On April 28, 2022, the quarter-finals of the Snooker World Championships were all over, and in the end, mainland China's Yan Bingtao lost 11-13 to three-time World Champion Mark Williams, who successfully reached the final four, and the other three players who reached the semifinals were 2019 World Champion Judd Trump, 6-time World Champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, and 4-time World Champion John Higgins. Although Yan Bingtao stopped in the top 8, he has also created the best record for post-00s players in The Crucible in the world, and after beating Selby in the World Championship, he has also made the outside world re-examine this controversial young player.
Opponent Mark Williams gave Yan Bingtao a very high evaluation after the game: "He has everything, he is a good player, he looks good under pressure, I would be surprised if he didn't (win the world championship), but you never know, there are a lot of good players." He (Yan Bingtao), Zhao Xintong, Jackson Page, they are the future of Snooker. ”
Indeed, in this game, Yan Bingtao's ability to handle the game under heavy pressure far exceeds that of players of the same age, in the case of 2-6 behind in the first leg, timely adjustment of tactics to fight the opponent 6-2, which is what many young players can not do, even in the third stage once achieved a 10-8, 11-10 lead, and finally lost in the "decisive stage" experience, in the face of the upcoming match point, Yan Bingtao's psychology appeared significant fluctuations, resulting in a lot of ball selection is a bit impatient, thus leaving the opponent with a chance.
After seeing Yan Bingtao's wonderful performance, seven-time World Champion Stephen Hendry affirmed Yan Bingtao's performance and made a bold prediction: "I am optimistic that Yan Bingtao can win the World Championship before Zhao Xintong, this venue is suitable for him, he has everything to win here." ”
Hendry refers to Yan Bingtao's patience and ability to fight in a long-term game, and the balance between attack and defense can go further in the World Championships. But it is interesting that after Yan Bingtao lost five match points in a row and finally won the Slather 10-7 in the first round of the previous championships in two years, Hendry replied to the fans about "Will Yan Bingtao win the World Championship before Ding Junhui?" When the question was asked, he said bluntly: "Yan Bingtao and Ding Junhui are not at the same level. ”
It seems that in two years, Yan Bingtao's promotion has won the affirmation of Hendry. I hope that in the future, a large number of young Chinese players such as Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong will achieve better results and bring more surprises to the fans.