On the challenging stage of the 2024 World Snooker Championships, Ding Junhui used his experience and skills to lead the other four Chinese players into the fierce battle in Crucible. However, this international event also witnessed the early exit of Zhang Anda and Lu Haotian, and their defeat was not only a personal misfortune, but also a major blow to the entire Chinese snooker community. Zhang Anda, the only Chinese player to win the title this season, has been knocked out in the first round again in Crucible for the fourth time in a row, despite honing his technical and mental qualities over the past decade. For Lu Haotian, although this is his fourth time standing on the stage of the World Championships, he still failed to break through the curse of the first round, and his defeat seems to confirm once again the challenge of the new talent in the top competition.
In the first round of this World Championships, many highly-seeded players such as Luca Bresel and Selby were unexpectedly defeated, which not only added a lot of suspense and uncertainty to the match, but also made every matchup of the tournament full of unpredictable variables. This situation not only tests the technical level of the contestants, but also a big test of their psychological endurance. In such a high-pressure environment, even the world's top-ranked players can make mistakes under the stubborn resistance of lower-ranked players, upending the predictions of many spectators and analysts. This unpredictability not only makes the result of the game full of surprises, but also makes the charm of snooker more prominent.
In other tournaments, despite the ups and downs of his career, 16th seed Robert Milkins showed his tenacity and experience to advance to the next round. His performance at critical moments not only showed the demeanor of a veteran, but also inspired many latecomers. Similarly, the successful promotion of players such as Trump and Forde also shows their strength and determination to be reckoned with on the world-class stage. The performance of these players is not only a reflection of their technical maturity, but also a demonstration of their psychological adjustment ability. In a sport with high skills and high psychological pressure such as snooker, how to adjust yourself at critical moments is often the key to the success or failure of the game.
The defeat of Zhang Anda and Lu Haotian is not only a setback for their personal careers, but also a reflection of the challenge of Chinese snooker in developing young players. Although they have made a lot of achievements at home and abroad, how to break through the double barriers of psychology and technology on the world-class stage is still a difficult problem to be solved. This may imply that China's snooker training system needs to invest more in psychological regulation and the ability to deal with high-pressure games.
The surprise defeats of other highly-seeded players at this World Championships, such as Luca Bresel and Selby, added to the unpredictability and suspense of the match. This not only tests the players' ability to adjust their skills and tactics, but also their mental endurance in the face of uncertainty and pressure. Snooker, as a highly technical and psychological sport, is its unique charm because of its unpredictability.
The World Championships also saw the persistence and shine of some solid veterans such as Robert Milkins, as well as the outstanding performances of rising stars such as Judd Trump and Forde. The outstanding performance of these players in key moments not only shows their technical level, but also shows their maturity in psychological regulation. This is a valuable learning model for all snooker players.
The roadmap of Chinese snooker should pay more attention to the all-round training of young players, especially in the forging of psychological quality and the adaptability of high-intensity competitions. In addition, the international snooker community may see more innovation in technology and tactics, because every competition and every defeat is a review and challenge of existing technology and tactics. For Chinese players, how to learn from each competition, adjust their strategies, and achieve breakthroughs in the future will be the key to their continuous improvement.
On this basis, the Chinese snooker community should continue to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with the top international level, learn from and learn from international training methods and competition experience, so as to accelerate the growth of young Chinese snooker players and improve their international competitiveness. Through such a series of strategic adjustments and implementation, Chinese snooker is expected to show stronger competitiveness on the world stage in the future.
Zhang Anda and Lu Haotian's early exit may be related to their lack of psychological regulation. Especially in such a high-pressure environment, once there is a problem with the mentality, it is difficult to perform at the level it should be, even if the technology is superb. The tempering of this kind of psychological quality is the only way for every professional player to grow up. For veterans such as Robert Milkins, years of experience in the game have given him more control over the pace of the game and his emotions at key moments, an ability that can often make the difference between the course of the game and the course of the game at key moments.