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Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Alex0paul

Whether he wins the Masters or not, is Yan now ahead of Ding Junhui currently?

He’s appeared in more finals than Ding since he reached his maiden final in Northern Ireland and generally threatens to win more these days too.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerFan

On current form, maybe. Though Ding would've probably beaten most other players than Ronnie on Wednesday.

But remember when everyone acted like Liang Wenbo was going to overtake Ding as China's number one. That didn't happen. Yan winning The Masters doesn't mean he overtakes Ding's achievements. He takes the first step towards matching them.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerFan

Cloud Strife wrote:Yan is clearly the new Asian number 1, but I'd still put Ding ahead of him as far as China goes.


How can you be Asian's number one but not China's number one?

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerEd25

SnookerFan wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Yan is clearly the new Asian number 1, but I'd still put Ding ahead of him as far as China goes.


How can you be Asian's number one but not China's number one?


You could be World Champion, a multiple ranking event winner, world no.1 and from Thailand.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby chengdufan

SnookerEd25 wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Yan is clearly the new Asian number 1, but I'd still put Ding ahead of him as far as China goes.


How can you be Asian's number one but not China's number one?


You could be World Champion, a multiple ranking event winner, world no.1 and from Thailand.

Other nationalities are possible too. Thor Chuan Leong could for example become Asia's best player next season.

Anything could happen

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby chengdufan

In a couple of years' time, Eden Sharav could be Europe AND Asia's best player, but not the best Chinese, nor the best player in the world, assuming Igor Figueiredo claims that title.
(although Igor being China's best seems unlikely at this point)

The mind boggles with the possibilities.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerFan

SnookerEd25 wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Yan is clearly the new Asian number 1, but I'd still put Ding ahead of him as far as China goes.


How can you be Asian's number one but not China's number one?


You could be World Champion, a multiple ranking event winner, world no.1 and from Thailand.


Oh, you know what I meant.

Cloud said that Yan was Asia's number 1, but not China's. How is that possible?

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Prop

SnookerFan wrote:On current form, maybe. Though Ding would've probably beaten most other players than Ronnie on Wednesday.

But remember when everyone acted like Liang Wenbo was going to overtake Ding as China's number one. That didn't happen. Yan winning The Masters doesn't mean he overtakes Ding's achievements. He takes the first step towards matching them.


I never thought that of Liang. Far too much nervous energy, and inconsistent spells of form.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby lhpirnie

On the 1-year ranking list, Zhou Yuelong is the best Chinese player, followed by Lu Ning. It just shows how stupid all these ranking lists are. How can the Masters not count when assessing a player's strength?

Actually, Yan Bingtao hasn't had a good season at all. All players have been affected in different ways by 2020 lockdowns, so it's very difficult to be objective or to make predictions going into 2021.

But the fact that Yan can reach the Masters' final playing his B-game, and the maturity he has shown in his matches, says a lot about his abilities.

Put it another way: Ding choked against O'Sullivan. Yan wobbled against Bingham, but came through. That's probably a more significant indicator than £'s won in selected tournaments over an arbitrary time-period.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Cloud Strife

Crossing the finishing line against Ronnie and crossing the finishing line against Stuart Bingham are two very different things. The two scenarios cannot be compared IMO.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Prop

Cloud Strife wrote:Crossing the finishing line against Ronnie and crossing the finishing line against Stuart Bingham are two very different things. The two scenarios cannot be compared IMO.


Fair point. If he crosses the finishing line against Higgins, I’d say that’d be a closer parallel.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Cloud Strife

Prop wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Crossing the finishing line against Ronnie and crossing the finishing line against Stuart Bingham are two very different things. The two scenarios cannot be compared IMO.


Fair point. If he crosses the finishing line against Higgins, I’d say that’d be a closer parallel.


Indeed.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerEd25

chengdufan wrote:Other nationalities are possible too. Thor Chuan Leong could for example become Asia's best player next season.

Anything could happen


Ooh, I do hope so, I bucking love Thor! :bowdown:

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerEd25

lhpirnie wrote:
Actually, Yan Bingtao hasn't had a good season at all


He’s racked up a good haul of points for my ThinkPink team. Since when did we stop using ThinkPink to measure a player’s form? >-(

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby PLtheRef

When you consider their early careers, its arguable that despite Ding's success at the China Open and UK Championship in 2005, Yan has had the upper hand when you consider how he has consolidated on tour and reached numerous Last 16s and quarter-finals in his early days on tour - he has also reached the top 16 faster than Ding did. When Ding won the UK Championships in 2005, as much as that was a fantastic performance, he failed to qualify for any tournament for the rest of the season, other than the China Open (where he was Number 1 seed anyway)

But Ding will always be seen as the godfather of Chinese snooker.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerFan

Prop wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:On current form, maybe. Though Ding would've probably beaten most other players than Ronnie on Wednesday.

