Two young Chinese players already wrote history yesterday and there is more to come today.
Indeed, the final today will be played between Lei Peifan and Wu Yize, both only 21 years of age. Whoever wins today, we will have a “new” ranking event winner as one of them will lift the Stephen Hendry trophy, a first trophy for whoever wins the final but surely not the last.
Both of them came from behind to win their semi-final. Here are the reports shared by WST:
Wu Yize is through to the second ranking event final of his career after a hard fought 6-4 defeat of Chinese compatriot Xiao Guodong at the BetVictor Scottish Open in Edinburgh.
The hugely talented 21-year-old, who was Rookie of the Year in 2022, is enjoying his finest season on the World Snooker Tour thus far.
Earlier in the campaign, he beat the likes of Judd Trump, Ali Carter and Stuart Bingham to reach a maiden title match at the BetVictor English Open. After a fiercely contested encounter, it was Neil Robertson who prevailed 9-7 in the final.
He now faces the prospect of a best of 17 encounter with either Mark Allen or Lei Peifan. Victory will give Wu the Stephen Hendry Trophy, a top prize of £100,000 and the first ranking event win of his fledgling career.
If he goes on and captures the title he will also move ahead of Robertson in the BetVictor Series standings, ahead of the finale at the Welsh Open. Whoever accumulates the most prize money across the qualifying events will scoop a massive £150,000 bonus.
Xiao bows out after yet another deep run in his best ever season as a professional, having first joined the tour back in 2007. He claimed maiden ranking event glory at the Wuhan Open and was a losing finalist at the Champion of Champions.
A cagey first two frames this afternoon went the way of Xiao, before Wu came from behind to take the third and then made 63 in the fourth to head into the mid-session at 2-2.
When play resumed, Xiao made 76 to regain the lead at 3-2 and then claimed the sixth on the pink to move 4-2 up.
Xiao led a crucial seventh 56-0, before falling out of position. With the balls in uninviting positions, a stunning break of 67 from Wu saw him steal on the black and close to 4-3 behind.
That was the moment where momentum shifted, as Wu hammered home further runs of 57, 115 and 54 to make it four on the bounce and a 6-4 victory.
“I really enjoyed the atmosphere today. In the past, I might have felt a lot of pressure in situations like this, but now I just find it enjoyable,” said world number 27 Wu.
“Today, we played on a new cloth and with new balls. The first four frames were challenging, as we were adapting to the table and the conditions, which were quite different from yesterday. Later on, both of us made some adjustments.
“Of course I’m eager to win the title, but for me it’s also about enjoying the process. Winning the title would be a way to reward myself for all these years of effort. For every tournament, becoming champion is hard to come by and it requires me to be at my best.“
Lei Peifan is through to the first ranking event final of his career, after completing an epic fightback against Mark Allen to prevail 6-5 at the BetVictor Scottish Open in Edinburgh.
It looked as if Allen was coasting to his 20th ranking when he led 5-2. However, Lei turned the match on its head and scored an unlikely victory with the clock well beyond midnight.
He can now look forward to a final against Chinese compatriot and fellow 21-year-old Wu Yize. The finalist’s combined age of 42 makes this the youngest title match in a ranking final since Paul Hunter (19) beat John Higgins (22) in the 1998 Welsh Open final.
It’s been a stunning ascension to prominence for world number 84 Lei, who until this week had never been beyond the last 16 of a ranking event. He’s already defeated Hossein Vafaei, Shaun Murphy, Stuart Bingham and Tom Ford to reach this point.
The winner tomorrow will pick up the Stephen Hendry Trophy, their first ever ranking event title and a career high payday of £100,000.
Breaks of 73, 97 and 55 helped Allen into his commanding 5-2 lead this evening. However, a missed pink in the eighth, with the balls at his mercy, initiated a barnstorming fightback from Lei.
He capitalised on Allen’s missed opportunity in emphatic fashion, claiming four frames on the bounce to seal an epic fightback win.
Lei said: “It is very exciting to win. Today I didn’t play very well in the first session. I was telling myself not to give up, just to focus on the table and play. It was my first time in a semi-final so I just wanted to enjoy the moment.
“I was nervous today and didn’t know how to adjust myself. It was only one table and there were so many people watching. In the second session I felt a little bit more relaxed.
“Myself and Wu know each other very well. We will just have to go out and try to bring a good performance for everybody to watch. Playing in a tournament is different to practising. It is the first time we have met.”
Allen said: “I probably got what I deserved for not winning 6-2. I missed the pink when I was 5-2 up and then everything started to go against me. I just didn’t close the match out well enough. I’ve got no regrets. He potted some good balls in the last, so credit to him.”
Xiao Guodong was one of the Chinese players who arrived in Britain in the late noughties, in the aftermath of Ding’s breakthrough. I first met him at the SWSA in Gloucester. He didn’t speak much of English at the time but his outgoing personality made him stand out in that group. At the time, some fans on forums, predicted a Chinese tsunami. It didn’t happen, it was never going to happen. Behind the “snooker player” there is a human person and it was preposterous to assume that being away from their family, having to adapt to a different culture, to learn a different language and still to perform at their best would be feasible, never mind easy. All the academies that exist today weren’t around at the time. After the match yesterday Xiao congratulated his young opponent and the smile on his face was 100% genuine, you could see that. He was part of that pioneer group that lay the foundations that allow the younger generation of Chinese players to thrive. Xiao is only 35, he only recently won his first ranking title in Wuhan, he still has time for more, but whatever happens from here he should be proud of himself.
As for Wu and Lei … what can I say? Both were outstanding yesterday, in different ways. Wu is very easy on the eye and Lei’s determination is admirable and his “escape” skills were astonishing yesterday. I just hope that both play well today!
2 thoughts on “The 2024 Scottish Open – Day 6 – SFs”
What’s also been very encouraging is the strong support Wu Yize and Lei Peifan have had on western social media. People are excited by the breakthrough! Perhaps Eurosport have helped with their reformed interview policy – both players gave pre-match interviews in English, and the questions were straightforward enough. Also, both players have support (Wu Yize’s father and Lei Peifan’s girlfriend), which we know makes a huge difference. They just give the impression of two happy young men giving their best, which is so refreshing from what we have seen in snooker for quite a long time now. However, we have to hope that Lei Peifan isn’t totally burned out from his epic battles this week, and can make the final a decent match.
Lei so far has not looked burned out at all. He’s deservingly ahead after the first session of the final. Of course fatigue could hit him in the evening, especially if the match heads towards a late finish but for now he looks the strongest of the two.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 
What’s also been very encouraging is the strong support Wu Yize and Lei Peifan have had on western social media. People are excited by the breakthrough! Perhaps Eurosport have helped with their reformed interview policy – both players gave pre-match interviews in English, and the questions were straightforward enough. Also, both players have support (Wu Yize’s father and Lei Peifan’s girlfriend), which we know makes a huge difference. They just give the impression of two happy young men giving their best, which is so refreshing from what we have seen in snooker for quite a long time now. However, we have to hope that Lei Peifan isn’t totally burned out from his epic battles this week, and can make the final a decent match.
Lei so far has not looked burned out at all. He’s deservingly ahead after the first session of the final. Of course fatigue could hit him in the evening, especially if the match heads towards a late finish but for now he looks the strongest of the two.