2022 Championship League Last 8
26
£223,900
£50,400
Pang Junxu enjoyed a breakthrough 2022/23 season as he reached the first ranking event final of his career at the WST Classic in Leicester.
The 23-year-old won six matches to earn a match against former world number one Mark Selby, ultimately losing out 6-2 to the home favourite.
The run followed previous career bests at the German Masters (quarter-final) and Welsh Open (semi-final) tournaments, before he finished the season by successfully qualifying for the Crucible for the first time in his career – where he pushed defending champion Ronnie O’Sullivan on the opening day before ultimately losing out 10-7.
Pang secured a Crucible Theatre return at the 2024 World Championship, defeating Oliver Brown and Cao Yupeng in qualifying before losing in a decider to 16th seed Robert Milkins – ending the season at a career-high of 27th in the world rankings.
Pang enjoyed an impressive debut season as a professional, reaching the last 16 of three ranking events including the UK Championship which was enough to see him finish the campaign ranked 72nd and earn the 2021 WST Rookie of the Year award.
Pang had previously qualified for the World Snooker Tour as one of two nominated players by the Chinese Billiards and Snooker Association for the 2020/21 season.
He entered his first professional events during the previous campaign as an amateur wildcard, competing at the 2019 International Championship and China Championship tournaments.