Latest Snooker World Rankings: Wu Yize Climbs 13 Spots to Champion, Five Chinese Players in Top 16, Zhang Anda Drops Sharply

On November 9th Beijing time, the Snooker UK Championship ended. In the final, Chinese hopeful Wu Yize delivered a stunning performance, easily beating the formidable Higgins, one of the '75 Big Three,' 10-6 to seize the championship. Achieving fame on his third try is incredibly exciting. With this, the updated world rankings show Trump, Kyren Wilson, Robertson, O'Sullivan, Mark Williams, Higgins, Allen, and Ding Junhui in the top eight; Murphy ranks ninth, Zhao Xintong tenth, and Wu Yize’s victory has propelled him up to 13th place. China still holds five spots in the top sixteen!

Wu Yize is a promising young talent who has shown flashes of brilliance before, having reached two ranking finals previously. Today marked his third ranking final, where he faced Higgins from the '75 Big Three' for the title. Despite being underestimated, Wu stayed focused, his form blazing hot as he attacked like a beast descending the mountain, delivering four centuries and four 60+ breaks, thoroughly dominating Higgins. He surged to a 10-6 victory, ascending to the world’s summit. Wu’s achievement at just 22 years old is truly inspirational—making his dream come true on the third try. This championship holds great prestige, given the tough opponents he eliminated along the way. Winning this title, Wu Yize gains both fame and fortune: £175,000 prize money, breaking into the top sixteen for the first time at 13th place, pushing Wakelin out of the top sixteen, securing a seeded spot at the UK Championship, as well as qualification for the season’s Triple Crown and other upcoming tournaments. His ranking is expected to rise further!

Higgins, as a veteran, reaching the final proves his strength still surpasses many. It can be said that no one can easily defeat Higgins right now. The '75 Big Three' remain formidable, growing stronger with age and boasting a lengthy career. As runner-up, Higgins earned £75,000 in prize money and maintains his world ranking at sixth place!

Zhao Xintong experienced a rare breakthrough in this UK Championship, reaching the semi-finals which indicates his form is recovering—a positive sign. However, he has yet to return to his best condition seen at the World Championship and still needs gradual adjustment. Reaching the semi-finals earned him £33,000 and boosted his ranking to 10th place. Defending champion Ding Junhui was defeated by his nemesis Murphy and failed to defend his title, but Ding remains ranked eighth, still the highest-ranked Chinese player!

Due to deductions from UK Championship prize points, Zhang Anda’s ranking dropped significantly, falling out of the top sixteen to 23rd place. Nevertheless, China still has five players in the top sixteen: Ding Junhui, Zhao Xintong, Xiao Guodong, Wu Yize, and Si Jiahui. These players represent our hopes for future titles, so let’s keep supporting and pushing forward!

Written by / Sports Novel