Thirteen-year-old sensation Shaun Liu made history as the youngest winner of a televised ranking event match, defeating Ishpreet Singh Chadha in the opening round of the BetVictor Snooker Shoot Out in Swansea
Hailing from Hong Kong, Liu, who turned 13 in July, surpassed the previous record set by Vladislav Gradinari, winning a match in the same tournament at the age of 14 last season.
Who is snooker player Shaun Liu, bio, age, family, nationality
"They drive me here, nearly four and a half hours… I love them!" 🥰
𝟭𝟯-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗼𝗹𝗱 Shaun Liu is all set to showcase his talent at the Shoot Out and make his Hong Kong fans proud!!@alishasinghtv | #ClockIsTicking pic.twitter.com/XfiMasphYZ
— Eurosport (@eurosport) December 6, 2023
Liu secured a wild card entry to the four-day event in Swansea, capitalizing on his victory in the English Under-14 Championship earlier in the year.
Despite initially trailing 36-0 in the ten-minute contest, Liu showcased his potential with an impressive break of 44, ultimately securing victory. Singh Chadha had an opportunity to stage a comeback late in the frame but ran out of time with a 52-57 deficit.
About Shaun Liu
Named after Shaun Murphy, Liu, who resides in Sheffield and trains at the Ding Junhui academy, expressed surprise at his win, emphasizing his intent to enjoy the experience.
The young player, going into the random draw for the last 64, thanked his parents for their support, especially his mother, who named him after her favorite snooker player, Shaun Murphy.
In another dramatic moment, defending champion Chris Wakelin narrowly avoided a first-round exit, triumphing over Pang Junxu in a thrilling finish. Wakelin, facing pressure as the defending champion, executed a do-or-die pot on the red to secure victory.
Amidst the competition, four other amateurs clinched victories during the opening session at Swansea Arena. Notably, 17-year-old Oliver Sykes overcame a deficit to beat Rod Lawler, while 17-year-old Liam Davies secured a crucial break in the closing seconds to defeat Lyu Haotian.
Additionally, Alfie Davies, 23, son of former pro Anthony Davies, outplayed Joe Perry, and Iulian Boiko from Ukraine eliminated Ricky Walden.
The event also witnessed noteworthy matches, including Lukas Kleckers defeating former World Champion Stuart Bingham, and Matthew Stevens prevailing over Ken Doherty in the last match of the session. The action continues at 7 pm on Wednesday night.
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