Yushan World Open Preview
The players have packed their suitcases and made their way on the long journey to China for the World Open. Some hate the flight and others don’t mind but the mental fatigue is with the individual even before they have played a shot. Mark Williams recently said at the English Open that he didn’t enjoy travelling to China and is going to stop taking part in China tournaments whereas Ronnie O’Sullivan loves the atmosphere and spending time with his Chinese friends. That aside, this event will be a battle of minds and form with some of the top players showing great form in recent tournaments. Mark Selby was the victor at the English Open after a year long victory drought with the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Shaun Murphy and Neil Robertson all in contention. Last year’s winner was Mark Williams. In a dramatic final he beat David Gilbert, 10-9 but has declined to enter this year’s event. So there is one sure fact before this tournament begins, there will be a new champion in Yushan this year.
With a prize fund of £772,000 and a winner’s cheque for £150,000, the World Open is definitely rich pickings for any player who wants to kick start their career or add another title to their career history. Many had to travel to Barnsley for the qualifiers to just get this far and anyone who knows this sport, will know how cruel it can be. You may win a string of matches in the qualifying stages but when it comes to the main arena, you are spat out in the first round. With few ranking points earned and little money in your bank or your pocket, a win is vital to spur you on and show what you produce off the professional table, can be brought to a competition. I have seen so many players peak at an event but then disappear at the next. Natural talent is lifelong but the winning streak is sadly not.
Many of the Chinese players did well at the English Open but couldn’t get to the final stages. With play on their home turf and a home audience supporting them, this may change and we may have another Chinese player winning this season. However with a field that is dominated by the United Kingdom, this will be hard and you would expect Judd Trump or another player of his calibre to picking up the winning cheque at the end of the week. China is unique because audience figures and ticket sales depend on who is playing. More seats will be filled when the likes of Ding Junhui or Yan Bingtao are playing compared to Rod Lawler.
With thirty-two century breaks produced at the qualifying stages alone, this will be an exciting tournament, the century table is led by Jack Lisowski who knocked in a fine 145 break in Barnsley but does seems to struggle with his nerves when he plays on the match table. He had long been touted as a future champion and does have the talent to win a major event in the near future. He reminds me of his close friend, Judd Trump who has managed to conquer his mental wall and had mastered his all round game. Judd has gone slightly off the boil recently but maybe that is because of the pressure to constantly win after he achieved the Triple Crown by winning the World Championship. Trump will have definitely been fine tuning his game before the World Open and watching footage of previous tournaments to see if he can improve in any way. Maybe this will be his week or maybe not but whatever happens, Trump is definitely one of the best players that snooker has ever produced. The winner next week will have to overcome these snooker icons and push through to the winning post. This will be easier for a too sixteen player and a tortuous journey for a player outside the top echelons of the sport. Whoever wins, deserves this honour and can boast this great win for the rest of their professional career.
With a prize fund of £772,000 and a winner’s cheque for £150,000, the World Open is definitely rich pickings for any player who wants to kick start their career or add another title to their career history. Many had to travel to Barnsley for the qualifiers to just get this far and anyone who knows this sport, will know how cruel it can be. You may win a string of matches in the qualifying stages but when it comes to the main arena, you are spat out in the first round. With few ranking points earned and little money in your bank or your pocket, a win is vital to spur you on and show what you produce off the professional table, can be brought to a competition. I have seen so many players peak at an event but then disappear at the next. Natural talent is lifelong but the winning streak is sadly not.
Many of the Chinese players did well at the English Open but couldn’t get to the final stages. With play on their home turf and a home audience supporting them, this may change and we may have another Chinese player winning this season. However with a field that is dominated by the United Kingdom, this will be hard and you would expect Judd Trump or another player of his calibre to picking up the winning cheque at the end of the week. China is unique because audience figures and ticket sales depend on who is playing. More seats will be filled when the likes of Ding Junhui or Yan Bingtao are playing compared to Rod Lawler.
With thirty-two century breaks produced at the qualifying stages alone, this will be an exciting tournament, the century table is led by Jack Lisowski who knocked in a fine 145 break in Barnsley but does seems to struggle with his nerves when he plays on the match table. He had long been touted as a future champion and does have the talent to win a major event in the near future. He reminds me of his close friend, Judd Trump who has managed to conquer his mental wall and had mastered his all round game. Judd has gone slightly off the boil recently but maybe that is because of the pressure to constantly win after he achieved the Triple Crown by winning the World Championship. Trump will have definitely been fine tuning his game before the World Open and watching footage of previous tournaments to see if he can improve in any way. Maybe this will be his week or maybe not but whatever happens, Trump is definitely one of the best players that snooker has ever produced. The winner next week will have to overcome these snooker icons and push through to the winning post. This will be easier for a too sixteen player and a tortuous journey for a player outside the top echelons of the sport. Whoever wins, deserves this honour and can boast this great win for the rest of their professional career.
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