After the end of the 2023 season, the World Taiwan Federation announced the best awards of the season, and O'Sullivan won the Player of the Year with his outstanding performance. Chinese teenagers Zhang Anda and He Guoqiang won the Breakthrough of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards respectively, becoming the brightest rising stars of the season. However, the two highly-anticipated Mark Allen and Ronnie O'Sullivan were not selected, which sparked heated discussions among fans and experts.
A killer attack, a new star rises, and a veteran falls off the list, and 2023 in the snooker world has attracted much attention. Rocket O'Sullivan finally cleared up his "black history" and regained his important position as the best of the year. The rise of Zhang Anda and He Guoqiang indicates that China is full of billiards talents, and the future is promising. In contrast, the defeat of Mark Allen and Ronnie O'Sullivan was a bit of a surprise, raising questions about the current status of the two superstars.
In one season, many stars have emerged in the snooker world, and there have been some surprising results. But regardless of the outcome, the outstanding performances of these elite players make us look forward to the exciting matchups in the future snooker field. Let's take a look back at this exciting 2023 season!
The Rockets are rising again, and O'Sullivan's best of the year is well deserved
The 2023 season can be said to be a year of recovery for O'Sullivan. After a few years of slumps, the snooker king has finally rediscovered his form this season, breaking the slump of the past and winning five ranking tournaments in one fell swoop, including the British Championship and the Masters, which are the most prestigious tournaments.
He has played in a total of six ranking finals this season, reaching the top five times, making him the best player of the season. Despite reaching the quarterfinals at the World Championships, O'Sullivan's outstanding performance throughout the season was unanimously recognized by fans, media and experts, and he was finally elected Player of the Year in 2023.
As a legend in the snooker world, O'Sullivan has previously won the award in 2014 and 2016 respectively, and now he has won this highest honor again after 7 years, which is undoubtedly the greatest affirmation of his hard work over the years. After a few years of troughs, the rocket has finally rediscovered its form and regained its No.1 position in the snooker world today.
"This is the best reward for my hard work in recent years." On the podium, O'Sullivan said excitedly, "Although I didn't achieve the desired results at the World Championships, I was recognized by everyone for my performance throughout the season, which makes me very excited and proud. "
The snooker legend has shown a whole new side of himself this season. In the past, people often positioned O'Sullivan as a player who played hard-fought battles and counterattacked wildly. But this season, his style of play has changed, with more emphasis on his consistency and more on safe and secure strikes, which has allowed him to maintain a high level of performance throughout the season.
This shift has undoubtedly made O'Sullivan's game better and more perfect. While winning five ranking tournaments, he also maintained a very high win rate throughout the season, showing that he has reached a very high level on both offensive and defensive ends. This all-round improvement naturally made him stand out from the crowd of top players, and he deservedly won the Player of the Year award.
For O'Sullivan, this season is undoubtedly a new beginning. After a few years of slumps, he finally found his form and regained the C position in the snooker world. And the addition of this highest honor has undoubtedly given him greater confidence and motivation, and I believe that in the coming season, he will have a better performance and add more legends to himself.
The rise of China's double stars Zhang Anda He Guoqiang won the award
In addition to England veteran O'Sullivan becoming the biggest winner this season, another most eye-catching is the rise of two Chinese youngsters. Zhang Anda and He Guoqiang won the Best Breakthrough Award and the Best Newcomer of the Year Award respectively, which is undoubtedly the best recognition of their recent outstanding performance.
For Zhang Anda, this season is undoubtedly an important turning point in his career. The youngster, who won the World Youth Championship in 2013, has not been able to make much of a breakthrough in the ranking tournament in the following seasons, and has repeatedly stopped in the group stage. But this season, he finally found his form, winning the national championship at the domestic event, ending his dry period in ranking tournaments.
In addition, Zhang Anda also reached the finals of the English Open and The Players Championship, which is partly a testament to his comprehensive breakthrough this season. And throughout the year, his outstanding performance also put him in the top 16 of the world ranking for the first time, becoming a well-deserved winner of the Breakthrough Award of the Year.
"It's the best reward for my work this season." When accepting the award, Zhang Anda said excitedly, "I have always dreamed of playing on the world stage since I was in the academy, and this season's breakthrough has finally made this dream come true. But this is just the beginning, and I will continue to work hard in the future to achieve better results in higher competitions. "
He Guoqiang, who is slightly younger than Zhang Anda, has also achieved a very good performance this season. In his professional debut, the post-95 player defeated many strong opponents in a row in the ranking tournament and finally reached the quarterfinals of the World Championships, which is undoubtedly a very outstanding result.