The 1980s champion Steve Davis had participated in a May 1994 match at Ljubljana’s Cankarjev Dom venue, which was the last visit of a snooker legend to Slovenia. This Thursday, four leading snooker players, all ranked within the top seven, paid a visit to the Tivoli Hall – among them was top-ranked Mark Selby.
A ranking tournament in Slovenia?
"This is our first time in Slovenia, and it’s important for us and the snooker community to introduce our sport to parts of the world where it hasn’t been played before. Recently, new ranking tournaments have been set up in Germany and Bulgaria, so why not Slovenia?" said Shaun Murphy, who was the World Champion in 2005, at a press conference.
The tournament of champions felt like a gathering of old friends who pass the time by telling jokes. They spent a day in Ljubljana, walked through the capital and took photos with fans.
Robertson: Not many disputed calls
It isn’t just mutual respect that sets snooker players apart. The players also respect referees, which doesn’t happen often in other sports. "In our sport the referees don’t play a major role. They have to return the balls to the right place – that’s their most important role. Controversial calls that could set someone off are rare," agreed Neil Robertson, who became the World Champion in 2010. He is the only player from outside the UK and Ireland to have won the most prestigious snooker tournament after 1980.
An abbreviated final round
A draw assigned players to the semifinal groups. In that round, the player with four wins advances to the next round. In the first semifinal, Selby defeated Murphy 4:2, while Roberson beat Judd Trump 4:3 in the second semifinal. The first two matches lasted considerably longer than was scheduled, which prompted the format to be abbreviated from five wins to three. In the last match, Selby defeated Robertson 3:1. Murphy brought the most goodwill by taking over the role of the referee in the final round.
Will the Rocket participate next time?
The quality of the gameplay wasn’t at the highest level because the players attempted to thrill the crowd with difficult shots, which deprived the audience of high breaks. The Romanian organizers have already stated that they intend to return to Slovenia and that the next event will feature the charismatic player Ronnie O’Sullivan. The most expensive VIP cards cost 100 euros, while an extra 50 euros enabled fans to meet the competitors. The most expensive tickets were the first to be sold out.
Slavko Jerič, photo: Miloš Ojdanić; translated by: J. B.
