Snooker fans don't want two China teams appearing in a world cup: that's what has emerged from a small poll conducted on Twitter. It comes as China A won the event this time two years on, with China B coming near to beating England in the semi-finals in Ding Junhui's hometown of Wuxi over the weekend.
Ding partnered up with the Chinese number 2 Liang Wenbo, while the B team consisted of teenagers Yan Bingtao and Zhou Yuelong, who won the event in 2015. Ding and Liang won in 2011. Over 50% of fans who voted so far voted for China not to have two teams in the World Cup as asked: "Should China have two teams in a World Cup draw?" 33% said they should, and a small number were undecided.
China have won 2011, 2015, and 2017 World Cups
Ding and Liang beat England in the final after the dynamic duo of Barry Hawkins and Judd Trump managed to stave off an attack from the China B team in the semi-finals. The Chinese pair in the final came back from 3 - 1 down to scoop the title 4 - 3 in a tense deciding frame in Ding's home city of Wuxi. It was good that England made the final, as a China A - B final would not have been the fairest of line-ups, with China being guaranteed a winner in the final.
Having a China A and B team opens up a precedent for their being an A and B team for other nations. What about an England A and B line up? 24 teams competed in the event, with three Asian teams effectively dominating the final stages of it.
The round robin group stages saw the cream of the crop as usual rise to the top - with some teams having amateurs play in the event - but it was Ding and Liang who scooped the $200,000 first prize.
If there were changes that could be made then personally, I think the final should have been a little bit longer than just a best of 7 - it is a World Cup after all.
Best of 11 might have been a good compromise?
Champion of Champions update
Their victory in the World Cup puts Ding and Liang on the Champion Of Champions qualifying list which has already seen Mark Selby, John Higgins, Mark King and Anthony Hamilton, to name just a few qualify for the elite 16 man event in Coventry later this year in November.
There are just seven tournaments left for players to book their spots for the Ricoh Arena event - which include the new ranking event China Championship which was last season an invitational Masters style event and won by John Higgins. He scooped a double last season by seeing himself qualify for the next Champion of Champions event for 2017. Riga was the first ranking event of the 2017/18 season which saw yet another maiden win - this time for Welshman Ryan Day - who joins first winners Anthony Hamilton and Mark King into the Champion of Champions.
Ding after the win told World Snooker: "I'm so glad to have won this in front of my home crowd." He added: "I used to worry about performing here, but I am enjoying my people's passion now." In the modern era of this event, it appears that China dominates as more and more World Snooker events are held in the country.
