Allen ascended the throne domineeringly, Wilson became famous in a fight, will the new king of snooker be a teacher?
Mark Allen will reach the top of the world for the first time after the 2024 World Snooker Championship with his outstanding performance this season. The Englishman has been in excellent form over the past year, winning multiple ranking tournaments and earning a total of £965,000 in prize money points, which has allowed him to surpass old rival Ronnie O'Sullivan in the world rankings. For the 32-year-old Allen, this was undoubtedly the most glorious moment of his career.
Kyren Wilson won the heavyweight event for the first time in his career with a 18-14 victory over Jack Jones in the final of the 2024 World Championships. As a professional, Wilson got a relatively late start to his career, not competing in ranking tournaments until he was 30 years old. However, with his tenacious fighting spirit and outstanding skills, he gradually established himself on the field and created his biggest professional breakthrough at this World Championships.
The final was against the powerful Jack Jones, who had been a standout performer in the course of the World Championships and made it all the way to the final. In the end, Wilson relied on a more solid performance, defeated his opponent in a fierce seven-hour battle, and finally won his first world championship title at the age of 34. Not only did the win earn him a massive £500,000 bonus, but it also saw him soar from 12th to third in the world rankings, setting a new career high.
For Wilson, the trophy means a lot. Years of perseverance and hard work finally paid off at this moment, and he interpreted the professionalism of "never give up" with practical actions. Wilson cried tears of joy after the game, and the glory of this moment was so precious to him. And behind this victory, he has had a pure love for snooker for many years, as well as his unremitting pursuit of self.
Compared with Wilson's breakthrough, Chinese player Ding Junhui's performance in this World Championships was quite a failure. As the world's top ten players, Ding Junhui suffered a "one-round tour" Waterloo in the first round, and the world ranking slipped from the previous 7th to 8th. Despite the drop of one place, Ding Junhui is still the highest-ranked player in China, which also reflects the overall strength of Chinese snooker that still needs to be improved.
For Ding Junhui personally, the early exit of this World Championships is undoubtedly a heavy blow. As a former world, Ding Junhui's career has been as long as 15 years, which can be described as full of vicissitudes. After becoming famous at a young age, he was once expected to become a new generation leader in Chinese snooker. However, in recent years, Ding Junhui's form has been up and down, and he has repeatedly missed in important events, making fans and experts question whether he can regain the glory of his peak.
The poor performance of this World Championships will undoubtedly further hit Ding Junhui's confidence. However, for the 30-year-old snooker player, now may be a new turning point in his life. As a leading player in China and even Asia, Ding Junhui needs to seriously reflect on his career and re-examine his goals and pursuits. Perhaps, letting go of past achievements and honors and facing them with a new mentality will allow him to regain his peak form on the field.
The sport of snooker is going through a phase of alternating between the old and the new. Legends of the older generation such as O'Sullivan are gradually abdicating, while new stars like Allen and Wilson are emerging to the fore. Although Trump still maintains the world's No. 2 high ranking, he is 32 years old and no longer young. Jack Jones, the dark horse of this World Championships, is only 24 years old, and with the outstanding performance of the runner-up, the world ranking has soared from 44th to 14th, entering the top 16 for the first time, and the future prospects are undoubtedly worth looking forward to.