BOG STANDARD TO MAJOR STAR
Yan finds his way to top
NEW MASTERS champion Yan Bingtao says he was so confused when he first came to the UK that he could not even find the toilets in each venue.
The 20-year-old from China is the youngest winner of the prestigious tournament since Ronnie O’Sullivan took the first of a record seven titles aged 19 in 1995 – and now Yan has set his sights on emulating his idol.
The debutant beat the experienced Scot John Higgins to seal a 10-8 victory in Milton Keynes on Sunday night.
He moved to base himself in Sheffield after turning professional aged 16 in 2016, and those sacrifices of leaving home and family behind to learn a new language and culture are starting to pay off.
But he admits it was a baptism of fire when he first arrived on these shores, after having his interest sparked in the sport when watching the World Championship as a child.
“My first memory about snooker is when I was seven or eight years old, I watched it on TV,” said Yan. “I remember it was the World Championship.
“I literally stayed up all night to watch the match. I think Ryan Day was playing.
“I played Chinese pool first at home and never thought I would be a professional snooker player.
“At that time, when I was young, I only took this as a hobby and what I could do at a weekend or on a night after class.
“And I was totally lost and confused when I first came to the UK. I didn’t feel like I was involved in this game – and I could never find where the toilets were in every venue!”
Yan had previously won the Riga Masters, beating Mark Joyce in the 2019 final. But this first Triple Crown success in one of the sport’s ‘big three’ tournaments – and the £250,000 first prize – has propelled him into a different league.
He added: “Yes, of course I would like to do what he [O’Sullivan] has done.
“I play a different match style compared to Ronnie, but he is one of my role models. I want to learn a lot from him and catch up to him.
“I will feel more pressure now with the expectations – but my next plan is to win the World Championship. “Maybe Ding [Junhui] will win it before me, though!”