Xiao Claims Maiden Title Glory
Xiao Guodong finally captured his first ranking title, 17 years on from turning professional, holding off a Si Jiahui fightback and winning 10-7 in the final of the Wuhan Open.
Victory is the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition for Xiao, who originally clinched a place on the circuit back in 2007 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championship.
Today’s showdown was the third final between two players from mainland China. The first came in 2013, when Xiao lost out 10-6 against the legendary Ding Junhui at the Shanghai Masters.
Xiao’s triumph makes him mainland China’s seventh ranking event winner. It’s been a journey which has seen the 35-year-old come close on several occasions, without quite securing silverware. He’s made four other semi-finals and was runner-up to Anthony McGill at the 2017 Shoot Out.
He earns £140,000 for the victory, the biggest payday of his career. It sees Xiao move to 18th in the world rankings, leaping up from 29th position.
Although defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for Si, he can reflect on a landmark week. The 22-year-old crafted the first 147 break of his career in his 6-2 semi-final win over world number one Judd Trump. That prompted Trump to admit that it was the finest performance anyone has ever produced against him.
World number 13 Si leaves Wuhan with the consolation of £63,000, which consolidates his place in the top 16 and means he all but secures his place in January’s prestigious Johnstone’s Paint Masters.
They came into this evening’s session with Xiao leading 6-3. That soon became 7-3 when he claimed the opener tonight.
Si responded in impressive fashion with a run of 109 to reduce his arrears, before 113 from Xiao in the 12th made it 8-4. He then moved just a frame from victory when a break of 77 put him 9-4 in front.
From that moment Si sprung into life and piled on the pressure. Contributions of 76, 131 and 83 gave him three on the bounce, closing in to just two behind at 9-7.
Si had the first opportunity in the 17th, but missed a difficult red to the green pocket on 46. Xiao got himself back into the frame and eventually laid a brutal snooker on the last red, with the white welded to the green near the baulk cushion. After three attempts, Si left a clear-cut chance for Xiao, who obliged to get over the line and claim glory.
“Before winning a title, I thought the moment of victory would be incredibly exciting. I’m really happy now, but it’s not as overwhelming as I imagined. Nevertheless, I feel that all the hard work over the years has finally paid off. For a player, winning a title is extremely important. I turned professional in 2007 and after 17 years of competing, I’ve finally won my first ranking title. No matter what, it’s all been worth it.”
Xiao added: “Si played very well today and we had a high quality final. Having two Chinese players reaching the final on home soil, the crowd were incredibly enthusiastic. Si’s comeback in the last few frames made me quite nervous. This title goes to me for now, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future.
“The young Chinese players now are already extremely talented. I believe they just need a bit of time and as long as they adjust their mindset and break through their own barriers, they’ll succeed. Whether it’s Si Jiahui or players like Wu Yize, Yuan Sijun or Pang Junxu, I think they all have the chance to become the next Chinese champion.
“I want to thank the spectators for coming to watch the match. I also want to thank my parents for guiding me on this path and today I finally made it. A big thank you to all the fans who support me and the friends who have helped me, I finally won a tournament.”
Si said: “I was a bit nervous in the final, but I have no regrets. I played well enough. It’s a bit of a pity, but it’s okay. I’ll come back next time and aim to win my first title.
“The Masters is an opportunity to play against the top 16 players, which is a great chance to learn from them. Gaining experiences like these will be very helpful for me in the future.”
