Ding Junhui expects a surge of Chinese talent to dominate snooker, with Wu Yize poised to become the next big star from the nation. Zhao Xintong made history as the first Chinese player to win the World Snooker Championship, defeating Mark Williams in last year's final at the Crucible. For years, Ding was the flagbearer for Chinese snooker, but despite a brilliant career, he has yet to claim a world title. After losing to Zhao in the last 16 this year, Ding tipped Wu Yize, aged 22, to continue his rapid rise up the rankings.
Wu Yize's Breakthrough Victory
Speaking before Wu Yize's impressive 13-11 win over four-time champion Mark Selby in the last 16, Ding expressed confidence in the young player's potential. 'I love to see a lot of Chinese players doing well and better than anyone else, like Xintong,' said the 39-year-old. 'We have one already, Wu Yize will maybe become the second one, there will be a lot, a lot to come.' Wu is competing at the Crucible as a seeded player for the first time after winning the International Championship this season, which propelled him into the world's top 16. His first-round victory over Lei Peifan was his first ever at the Crucible, and he described the win over Selby as 'very meaningful' and a 'breakthrough.'
Selby Backs Wu for World Title
Mark Selby was full of praise for Wu, predicting that he could become a world champion. 'He's just enjoying it and having a great, great career so far and good luck to the boy. I like him. I really like him. He's a nice lad,' said Selby. 'I think he'll be a world champion in the making. I mean, who knows? It could be this year. But if it's not this year, I do think in his career, he'll probably win it at some stage. I think he's that good a player.'
Ding's Future and Retirement Thoughts
Ding, who turned 39, looked strong in his first-round win over Dave Gilbert but fell short against Zhao, losing 13-9. While he still has time to win his first world title, Ding is uncertain about playing into his 50s like John Higgins, Ronnie O'Sullivan, and Mark Williams. 'The players you see until 50, how many can you count? Maybe on one hand,' said Ding. 'I'm not saying I'm a genius like them. Maybe I will keep coming down every year and don't look like them. There's not many geniuses like John, Ronnie and Mark Williams. Normally I think 45 is the line and you can see different every year. I don't know, I'm pretty sure I could do some more seasons. I don't know how I'll play, but I'll try.'
