Two Chinese snooker players have jumped back onto the World Snooker tour for 2018/19. China's talented Zhao Xintong has claimed one of four spots back on the World Snooker tour through QSchool Event Two in Burton. Xintong, once tipped as a future world ranking event winner, and a talent of the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, was also joined by northern Irishman Jordan Brown, who made it third time lucky after finishing runner-up in the European Amateur Championship to England's Harvey Chandler, but falling short in QSchool 2018 Event One in the final round.
Lu Ning managed to finish off the final qualifier to get his two-year tour card after defeating Mitchell Mann in the final round of qualifying. It was a valiant effort by the former World Championship semi-finalist Andy Hicks in Round Five, but he lost out and will have to try again in Event Three which begins over the weekend and continues well into next week.
Brown, 30, is also from the same stomping ground of Antrim as the Masters Champion Mark Allen and secures his spot after an eight-year drought where he had a spell on the tour in 2009/10. Brown was followed by tour regular Craig Steadman, who also managed to book a place back on the WS circuit.
Old Hats
The other four who came through in Event One were pros who had fallen straight off but came right back on.
They were: Sam Craigie, Sam Baird, Hammad Miah and Jak Jones.
In total there are at the time of writing this, 30 "new" players joining the tour in 2018/19 with a mixture of "real" newbies and experienced tour players.
Event Three will see four more graduates come through in Burton with the top 64 and some top-ups ready to compete on the new Challenge tour where the first event begins straight after Qschool Events 1,2,3 end - at the beginning of June.
Suspensions from tour
According to the WPBSA website, two Chinese players have been suspended from tour activity for the time being - subject to whether they will appeal that decision. This is due to allegations regarding breaches of the WPBSA rules. An investigation will take place into what happened regarding Yu De Lu and Cao Yupeng's alleged activities regarding these alleged breaches.
Yupeng had a great 2017/18 season reaching the final of the Scottish Open but lost to Neil Robertson.
33-year-old David John has also been suspended from competing in WS events for the time being while investigations take its course. John can also appeal. World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association chairman Jason Ferguson said of both in a statement: "“The decision to suspend a player with immediate effect is never taken lightly, however considering the seriousness of the alleged rule breaches, in this case, I have no choice but to ensure that the long-term integrity of the sport is securely protected”.
For more details, see the WPBSA website.
