23 January 2010

1 albastru/ luna

Albastrul acestei luni este Vis, delir oniric… este imaginea perfecta a asezarii zapezii, tanjirea dupa o noua lume – insingurata si alienata, un alt pesisaj, si fascinatia astrelor... un albastru recreativ, care mai degraba invaluie si adanceste reveria, decat sa o destepte... o imagine care creaza povesti...



(sursa foto: blue space@ art4linux.org)


20 January 2010

Snooker - the Masters – the Final

Daca semifinala Ronnie – Mark (Williams) a fost spectacol, finala dintre Ronnie – Mark Selby a fost memorabila: la 9-6, castigarea ultimului frame si a meciului de catre Ronnie parea sa fie o formalitate ; insa cum Ronnie este intotdeauna surprinzator, am avut parte de o amanare a finalului meciului pana in joc decisiv, castigat de... Mark Selby. A fost o finala intensa, asemenatoare finalelor de Masters dintre Ronnie si Paul Hunter, sau meciurilor dintre Ronnie si Stephen Maguire.


"That's the best final I've ever been in. The atmosphere is great when Ronnie O'Sullivan plays. I just dug in and thought I would just scrap it out. I love the atmosphere and seem to thrive on it. Hopefully this will kick-start my season."
(Mark Selby)

* Ronnie O’Sullivan 8-9 Mark Selby


(sursa foto: bbc.co.uk)


17 January 2010

Snooker - the Masters – 1/2 final

Prima semifinala a turneului a fost un meci-spectacol : in primul rand pentru ca nici unul dintre cei doi jucatori nu mai pierduse o semifinala de Masters – Ronnie castigase 8/8, iar Mark 3/3, apoi pentru ca a fost un meci terminat in joc decisiv (6-5 pt englez), si, in ultimul rand, pentru ca Ronnie a egalat recordul de 9 finale a lui Stephen Hendry ; in plus, pentru Ronnie este a sasea finala de Masters in sapte ani, si posibil al cincilea titlu, in timp ce Mark castigase doua finale din trei.

Meciul a inceput cu primele doua frame-uri castigate de galez, si egalate imediat de Ronnie, urmand apoi o serie de jocuri impartite in mod egal intre cei doi, pana in jocul decisiv, unde Mark a ratat o lovitura la o bila colorata – albastra mai precis, oprindu-se astfel din a ajunge si apoi depasi avantajul lui Ronnie care si-a si adjudecat frame-ul si meciul.

Declaratii de dupa meci:

"It felt alright to to involved in and I felt pleased that I made a bit of a game of it. When he started potting balls I thought this is going to be a right good hiding, I'm going to get absolutely smashed. I really just wanted to make a game of it. To feel as if I had a part to play in it because the atmosphere was so good.
A few balls started to go in and at 2-2 I felt the pressure was off a bit and gave him something to think about and not made a show of myself, so that was pleasing. Mark was the better player today, I think. He's a different class to all the other players coming through who've won tournaments recently. We grew up together as juniors and I really respect his game.
I don't know how I won that game. When I potted those last two reds when I fouled, I was gutted I thought what a way to lose, then I got a chance. On the brown I put everything into that shot. I apologized to Mark (for the fist pump) I hate that kind of thing and there is no need for it. I think it's horrible but I couldn't believe I had won. I was ultra relieved when the brown went in.
I said to Mark at the end, I don't know how I beat him."

(Ronnie O’Sullivan)

"I played well, I can't grumble and say anything other than I played well, he played well. I made some great breaks but it all came down to the last frame and I missed a tricky red to the green pocket. I knew if I got it I couldn't fail to win but if I missed I couldn't fail to lose.
I couldn't really play much better than that, I didn't miss many pots and my safety was good."

(Mark Williams)

Se pare noul presedinte al Snooker Association, Barry Hearn a remarcat in cursul acestei saptamai, ca Ronnie are o infatisare ‘nefericta’ la masa de joc. In acesta privinta, Ronnie a declarat:
"The reason I don't like smiling is because I'm so unconfident when I go out there. I just don't expect to play well these days.
I'm petrified going up the tunnel sometimes as I'm worried I'll make a fool of myself and not give my opponent a game.
But once you get pushed about a bit by your opponent, your survival instinct kicks in. But I keep having to find something, and that is really hard."

