Congratulations to the Suzhou Team

Cao Yupeng, Chen Feilong and Yao Pengcheng!

Here are the results from yesterday quarter-finals and today semi-finals

QF (Bo7)
Shaanxi	4-2	Xianyang
Xi’an	4-3	Hong Kong
Suzhou	4-2	Jiujiang Tianxi
Xinjiang	3-4	Mianyang
SF (Bo7)
Shaanxi	4-3	Xi’an
Suzhou	4-0	Mianyang

Those are my screenshots of yesterday evening QFs

Marco Fu definitely is trying to play a lot faster, essentially not spending much time at aiming and relying on his instincts and experience.

Suzhou beat Shaanxi by 4-2 in the Final

FINAL frames scores : 31 – 76, 75 – 33, 101 – 26, 55 – 47, 9 – 73, 52 – 47

Shaanxi put up a good defence, but ultimately they fell short.

Fan Zhengyi was terribly unlucky in frame 4: having needed a snooker, he got it, potted all the balls up to the pink to trail only 48-47, then pocketed a fantastic mid-range black, only to see the white slowly following it in the same pocket.

In the last frame, Lei Peifan needed the final pink to force a decider, he missed it, Cao Yupeng potted pink and black for victory.

The losers got 75 000 CNY, the winners got 150 000 CNY.

Here are my screenshots of the Final:

… in rather random order for whatever reason… don’t ask.

And, of course the Awards and Trophy Ceremony

If I’m not mistaken, Marco Fu’s trophy was for the HB, a 129. All players reaching the semi-finals were awarded recognition for their performance.

The end …

… that was fun!

The groups stages finished this morning in Xian and here are the final results

August 6-10, Xinghe Arena, Xi’an, Shaanxi
Group A
Rank		Team	A1	A2	A3	A4	A5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	A1	Mianyang		4-1	3-2	5-0	5-0	4	0
2	A4	Dalian	0-5	3-2	3-2		5-0	3	1
3	A3	Chongqing	2-3	4-1		2-3	3-2	2	2
4	A2	Hainan ZSD	1-4		1-4	2-3	4-1	1	3
5	A5	Zhengzhou	0-5	1-4	2-3	0-5		0	4
Group B
Rank		Team	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	B1	Suzhou		5-0	5-0	3-2	4-1	4	0
2	B5	Hong Kong	1-4	4-1	4-1	4-1		3	1
3	B2	Wuhan	0-5		4-1	3-2	1-4	2	2
4	B4	Guangdong	2-3	2-3	4-1		1-4	1	3
5	B3	Beijing	0-5	1-4		1-4	1-4	0	4
Group C
Rank		Team	C1	C2	C3	C4	C5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	C1	Xi’an		4-1	4-1	5-0	2-3	3	1	h2h
2	C2	Wuxi	1-4		5-0	4-1	4-1	3	1
3	C5	CQ Pengshui	3-2	1-4	3-2	3-2		3	1
4	C4	Shanghai	0-5	1-4	3-2		2-3	1	3
5	C3	Luoyang	1-4	0-5		2-3	2-3	0	4
Group D
Rank		Team	D1	D2	D3	D4	D5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	D1	Dongguan Youth		3-2	5-0	4-1	5-0	4	0
2	D2	Inner Mongolia		2-3	5-0	3-2	3-2	3	1
3	D5	Sichuan	0-5	2-3	4-1	3-2		2	2
4	D4	Henan	1-4	2-3	4-1		2-3	1	3
5	D3	Guizhou	0-5	0-5		1-4	1-4	0	4
Group E
Rank		Team	E1	E2	E3	E4	E5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	E3	Xinjiang	4-1	3-2		5-0	3-2	4	0
2	E1	Shaanxi		3-2	1-4	5-0	5-0	3	1
3	E5	Sichuan NSD	0-5	4-1	2-3	4-1		2	2
4	E2	Urumqi	2-3		2-3	5-0	1-4	1	3
5	E4	CBSA Academy	0-5	0-5	0-5		1-4	0	4
Group F
Rank		Team	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	F1	Dongguan		4-1	4-1	4-1	4-1	4	0
2	F3	Macau	1-4	3-2		3-2	5-0	3	1
3	F2	Anshan	1-4		2-3	4-1	4-1	2	2
4	F4	Gansu	1-4	1-4	2-3		5-0	1	3
5	F5	Zibo	1-4	1-4	0-5	0-5		0	4
Group G
Rank		Team	G1	G2	G3	G4	G5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	G1	Xianyang		3-2	4-1	3-2	3-2	4	0
2	G2	Tibet	2-3		3-2	4-1	5-0	3	1
3	G3	Nanchang Xihu	1-4	2-3		3-2	4-1	2	2
4	G4	Shanxi	2-3	1-4	2-3		3-2	1	3
5	G5	Haining	2-3	0-5	1-4	2-3		0	4
Group H
Rank		Team	H1	H2	H3	H4	H5	W	L	Tiebreaker
1	H1	Jiujiang Tianxi		3-2	3-2	4-1	5-0	4	0
2	H3	Lanzhou	2-3	3-2		5-0	4-1	3	1
3	H2	Jilin City	2-3		2-3	5-0	4-1	2	2
4	H5	Jiaxing	0-5	1-4	1-4	4-1		1	3
5	H4	Ningbo	1-4	0-5	0-5		1-4	0	4

