This isn’t exactly brand new information; we already knew how good Yan Bingtao is. But I don’t think most realise just how well-rounded of a player he is given that he is still only 21 years old. He plays shots and can compete at a level that seasoned professionals are still aspiring to; he is improving at a phenomenal rate; and he still has his whole career ahead of him. Plus he’s already won the Masters.
I think many thought that it would be a long while since snooker would discover another young prodigy the likes of Trump, Class of 1992, Hendry etc., especially considering players seem to come into their prime at a slightly older age these days. Which is what makes things exciting when a talent comes through that seems to be able to back up the hype.
There are a lot of young players that have an abundance of talent, but Bingtao is seemingly the only player currently that can put pen to paper and apply his talent effectively in competitive play. Most players struggle or take a few years to ease into the professional tour before they are able to establish themselves however, Bingtao is already able to compete at the top level and has many wondering whether the future of snooker lies on his shoulders.
Bingtao turned professional in 2016 and had already done quite well to venture into the later stages of several tournaments. And his presence has only increased, proving that he isn’t a one-hit-wonder. He has backed this up with his first ranking title with a victory at the Riga Masters in 2019 but perhaps more notably, his triumph at the Masters at just 20 years old when he entered as a debutant.
What makes Bingtao so formidable? Not only is he a power potter and heavy scorer, but he can compete at top level when it comes to safety as well. Take his recent match against Higgins in the Champion of Champions – whenever Bingtao was playing safe, he would consistently have Higgins close to the cushion. His ability to judge the pace of the cue ball and table when playing these shots are what separate him from others.
Bingtao having more than one layer to his game is what allows him to compete at a high level. Although, his ability to keep cool under pressure along with his work ethic is what allows him to compete at the top level. Most players can pot balls, but Bingtao has already adopted the high standard that is required to achieve that he has done so far.
If Bingtao continuously improves the way he has been, it’s not going to be long before he turns into the player many are expecting him to. However, I think right now Bingtao needs to be a little more confident in what he can do. He struggles against someone like Trump because Trump already has that confidence. But he can compete a little better with someone like Selby (who probably is less of a confidence player and more of a tactical player) because he already has the facets to overpower him.
This is something that will only come with time, which Bingtao has a load of. So as time pushes on, what do you think Bingtao will accomplish?
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