A maiden title 2023-24?

Eight of the players in the provisional end 2023-24 top 32 at start season are yet to win an event awarding ranking points. Which is the most likely to break that duck this season?

Jack has to be the favourite in that group, but not by a massive amount.

NA

There isn’t an ‘I don’t know’ option, which is a shame as I genuinely do not know. I care, but I do not know

My vote goes to the dreamboat. He will win one day (or another).

The drummer for Iron Maiden has a better chance of winning his maiden ranking title than Lisowski. I voted for Si.

they all have a chance, apart from Jack.

The_Abbott wrote:they all have a chance, apart from Jack.

always the bridesmaid, never the bride.

Joe O'Connor

WST asked a three-man panel of experts to predict their most likely maiden ranking event winner this coming season. Whilst David Hendon nominated Pang Junxu, Neal Foulds and Michael McMullan opted for Wu Yize and Jackson Page, 40th and 57th respectively on the 2022-23 one-year list. A common denominator the youthfulness of the selections - Pang Junxu the oldest at 23.

Of the eight players that I listed (in order of their 2022-23 one-year ranking) four have experienced their 30th birthday, four are in their 20s.

Only one of the 30 somethings attracted any votes - Jack Lisowski. Ending the last five seasons inside the top 16, perplexing that Jack Lisowski has yet to win a ranking title. Perhaps, finally, this season? The clock is ticking. Robert Milkins has shown the way, not only by winning that elusive first ranking title but then following it up with a second. An example that might inspire Xiao Guodong, Noppon Saengkham and Jak Jones?

The younger players all found at least one supporter. Joe O'Connor the most cited, 2022-23 Scottish Open finalist the only one of the eight yet to qualify for the Crucible stage of the World Championship. Pang Junxu, Classic finalist, and Zhou Yuelong, Northern Ireland Open finalist, were also one away from lifting silverware 2022-23, whilst Si Jiahui's career highlight to date undoubtedly Crucible 2023. The world is their oyster. Will one, or more, of these players establish themselves in the higher echelons for years to come?

Jack Lisowski skipped the Championship League, Joe O'Connor failed to survive the opening round. For one of the other six named players a maiden ranking title may be less than a week away.

Maybe none of these players will end this season a ranking event winner, maybe a number of them will. It will be fascinating to watch the story unfold.

Only me and Dave Hendon backing Pang Junxu

As you all know none of these players won a maiden ranking title this season, but amazingly that outcome was still in doubt heading into the last session of the final event. Jak Jones, who began his World Championship campaign risking finishing outside the top 64 on the one-year list, the second of the listed players to fall at a final hurdle. Jak Jones ends the season vaulted into the top 16 after his fantastic World Championship in which he beat both Zhou Yuelong and Si Jiahui as well as Judd Trump. World champion Kyren Wilson knocked Joe O'Connor out at the last 16 stage. Earlier in the season Noppon Saengkham reached the Scottish Open final, succumbing to Gary Wilson. Gary Wilson performed the great escape against Zhou Yuelong in the semi-final after having previously defeated Joe O'Connor. Gary Wilson later knocked Jack Lisowski out on the way to winning the Welsh Open, and also beat Pang Junxu at the English Open.

Every one of the eight players has something positive to take from their season. Not only did Jak Jones reach the World Championship final but there were also last 16 places for Jack Lisowski, Joe O'Connor and Si Jiahui, whilst Pang Junxu went out at the last 32 stage in a decider. Zhou Yuelong and Noppon Saengkham both qualified for the Players Championship in addition to the World Grand Prix. Jack Lisowski, Pang Junxu, and Xiao Guodong had to settle for the World Grand Prix.

The only maiden ranking event winner in 2023-24 turned out to be Zhang Anda who won one of his three finals. No disgrace to lose finals to the world numbers one and two, Mark Allen and Judd Trump. Congratulations on winning the biggest of the flat 128s, the International Championship, a rare event on the ranking calendar to feature two session semi-finals. Zhang Anda beat four Crucible seeds on his way to that title - Mark Williams, Ding Junhui, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Tom Ford.