And here is the draw and schedule for the round of 16 as well as the explanation about how it was made

Round of 16 (Bo7)			Losers: 9,375 CNY
Mianyang (1)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Wuxi	Group winners will be seeded 1-8 based on their group results. Group runners-up will be drawn randomly but can’t be drawn into the same half with their own group winner. Current seedings shown are unofficial.
Xi’an (8)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Lanzhou
Jiujiang Tianxi (5)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Macau
Dongguan (4)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Hong Kong
Suzhou (3)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Tibet
Xinjiang (6)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Inner Mongolia
Xianyang (7)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Dalian
Dongguan Youth (2)	2023/08/09 14:00:00	Shaanxi

Yesterday I watched mainly Bai Yulu and her team, Dongguan Youth, on table one during the evening session. That team comprises Bai Yulu (19), Deng Hoahui (20) and Li Jianbing (57). The team did well: as it stands they are seeded number 2 in the last of 16 round, which is excellent. Deng played in the Asian Q-School this year, without much success. Li Jianbing had a run to the semi-finals at the 2019 “Masters” Amateur World Championship in Antalya (Turkey); he had beaten Darren Morgan at the QF stage.

Bai played well in winning her individual match. Her approach was measured, she potted some very good balls. She played the double with Li Jianbing and they lost that frame, having been ahead for most of it. Going by her demeanour during that frame, I wondered if Li could be her coach, or maybe she was just showing respect to an older, knowledgeable, experienced player.

Now their team will face the defending champions in the last 16.

Here are my screenshots:

Here is how things stand after the conclusion of the group phase:

Hong Kong – Marco Fu, Cheung Ka Wai and Wang Yuchen – did well. They were seeded fifth in their group and finished second. They are the only team that started “lowest” in their group and managed to qualify for the knock-out stage. I’m very pleased for them.

