(Image by: shoaib_arif_official)
Another tournament is in the books with the conclusion of the Wuhan Open. With the compass now starting to point towards next year’s World Championships and the end of the year fast approaching, the next few months are set to be pivotal.
With plenty of talking points having arisen from the Wuhan Open, let’s discuss some of these in more detail below.
Xiao Guodong wins first ranking title of his career as he edges past Si Jiahui in tense Wuhan Open final
Having turned professional when he was just 18 it has been a long wait for Xiao Guodong to get into the winner’s circle but after beating Kyren Wilson, Shaun Murphy and Barry Hawkins en route to the Wuhan Open final, he was able to hold his nerve as he overcame compatriot Si Jiahui 10-7 in the final.
In a match that was too tight to call before it started, Xiao was able to lean on his experience to get off to a fast start, edging ahead 2-0. Able to keep his opponent at arm’s length throughout much of the contest, it looked like his maiden title would be in the bag when he jumped out to a 7-3 lead, which he then further extended to 9-3.
Needing just one frame for victory and with the champagne on ice, Si started to show the form which saw him dispatch world number one Judd Trump in the semi finals. Seemingly starting to settle into the contest, he reeled off four straight frames to close the match to 9-7.
Now with the contest firmly in the balance and the crowd on the edge of its seat, Xiao just about held it together as he edged an exceptionally tense 17th frame to take home the spoils.
Jubilant that he had been able to win the first title of his career in front of his home fans and with his £140,000 winners cheque, his victory moves him up eleven places in the world rankings to 18 and he now sits just outside the top 16. He will hope to gatecrash the top 16 over the next few months.
As for Si, his run to the final cemented his place inside snooker’s most coveted club and he is now ranked 13 in the world. At just 22 his time for winning some of the game’s biggest titles looks close, but for now he will need to take the learnings and pain from this near miss and use it as fuel for the rest of the season.
Despite semi final defeat, Judd Trump stretches further clear as world number one
Yet again it was another solid week for world number one Judd Trump who with his semi final defeat extended his lead at the top of the world rankings by over 500,000 points from Kyren Wilson who sits in second.
A winner of both the Saudi Arabia and Shanghai Masters, it is Trump's consistency which currently sets him apart from the rest of the competition. Cementing another semi final last week in Wuhan, he could only watch on and admire as Si Jiahui produced one of the best performances of his career to beat him.
Before this semi final defeat he had already reached the final of the Xi'an Grand Prix and the quarter-finals of the British Open and English Open.
Having already managed to win 29 ranking titles since turning professional, Trump will head to Belfast next week in the hope of making it 30 and defending his title. Set to start as the overwhelming favourite for the win, few would bet against him securing a third title of the year.
(Image by: worldsnookertour)
As the year winds down, the race to make the top 16 heats up
Although every professional snooker player will have dreams of topping the world rankings, the ultimate aim for every pro is to ensure they are in the top 16 of the world rankings. Being in the top 16 offers a player exclusive privileges that those sitting outside can’t take advantage of. Acceptance into the World Championships and Masters are guaranteed and for most tournaments these players will be seeded in most tour events and the race to end the year inside the top 16 is always fierce.
After the conclusion of the Wuhan Open, Neil Robertson finds himself on the bubble as the 16th ranked player. Having made a significant leap up the standings with his English Open victory and with the Aussie finally starting to show the talent and form that made him a World Champion and took him right to the top of the world rankings. However, his last few tournaments have brought the ‘Thunder from Down Under back down to Earth with a bump.’
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Defeated early in the British Open when falling in the second round, his stay at the Wuhan Open was brief when he couldn’t live with Jackson Page, succumbing 5-1 in the first round. Looking to regain his form, he is in need of a big week at next week’s Northern Ireland Open.
Other men who will be under the spotlight when it comes to ending the year in the top 16 are John Higgins and Jak Jones. Both sit in 14th and 15th spot respectively and both players are in big need of a strong finish to the season if they are to ensure they don’t need to qualify for next year’s World Championships.
As always, there are a few big names looking to muscle their way into the top 16 action. Sitting just outside of the top 16 currently are the likes of Tom Ford (17), Barry Hawkins (19) and Jack Lisowski (20). All know they will need a deep run at the Northern Ireland Open if they are to keep their top 16 hopes alive.
If you are looking to place a bet next week it is also worth paying attention to Xiao Guodong. The biggest mover in the rankings last week, he is now ranked 18 and will have high hopes of advancing up the standings even further.