Cealalta finala s-a decis oarecum scurt: 6-3 pt Mark Selby; dupa un egal la 3, englezul castigand astfel al zecelea meci din 11, singurul pierdut fiind si cel mai important – finala de anul trecut, in fata – surpriza! – lui Ronnie O’Sullivan. Se anunta asadar o finala disputata...

xxx

16 January 2010

Snooker - the Masters – 1/4 final

Wembley Arena, Londra, 10-17 ianuarie

Avem semi-finalistii acestei editii de Masters: Mark Selby il va intalni pe Stephen Maguire, dupa meciuri cu o desfasurare opusa : Mark Selby a ajuns in joc decisiv in meciul cu Mark Allen (dupa ce a condus cu 3-0), iar Maguire l-a invins categoric pe Ryan Day cu scorul de 6-1, dupa un meci destul de plicticos. Cealalta semifinala se disputa intre Ronnie O’Sullivan si Mark Williams, ambii castigand cu scoruri apropiate, si cred ca Ronnie tocmai a devenit cel mai mare cosmar al lui Peter Ebdon.

* Rezultatele sferturilor de finala:
Mark Selby 6-5 Mark Allen
Stephen Maguire 6-1 Ryan Day
Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-3 Peter Ebdon
Mark Williams 6-4 Shaun Murphy.

Meciurile notabile din prima runda ar fi infrangerea lui John Higgins (3-6 cu Mark Allen), a lui Ding Junhui – care a reusit un rusinos 6-1 cu Mark Selby si a lui Stephen Hendry (6-4 cu Shaun Murphy), precum si victoria lui Ryan Day, care l-a invins la 0 (zero) pe Joe Perry.

De remarcat ar mai fi declaratia lui Ronnie de dupa meciul cu Neil Robertson:
I'm not the player I was when I was 15 or 16. A lot of the time I'm playing sub-standard shots. Now and then I catch hold of one and play a killer shot.
The only time I play a pure shot is left-handed. The last time I played a good tournament was the (2003) European Open in Torquay and the Irish Masters a couple of weeks later.
I don't want to have to rely on the occasion of being 3-0 down in front of a big crowd to salvage some pride. I can't pot a ball in practice.
My attitude will be the same in my next match - I won't be surprised if I win or lose. I didn't panic. You can't panic, that's rule number one, because if you panic it's a disaster.
I made just two out of 10 long pots, and I think Neil will be disappointed to have beaten someone making just two of 10 long pots. I'd give my long potting two out of 10. It's hard to get excited.
To make two or three centuries in a match is not a big deal, that's how the modern game is. I would have accepted winning or losing."

si faptul ca prezenta lui Mark Williams a fost incerta, dat fiind faptul ca orasul sau – Cwm din Tara Galilor, era izolat de zapada; interventia unuia dintre spsonsorii turneului, care i-a pus la dispozitie un jeep 4x4 a facut posibila evolutia la acest eveniment a galezului. Si drumul pana la Londra se pare ca a fost cu peripetii, masina in care se afla acesta fiind implicata intr-un accident, iar Mark Williams alegandu-se ca urmare cu dureri de gat, care l-au tinut cateva zile.

* Asadar rezultatele primei runde:
Ronnie O'Sullivan 6-4 Neil Robertson
Marco Fu 2-6 Peter Ebdon
Allister Carter 3-6 Mark Williams
Shaun Murphy 6-4 Stephen Hendry
Stephen Maguire 6-3 Mark King
Ryan Day 6-0 Joe Perry
Mark Selby 6-1 Ding Junhui
John Higgins 3-6 Mark Allen.

Mai trebuie spus ca Jimmy White a primit un white-card din partea organizatorilor, care a starnit controverse in lumea snookerului la un momentul anuntarii, dat fiind faptul dupa evolutia din acest sezon Liang Wenbo ar fi fost o optiune evidenta; motivele organizatorilor au avut considerente publicitare si sentimentale, Jimmy fiind mereu preferat de publicul englez, iar acesta i-a recompensandu-i pe toti printr-o infrangere.

* In runda wild cardurilor s-au intalnit:
Mark King 6-2 Jimmy White
Mark Williams 6-2 Rory McLeod.

O inovatie la acest turneu, este prezentarea fiecarui jucator pe anumite teme muzicale, la alegere:
Jimmy White - Money for Nothing -- Dire Straits
Mark King - You Can Do It (Put Your Back Into It) -- Ice Cube
Mark Selby - Underdog -- Kasabian
Ding Junhui - Eye of the Tiger -- Survivor
Peter Ebdon - Can You Feel the Force? -- The Real Thing
Marco Fu - I Gotta Feeling -- Black Eyed Peas.


xxx