China’s domination of the top of snooker could come sooner rather than later, a leading writer has said.
Xiao Guodong’s unexpected success and talk of Si Jiahui being snooker’s next superstar has reignited the conversation on whether or not China will dominate the top of the game in years to come.
Talk has been triggered after five Chinese players made ranking event finals this year alone.
It’s been an incredible few months for Xiao. He won the Wuhan Open – his first ranking title after 17 years playing the game professionally.
He then reached the semi-finals of the International Championship. And then made the Champion of Champions final – beating Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby and Mark Allen along the way.
China’s first snooker superstar Ding Junhui won his first ranking event in five years by winning the International Championship and the nation’s younger players have enjoyed success too. Wu Yize reached the English Open final highlighting his fine attacking prowess and 22-year-old Si Jiahui made the final of the Wuhan Open.
Talented Si is destined for big things after his brilliant 147 against Judd Trump in the Wuhan Open semi-finals. His breakthrough came in 2023 on snooker’s biggest stage when he reached the semi-finals of the World Championship but lost to eventual winner Luca Brecel.
But it must be said this talking point of China’s takeover at the top of snooker is nothing new. This debate has been going on years since Ding Junhui became the superstar he is in the Far East.
More signs a China takeover of snooker is coming
However, David Caulfield, editor of Snooker HQ, said there are signs a China takeover of snooker is on the horizon.
He told Snooker Chat: “I know it has been said for the best part of 20 years but there are signs now more than ever that some sort of Chinese takeover at the top could be imminent. Players from China are featuring more regularly at the business end.
“I expect even more of their young stars to break through in 2025. The famous line ‘in five years time, half of the top 16 will be Chinese’ might actually be true now.”
The subject was also discussed on ITV Sport during its coverage of Champion of Champions. Former world champion Ken Doherty said Ding Junhui’s legacy has sparked a new generation of Chinese talent. He said: “He’s been the talisman and almost the Godfather to all of these young players. Without him, I don’t think all of these guys would have followed him.
“I remember going to a school in China with 3,000 pupils. In one of the rooms they had 20 snooker tables because the Government introduced it into their curriculum as an alternative sport. So they were getting them (interested) very early. They build academies all over the country.”
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