Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Sports World |
| Wembley set for Mobile Masters Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:26 AM PST It was recently announced that Ladbrokes Mobile gave the sport of snooker a significant boost by agreeing to sponsor the forthcoming Masters event. The competition will be known as the Ladbrokes Mobile Masters and will take place between January 9 and 16 at London's Wembley Arena. The Masters is snooker's most prestigious invitational event and the world's top 16 players will participate for a share of the £500,000 prize pot. The winner will take home a cool £150,000 whilst there is £15,000 on offer for the highest break during the competition. The sponsorship will provide a welcome tonic for the sport of snooker, which is suffering from diminished interest, investment and attendances. It is hoped that Ladbrokes' inaugural involvement in the Masters will boost the reputation of the sport in much the same way that darts has become increasingly popular. On announcing the deal during Christmas week, World Snooker Chairman Barry Hearn said: "We are delighted to continue our long and successful partnership with Ladbrokes with this sponsorship." Mark Selby, who is 8/1 in Ladbrokes' outright snooker betting odds, is the defending champion and will open his tournament against Mark King on Sunday (Selby 1/3, King 9/4). Ronnie O'Sullivan is the 7/2 favourite for the event whilst the revitalized John Higgins is at 11/2. O'Sullivan is probably the player most likely to win the £15K on offer for the highest break, having achieved 10 maximums and 614 centuries throughout his career. 66/1 tournament outsider in Ladbrokes' outright snooker betting odds, Stephen Hendry has amassed nine 147s and 749 centuries but his star is on the wane. Finally, Higgins will be hoping to build on his success at the UK Championship as he aims to enhance his reputation after his six-month suspension for bringing the game into disrepute. He has racked up five maximums and 449 centuries in his illustrious career and the momentum is clearly with him at present.  |
| 2011 PDC World Darts Championship – Lewis Wins Magnificent Tournament Posted: 05 Jan 2011 08:03 AM PST "Out with the old and in with new" is a traditional New Year cliché which could have particular significance this year as Adrian Lewis became the youngest ever PDC champion, after beating Scot, Gary Anderson by 7-5 in the final. His victory was completely deserved and just reward for a young man who has improved significantly over the last 12 months, particularly with his accuracy and match focus which should he maintain or even improve upon would keep him at the 'top of the tungsten tree' for many years to come. Lewis arrived in the final by virtue of four ultra impressive victories in the first four rounds, where he dropped only four sets. His first real test therefore did not come until his semi final against 2008 BDO Champion, Mark Webster, the man who had knocked out Lewis's mentor, the legendary 15 time champion, Phil Taylor and who was the favourite to do the same to Lewis. However, 'Adey' was having none of it; remaining in command of the match throughout finally winning 6-4 to go through to meet Anderson in the final. The two finalists had clearly earned the right to be called the best two players on the tournament this time around, Anderson if anything however was playing slightly more awesomely than Lewis, which is why he had been made the favourite to become the first Scots PDC World Champion. However the explosive first set soon set the 'Ally Pally' alight with both men going at it, scoring heavily trading blow by blow, but it was Lewis, who achieved what both men had threatened to do at various times during the tournament who came up with a '9 darter' which sent the crowd into a complete frenzy; It was the first ever 9 dart finish recorded in a PDC World Final. Lewis then took the second set and never really looked in serious trouble from that moment, but much credit must be paid to the Scot who was forced to play 'catch up' and did so on three occasions, before finally conceding defeat. So where does this result leave the likes of Taylor, the man who has stuck around long enough to make sure that the world of darts has a big future and does it leave the world or darts betting on its head in 2011? Part of the Taylor legacy in fact is Lewis himself; it was Taylor who encouraged him at the outset, making Lewis his protégé after coaching him at his pub in their home town of Stoke on Trent. It is someone ironic therefore to see his crown taken by his discovery, but will it be even more ironic to see Taylor come back in 2012 and retrieve it. After all Taylor has done nothing other than achieve the impossible after the impossible – has he got more impossible left in him? Lewis's win has to be acknowledged as a 'blessing' in many respects as it has shown youngsters and even those who thought they were 'has beens' the way forward once again. The win has taken him to number two behind Taylor in the world rankings, but ahead of James Wade, the man thought most likely to succeed Taylor at the top, as well as five time world champion, Van Barneveld. The win has also confirmed him as one of the eight men who will contest the Premier League this year, along with Taylor, Wade and Anderson, the other four will be selected on a wildcard basis, but should include, Van Barneveld, Whitlock, Webster and Terry Jenkins. Thanks to Lewis 2011 has been set up as potentially the best darting year in history  |
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