On April 24, 2022, Beijing time, Yan Bingtao eliminated the defending champion Mark Selby 13-10 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Championships for the first time, and Yan Bingtao was highly anticipated in the case of Ding Junhui and Zhao Xintong out. Being able to beat Selby in a long-game game, Yan Bingtao did perform well, and he was affirmed by British fans, some of whom stayed outside the field and asked for autographs.
Yan Bingtao, a new-generation player and the youngest Masters champion in snooker history, almost fell out of the top 16 at the end of the season because he gave up certain games. However, Yan Bingtao used that time to adjust his psychological state and laid the foundation for the World Championships.
After successfully advancing to the round of 16, Yan Bingtao showed his talent in front of Selby. Through high-intensity defense and steady attack, Yan Bingtao once made Selby helpless, and the nearly 90-minute battle in a single set made Selby exhausted, but Yan Bingtao gained self-confidence. He kept the lead from the second stage, while defending champion Selby struggled to catch up, and after losing the 22nd inning, Selby was powerless to return to the sky.
The pace of the race was slow and there were moments that definitely tested the patience of the spectators, but it was clearly a high-quality game that went down in history. In short, both sides played at a fairly high level, and the defeated Selby affirmed Yan Bingtao's performance, believing that Yan Bingtao was in control of the game. O'Sullivan also followed the game, praising Yan Bingtao for having the heart of a lion.
Yan Bingtao's outstanding performance has also conquered many British fans, and Chinese Olympic champion Xu Lijia interviewed some local fans on the streets of Crucible, and one of the fans said that it is never easy to win a player like Mark Selby, Yan Bingtao's performance is so amazing, he has been calm throughout the long-term battle, it is simply incredible. Another fan said that Yan Bingtao is a great player, he has formed a challenge to the giants, he is also a fresh young force, we all support him and hope that he will win the World Championship.
Subsequently, the British fans surrounded Yan Bingtao and asked for autographs. Yan Bingtao's agent, Ms. Shi Yuanyuan, has been following alongside, and he also reminded Yan Bingtao: Don't sign on your face, Yan Bingtao replied: I just want to sign on my face. Afterwards, they say thank you and goodbye to the fans. It can be said that Yan Bingtao has won the support of local fans with his strength, and he will become more and more confident, looking forward to his continued progress and impacting the championship!