Masters winner Yan Bingtao tipped to be China’s first snooker world champion

Ronnie O’Sullivan backs Masters winner to ‘win at least one or two world titles’, with John Higgins and Michael Owen agreeing

‘The Rocket’ also compares the 20-year-old to Tiger Woods bursting onto the golfing scene

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China's Yan Bingtao kisses the Paul Hunter Trophy after winning the Masters snooker final over Scotland’s John Higgins. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 3:53pm, 19 Jan 2021Updated: 3:53pm, 19 Jan 2021

After winning his first triple crown event by beating John Higgins in the Masters snooker final on Sunday, the question now is can Yan Bingtao be the first Chinese world champion?

The title has so far eluded the country’s first snooker superstar, Ding Junhui, who reached the final in 2016, but many are tipping Yan to end China’s wait.

Snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan is among those who back the 20-year-old Masters winner to go on to win the World Championship.

“I’ll be very surprised if he doesn’t win at least one or two world titles,” O’Sullivan said on Eurosport after the final, in which Yan came from behind to beat 45-year-old two-time winner John Higgins.

Ronnie O'Sullivan shakes the hand of Ding Junhui after the fourth round of the Betway UK Championship at The Barbican in December, 2019. Photo: Getty Images

“We’ve seen him do it under extreme pressure, you need to perform under pressure to win at the Crucible, I just think he’s going to get stronger and stronger and it’ll bring other players through.