China's Chan claims first ranking title after dramatic final
24-year-old Chinese snooker player Bingyu Chan won his first ranking title in only his second professional final, defeating compatriot and former world champion Xintong Zhao 10:7 at the Wuhan Open.
The final of the Wuhan Open brought together two Chinese players – 24-year-old Bingyu Chan and the more experienced Xintong Zhao, a former world champion. The match was tense and full of swings, with both players making costly errors that repeatedly changed the course of individual frames.
The two traded frames early on to level the match at 2:2. In the fifth frame, Chan squandered a substantial lead after missing a difficult shot, allowing Zhao to move ahead 3:2. The younger player then rallied to win several frames in a row, capitalising on a mistake by Zhao to take the lead for the first time in the match. Chan extended his advantage to 7:4 heading into the final session.
A dramatic finish
The scoreline shifted several more times as Zhao fought back to level the match at 7:7 following tight battles over the colours in multiple frames. Undeterred, Chan continued to exploit his opponent's inaccuracies. In the decisive 17th frame, a difficult position emerged with several colours trapped against the cushions. Choosing an aggressive approach rather than a prolonged tactical battle, Chan produced several difficult shots to seal victory and claim the title, finishing 10:7.
For the win, Chan earned 175,000 pounds and 175,000 ranking points, propelling him up 22 places to 22nd in the world rankings.
The snooker season continues the following day with the start of the Home Nations series, opening with the English Open. Latvian player Artemijs Žižins, who came through qualifying, will play his first-round match on 1 September.