This is the situation after day 2 at the 2023 CBSA National Snooker Team Championship:

National Team Championship
August 6-10, Xinghe Arena, Xi’an, Shaanxi
	Group A
Rank		Team	A1	A2	A3	A4	A5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	A1	Mianyang				5-0	5-0	2
	A2	Hainan ZSD			1-4		4-1	1	1
	A3	Chongqing		4-1		2-3	3-2	2	1
	A4	Dalian	0-5		3-2			1	1
	A5	Zhengzhou	0-5	1-4	2-3				3
	Group B
Rank		Team	B1	B2	B3	B4	B5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	B1	Suzhou				3-2	4-1	2
	B2	Wuhan			4-1		1-4	1	1
	B3	Beijing		1-4		1-4	1-4		3
	B4	Guangdong	2-3		4-1			1	1
	B5	Hong Kong	1-4	4-1	4-1			2	1
	Group C
Rank		Team	C1	C2	C3	C4	C5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	C1	Xi’an				5-0	2-3	1	1
	C2	Wuxi			5-0		4-1	2
	C3	Luoyang		0-5		2-3	2-3		3
	C4	Shanghai	0-5		3-2			1	1
	C5	CQ Pengshui	3-2	1-4	3-2			2	1
	Group D
Rank		Team	D1	D2	D3	D4	D5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	D1	Dongguan Youth			5-0	4-1	5-0	3
	D2	Inner Mongolia			5-0		3-2	2
	D3	Guizhou	0-5	0-5		1-4	1-4		4
	D4	Henan	1-4		4-1			1	1
	D5	Sichuan	0-5	2-3	4-1			1	2
	Group E
Rank		Team	E1	E2	E3	E4	E5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	E1	Shaanxi				5-0	5-0	2
	E2	Urumqi			2-3		1-4		2
	E3	Xinjiang		3-2		5-0	3-2	3
	E4	CBSA Academy	0-5		0-5				2
	E5	Sichuan NSD	0-5	4-1	2-3			1	2
	Group F
Rank		Team	F1	F2	F3	F4	F5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	F1	Dongguan				4-1	4-1	2
	F2	Anshan			2-3		4-1	1	1
	F3	Macau		3-2		3-2	5-0	3
	F4	Gansu	1-4		2-3				2
	F5	Zibo	1-4	1-4	0-5				3
	Group G
Rank		Team	G1	G2	G3	G4	G5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	G1	Xianyang				3-2	?	1
	G2	Tibet			3-2		5-0	2
	G3	Nanchang Xihu		2-3		3-2	4-1	2	1
	G4	Shanxi	2-3		2-3				2
	G5	Haining	?	0-5	1-4				2
	Group H
Rank		Team	H1	H2	H3	H4	H5	W	L	Tiebreaker
	H1	Jiujiang Tianxi				4-1	5-0	2
	H2	Jilin City			2-3		4-1	1	1
	H3	Lanzhou		3-2		5-0	4-1	3
	H4	Ningbo	1-4		0-5				2
	H5	Jiaxing	0-5	1-4	1-4				3

I watched quite a bit of the action and too some screenshots again

The “double” frame shown in the pictures was an absolute epic!

I must admit that, watching this event, I am surprised by both the level of the snooker on show, and the “style” of snooker the players chose to play. Based on what I watched from Ding and the younger Chinese players on the main tour, I was expecting very attacking snooker and high scoring. In fact, most of what I watched was extremely tactical, and I witnessed just one big break. Is it because the importance of the event gets to the players? Are they more cautious because the outcome of their performance impacts the whole team, not just their own result? Are the conditions a factor? I’m not sure and I would be happy to find out, because this is definitely not what I expected.

In other news …

WST has shared two pieces on their website last Sunday. One is about the launch of “World Professional Nine Ball Pool Corporation” and the other is about expanding/strengthening the Matchroom board.

Although WST is part of the Matchroom “portfolio”, I’m not sure about posting those pieces on the WST website. The one about the Nine Ball Pool Corporation in particular is rather “out of place”.

But Matchroom chose to post them there and that move only strengthen my feelings that snooker is no more one of their top priorities. Eddie Hearn has never been interested in snooker, it’s all about boxing for him. Probably the most dynamic member of the new board is Emily Frazer, and she’s the woman behind the growth and expansion of nine ball pool. I have every respect for Emily’s dynamism and work ethic. I met her a few times and I really wish she was behind snooker instead of nine ball pool.