Just what does it take to be a snooker world champion?

Table talk / Paul Krishnamurty / 28 April 2008 / Leave a Comment

Break-building, temperament and "bottle" are just three of the qualities needed to win the 888.com World Championship but who possesses these qualities amongst the players still left in the competition?

Break Building

Naturally the most important attribute of a would-be champion is an ability to produce snooker of the very highest class. As this is by far the premier event of the season, its no surprise that the best players seem to bring their 'A-game' to Sheffield. Nowadays snooker at the highest level requires the ability to consistently win frames with one visit, a skill that only a handful are capable of.

The man who pioneered 'one-visit snooker', Stephen Hendry, is still in the hunt for an eighth title, but its a long time since he consistently produced that sort of form. In fact, looking through those left, the only players that really fit the bill for breakbuilding are Stephen Maguire and Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Maguire has looked every inch a world champion in-waiting so far, cutting a not dissimilar figure around the table to Hendry at his peak. In winning the first session against Robertson 8-0, the Scot knocked in seven fifty breaks including two tons. Nor was that a fluke by any means - relentless heavy scoring is 'On Fire' Maguire's trademark.

Equally, O'Sullivan produced a similar display to destroy Maguire in the final of the second most prestigious event of the year, the UK Championship. As they are in separate halves of the draw, everything points to a classic final between the pair. The market strongly reflects this possibility, with Maguire trading at [3.1], Ronnie [3.5].

Physical and Mental Stamina

Though snooker doesn't automatically seem like a physically demanding activity, fitness is very much an advantage in the World Championships because a serious run at the title involves playing several long matches. As Neil Robertson explained in his interview with Betfair, three-session games can be a tiring physical and mental experience http://betting.betfair.com/betting/snooker/world-snooker-championship-betting/betfairs-big-interview-the-melbourne-machine-neil-rober-170408.html Its no coincidence that Stephen Lee has only ever once reached the semi-finals here.

History also suggests this is a young man's tournament. Only four of the last 20 world champions were in their thirties, with John Higgins at 32 last year the oldest since Steve Davis won his last world title in 1989. Ronnie O'Sullivan is also 32, but much has been made of his love of running and training so he should have few troubles on the physical fitness score. At 37 though, history is against Peter Ebdon winning a second world title.

Temperament

The greater concern with O'Sullivan is that his temperament lets him down yet again. Its not a 'bottle' issue - when Ronnie is switched on he's nerveless. Rather its that he gets easily demoralised and can completely lose interest in a session. Over shorter matches and tournaments - six frame Premier League matches for instance or the four-match, best-of-11 Masters - he remains the man to beat. But at the Crucible he's lost long matches in psychological disarray. In 2005, a slow-playing Ebdon frustrated Ronnie into submission and he went AWOL n when facing Graeme Dott in the semis the following year.

In those matches and other Crucible defeats, Ronnie broke the golden rule of these long matches - you cannot afford to get thrashed in one session. Over best of 25 and beyond, matches are often settled by a single one-sided session. Its imperative that maximum focus is retained at all times, and that even when things aren't going your way the best possible result is achieved from the session. This may sound a no-brainer, but maintaining the correct psychological approach during the bad moments is a skill that many never master, whereas others excel.

Bottle

The Crucible is a cathedral of tension in the latter stages, when there is only table in use. Many world-class players have crumbled under pressure there over the years. Most famously, Jimmy White led 14-8 in the 1992 final before losing the last ten frames, and some accused him of 'bottling' the deciding frame in 1994. Matthew Stevens has been White's noughties equivalent, leading 13-7 in the 2000 final and losing three other close finals and semi-finals. Even the legendary Steve Davis admits 'bottling' the 1985 final against Dennis Taylor.

Of the remaining contenders in 2007, the one that really stands out in this department is Peter Ebdon. Ebdon has made nerveless deciding-frame victories his trademark over the years at the Crucible, most memorably in the 2002 final. He's done it again this year too, producing the goods when it mattered in arguably the best match of the first round against Jamie Cope.

And if there's an argument to be made against Maguire, its that he has visibly cracked under pressure here in the past. In 2005 against Ronnie, he missed a simple black for match-ball and completely lost the plot from there on. And he was well ahead in last year's semi-final against Higgins before tightening up and getting thrashed in the final session. Maguire does look a more accomplished player this year, but those previous instances must raise a question mark.

Experience

Finally, previous Crucible experience will also be a significant advantage in the closing stages of the event. In the modern era, only two players have made the World title their first ranking event victory, Joe Johnson in 1986 and Shaun Murphy in 2005. And you have to go back to 1979 for the last time the winner was making his Crucible debut.

So whereas Liang Wenbo couldn't be ruled out on the basis of his snooker so far in the tournament, he's up against it as a debutant. And several others who are well used to the Sheffield experience have yet to win a ranking event. Ryan Day has at least played in a ranking final, but Ali Carter and Stuart Bingham haven't reached that stage to date and Joe Perry last made a ranking final seven years ago. I'd worry for all of them if they were ever faced with the chance of making the breakthrough in any ranking event, but the world championships at this unique arena is of a completely different magnitude.