But remember when everyone acted like Liang Wenbo was going to overtake Ding as China's number one. That didn't happen. Yan winning The Masters doesn't mean he overtakes Ding's achievements. He takes the first step towards matching them.


I never thought that of Liang. Far too much nervous energy, and inconsistent spells of form.


A lot of people did when Ding was off form and Liang was the newbie.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerFan

PLtheRef wrote:When you consider their early careers, its arguable that despite Ding's success at the China Open and UK Championship in 2005, Yan has had the upper hand when you consider how he has consolidated on tour and reached numerous Last 16s and quarter-finals in his early days on tour - he has also reached the top 16 faster than Ding did. When Ding won the UK Championships in 2005, as much as that was a fantastic performance, he failed to qualify for any tournament for the rest of the season, other than the China Open (where he was Number 1 seed anyway)

But Ding will always be seen as the godfather of Chinese snooker.


Didn't he get to The Crucible that season, or have I misremembered?

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Cloud Strife

SnookerFan wrote:
SnookerEd25 wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
Cloud Strife wrote:Yan is clearly the new Asian number 1, but I'd still put Ding ahead of him as far as China goes.


How can you be Asian's number one but not China's number one?


You could be World Champion, a multiple ranking event winner, world no.1 and from Thailand.


Oh, you know what I meant.

Cloud said that Yan was Asia's number 1, but not China's. How is that possible?


If you work hard enough anything is possible.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Cloud Strife

SnookerFan wrote:
PLtheRef wrote:When you consider their early careers, its arguable that despite Ding's success at the China Open and UK Championship in 2005, Yan has had the upper hand when you consider how he has consolidated on tour and reached numerous Last 16s and quarter-finals in his early days on tour - he has also reached the top 16 faster than Ding did. When Ding won the UK Championships in 2005, as much as that was a fantastic performance, he failed to qualify for any tournament for the rest of the season, other than the China Open (where he was Number 1 seed anyway)

But Ding will always be seen as the godfather of Chinese snooker.


Didn't he get to The Crucible that season, or have I misremembered?


2007 was his Crucible debut. Lost to Ronnie.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby KrazeeEyezKilla

PLtheRef wrote:When you consider their early careers, its arguable that despite Ding's success at the China Open and UK Championship in 2005, Yan has had the upper hand when you consider how he has consolidated on tour and reached numerous Last 16s and quarter-finals in his early days on tour - he has also reached the top 16 faster than Ding did. When Ding won the UK Championships in 2005, as much as that was a fantastic performance, he failed to qualify for any tournament for the rest of the season, other than the China Open (where he was Number 1 seed anyway)

But Ding will always be seen as the godfather of Chinese snooker.


It helped that Yan climbed the rankings with his good results. Ding got nothing for his first ranking win and even after winning the UK Championship he was stuck in the lower end of the rankings for the rest of the season. In the World Championship he had win four matches to qualify and in the last round had an in form Barry Hawkins. With todays rankings he would have probably qualified in 2006.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby SnookerFan

Cloud Strife wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:
PLtheRef wrote:When you consider their early careers, its arguable that despite Ding's success at the China Open and UK Championship in 2005, Yan has had the upper hand when you consider how he has consolidated on tour and reached numerous Last 16s and quarter-finals in his early days on tour - he has also reached the top 16 faster than Ding did. When Ding won the UK Championships in 2005, as much as that was a fantastic performance, he failed to qualify for any tournament for the rest of the season, other than the China Open (where he was Number 1 seed anyway)

But Ding will always be seen as the godfather of Chinese snooker.


Didn't he get to The Crucible that season, or have I misremembered?


2007 was his Crucible debut. Lost to Ronnie.


Probably what I'm thinking of.

I was on the other table.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby Prop

SnookerFan wrote:
Prop wrote:
SnookerFan wrote:On current form, maybe. Though Ding would've probably beaten most other players than Ronnie on Wednesday.

But remember when everyone acted like Liang Wenbo was going to overtake Ding as China's number one. That didn't happen. Yan winning The Masters doesn't mean he overtakes Ding's achievements. He takes the first step towards matching them.


I never thought that of Liang. Far too much nervous energy, and inconsistent spells of form.


A lot of people did when Ding was off form and Liang was the newbie.


They did. I just never saw it, personally.

Re: Is Yan China’s new Number 1?

Postby The_Abbott

I would say so yes.

He's very much like watching peak Davis. Boring but good. He'll be around for a long time and win about 4 WC at least.