On January 17, 2022, Beijing time, the Snooker Masters came to an end, the Champions League returned, and Ding Junhui and Yan Bingtao will play in the sixth group of the Champions League. This is Ding Junhui's debut in 2022, and coincidentally, his first game is the China derby. In addition, Karen Wilson, Ali Carter and other famous players will also appear in the sixth group, and Richie Wharton, who was originally in the signing table, retired from the competition, and Matthew Sert came off the bench.
In the first five groups of the Champions League, Liang Wenbo, Graeme Dort, Zhao Xintong, Bingham and Scott Donaldson won the group championship and entered the winner group. After the fifth group, Jordan Brown, Karen Wilson, Ali Carter and Martin Gould can continue to compete, and they join the sixth group and compete with the other three new players for a place in the winner's group.
Originally, the three new players were Yan Bingtao, Ding Junhui and 39-year-old Rich Walton, but the world number 24 Rich Walton retired, his position was replaced by Matthew Celt, it can be said that the sixth group is still very skilled, the competition is very fierce. The performances of the two Chinese players, Yan Bingtao and Ding Junhui, are the most anticipated, Yan Bingtao made his 2022 debut at the Masters, but unfortunately, as the defending champion, he was out of the first round.
However, although Yan Bingtao lost to Mark Williams in the Masters, he actually played very well, and Yan Bingtao was also very satisfied with his performance, believing that he could show better form in the Champions League. According to the schedule, Yan Bingtao will face Ali Carter, Ding Junhui, Matthew Celt and Jordan Brown on the first matchday, and playing four consecutive games is a great test for Yan Bingtao.
Ding Junhui ushered in his 2022 debut, because of the downturn in form and the decline in rankings, Ding Junhui needed more games to find his status, which is why he participated in the Champions League. However, Ding Junhui has been in the battle line for a long time, and the state is still unknown. Coincidentally, Ding Junhui's first game in 2022 is the Chinese derby, he and Yan Bingtao are players of two eras, Yan Bingtao is known as Ding Junhui's successor, and both sides need to prove their strength.
In addition to his debut against Yan Bingtao, Ding Junhui will also play Against Matthew Serte and Martin Gould on the first matchday, compared to Yan Bingtao, Ding Junhui's schedule is easier, and I hope he can achieve good results on the first matchday and lay the foundation for the promotion to the winner group. Of course, Karen Wilson is the highest-ranked player in this group and a big favorite, he has participated in the fourth and fifth groups in a row, he is very adapted to this format, and may become the strongest opponent for Ding Junhui and Yan Bingtao on the way to advancement!