor to the classic title Theme Hospital, this also offers a humorous take on hospital management and patient treatment. You'll be creating treatment rooms, hiring doctors, and taking care of financials, all the while patients with the wildest illnesses pass through looking for cures. The Two Point Hospital giveaway will last until Thursday, June 19. This is also when The Operator will become the next free game on the platform. Free Events The demo festival that Valve hosts three times a year, Steam Next Fest, is back with a brand-new selection of games to try out. This promotion is slated to last until June 16, giving you just a few more days to try out gameplay slices from upcoming games. Several standard free events are currently active too. This includes the colony sim Stardeus, the dungeon-crawler roguelite Barony, the WW2-set hardcore first-person shooter Hell Let Loose, the building and management sim Construction Simulator, as well as the side-scrolling looter brawler Towerborne. Big Deals The Steam Summer Sale is just days away, but plenty of publishers already having big promotions on their games. This includes a Total War historical sale, Konami classics, 505's early summer promotions, and others. With those and more, here's our hand-picked big deals list for this weekend: SILENT HILL 2 – $41.99 on Steam Forza Horizon 5 – $29.99 on Steam Hell Let Loose – $24.99 on Steam Wasteland 3 – $19.99 on Steam Resident Evil 4 – $19.99 on Steam Metro Awakening – $19.99 on Steam Halo Infinite (Campaign) – $19.79 on Steam Mind Over Magic – $18.74 on Steam Castlevania Dominus Collection – $17.49 on Steam DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT – $15.99 on Steam Blasphemous 2 – $14.99 on Steam Grand Theft Auto V Enhanced – $14.99 on Steam Total War: THREE KINGDOMS – $14.99 on Steam Total War: ROME II - Emperor Edition – $14.99 on Steam DRAGON BALL Z: KAKAROT – $12.99 on Gamesplanet DREDGE – $12.49 on Steam Fable Anniversary – $12.24 on Steam METAL GEAR SOLID V: The Definitive Experience – $11.99 on Steam Total War: ROME REMASTERED – $10.19 on Steam Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire – $9.99 on Steam Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night – $9.99 on Steam Ghostrunner 2 – $9.99 on Steam METAL GEAR SOLID 3: Snake Eater - Master Collection Version – $9.99 on Steam METAL GEAR SOLID 2: Sons of Liberty - Master Collection Version – $9.99 on Steam Barony – $9.99 on Steam Total War: PHARAOH – $9.99 on Steam DRAGON BALL FighterZ – $9.59 on Steam Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor – $9.09 on Steam The Callisto Protocol – $8.99 on Steam Quantum Break – $7.99 on Steam Oxygen Not Included – $7.49 on Steam The Ascent – $7.49 on Steam Ghostrunner – $7.49 on Steam Total War: SHOGUN 2 – $7.49 on Steam Overcooked! 2 – $6.24 on Steam Human Fall Flat – $5.99 on Steam Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition – $5.99 on Steam Don't Starve Together – $5.09 on Steam Last Day of June – $4.99 on Steam ABZU – $4.99 on Steam Super Meat Boy Forever – $4.99 on Steam Total War: MEDIEVAL II – Definitive Edition – $4.99 on Steam Legend of Grimrock 2 – $4.79 on Steam Golf With Your Friends – $4.49 on Steam Rise of the Tomb Raider – $4.49 on Steam Golf It! – $4.49 on Steam Sunset Overdrive – $3.99 on Steam Super Meat Boy – $3.74 on Steam Tomb Raider – $2.24 on Steam Crime Boss: Rockay City – $1.99 on Steam Mortal Shell – $1.49 on Steam Crypt of the NecroDancer – $1.49 on Steam This War of Mine – $0.99 on Steam Two Point Hospital – $0 on Epic Store DRM-free Specials The DRM-free discounts from the GOG store this weekend include open-world adventures, story-rich titles, indies, publisher sales, and more. Here are some highlights: No Man's Sky - $23.99 on GOG The Thaumaturge - $19.24 on GOG INDIKA - $16.24 on GOG Against the Storm - $14.99 on GOG Shadows of Doubt - $14.99 on GOG EVERSPACE 2 - $14.99 on GOG Core Keeper - $13.99 on GOG art of rally - $12.49 on GOG Shadowrun Trilogy - $10.07 on GOG Cold Waters - $9.99 on GOG Disco Elysium - The Final Cut - $9.99 on GOG Streets of Rage 4 - $9.99 on GOG Dying Light: The Following – Enhanced Edition - $8.99 on GOG Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator - $7.99 on GOG Little Nightmares - $4.99 on GOG Edge Of Eternity - $4.49 on GOG Epistory - Typing Chronicles - $4.49 on GOG This War of Mine: Complete Edition - $4.07 on GOG Graveyard Keeper - $3.99 on GOG Alba: A Wildlife Adventure - $3.39 on GOG Chroma Squad - $2.24 on GOG EVERSPACE - $0.99 on GOG Keep in mind that availability and pricing for some deals could vary depending on the region. That's it for our pick of this weekend's PC game deals, and hopefully, some of you have enough self-restraint not to keep adding to your ever-growing backlogs. As always, there are an enormous number of other deals ready and waiting all over the interwebs, as well as on services you may already subscribe to if you comb through them, so keep your eyes open for those, and have a great weekend.
  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      ThatGuyOnline earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      5i3zi1 earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      5i3zi1 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • Week One Done
      julien02 earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Year In
      Drewidian1 earned a badge
      One Year In
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      540
    2. 2
      ATLien_0
      223
    3. 3
      +FloatingFatMan
      157
    4. 4
      Michael Scrip
      113
    5. 5
      +Edouard
      92
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!