The second Indian Open World Ranking Snooker 2015 may see cueists from China — the latest nation to influence world pro snooker — asserting themselves in a star-studded field.
Defending champion Ding Junhui heads the list of Chinese pros at the five-day competition conducted by the Billiards & Snooker Federation of India. He is being looked upon as an inspiration by Chinese kids.
He is the highest-rated player competing in Mumbai, fourth in the latest world rankings.
Zhou Yuelong is an exciting Chinese talent to track, in keeping with his status as world amateur champion. Chinese names popping up in the final stages at major competitions will soon be a norm.
Ding and Zhou figure in the main draw, the latter is viewed as an exceptional talent back home. He competed in a ranking event at 14 (2012 Haikou World Open), was crowned world’s best at 15 and will compete in Mumbai at 17 armed with matchplay experience against big names like Alan McManus.
The India’s highest-ranked player, Aditya Mehta (No. 50), is far behind the elite pros in prize money earnings, but is steadily gaining respect owing to a string of good results against big names and is the only Indian to get a Tour card.
The Mumbai cueist was a finalist at the 2013 Indian Open, outsmarting higher-ranked Ebdon (ranked 30 then), Mark Williams (17), Pankaj Advani (70) and Stephen Maguire (5), before running into Ding in the final in New Delhi.
The major names from other nations are England’s Judd Trump (world rank 6), Welshman Mark Williams (15), Scotland’s John Higgins (12), among others.
World No. 8 Ricky Warden is in Mehta’s half of the draw.
Wild card draw:
Lyu Haotian (Chn) vs. Dharmender Lilly; Pankaj Advani vs. Rhys Clark (Wales); Neeraj Kumar vs. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (Tha); Brijesh Damani vs. Sam Baird (Eng); Sumit Talwar vs. Adam Duffy (Eng).
