In the fierce showdown of the 2024 World Snooker Championship qualifiers, a name suddenly became the focus - Jiang Jun. The 18-year-old Chinese teenager has successfully captured the attention of snooker fans around the world with a series of eye-catching performances. Although he was not ranked in the world before the tournament and was even at the bottom of the Chinese ranking, his performance in the qualifying round completely turned expectations on its head.
Jiang Jun's journey to the tournament can be described as full of drama. He first beat Amir 10-6 and then reversed Fan Zhengyi 10-8 to seal the victory 10-8 against a strong Sam Craigie. In every match, Jiang Jun showed his extraordinary calmness and perseverance, especially in the match against Craigie, where he relied on a high-scoring single-shot counterattack after falling behind many times, and finally won the reversal.
Jiang Jun's game strategy and technique deserve a detailed analysis. In the game against Craigie, Jiang Jun changed the rhythm of the game and the situation of the score list many times through high-scoring single strokes. His style of play is not only technical, but also shows the boldness and innovation that is characteristic of young players. In particular, his mental qualities in key situations always seem to be able to perform at his best under pressure, which is an extremely valuable quality for a snooker player.
In this qualifying match, in addition to Jiang Jun's outstanding performance, Thai player Nopeng Sankham's performance was also extremely eye-catching. Not only did he win a comfortable 10-5 over Andy Hicks, but he also scored his first 147 of the tournament and the second of his career. This feat not only won him an honour, but also added a strong touch to the World Championships.
In this qualifying round, the overall performance of Chinese players was outstanding. In addition to Jiang Jun, Cao Yupeng and Pang Junxu also made the cut. Cao Yupeng won comfortably 10-4 against Ma Hailong, showing his deep technical background and game experience. Pang Junxu also defeated Oliver Brown with a score of 10-7 and made a steady move to the next round. These results not only reflect the overall strength of Chinese snooker athletes, but also indicate the strong competitiveness in the international arena in the future.
In the snooker arena, technique is important, but mental quality also plays a decisive role. The young Kang Joon's mental endurance against an experienced opponent is impressive. Snooker is not only a technical contest, but also a psychological confrontation. On the court, Jiang Jun faced falling behind many times, but he always kept calm and gradually turned the game around through one-shot accurate attacks. This ability to find opportunities under pressure is exactly what top snooker players need.