World No.33 Zhou Yuelong wins on China snooker tour

World
Europe

World No. 33 Zhou Yuelong won the top prize in the Chinese Billiards & Snooker Association (CBSA) Tour Zibo International Open on May 27.

The 20-year-old beat Yan Bingtao 5-2 in the final on the latter's home court in the city of Zibo in Shandong Province, eastern China. Zhou banked the winner's prize of 100,000 yuan (15,600 US dollars) as well as 10,000 yuan (1,560 dollars) for his maximum break of 140.

Zhou Yuelong raises his trophy after winning the CBSA Tour Zibo International Open. /CBSA

"I felt rusty because I haven't practiced since I came back to China, but I felt better after winning a couple of matches," Zhou said. "I felt confident during the final and had a bit of luck when it came down to key shots. We know each other very well so there are no hard feelings as long as we both perform decently."

He continued, "It is quite different playing in this tournament compared to professional ranking events. Winning a national title in my home country, it's just extraordinary. My plan now is to relax and I'm going to have a good time on holiday in Thailand. I can have a lot more fun with this big cheque."

Rated as one of the highest-level snooker tournaments in China, the Zibo Open held May 23-27 was jointly organized by CBSA and local governments and sports bureaus. The campaign was previously a ranking match and later upgraded to a tournament in 2012 with bigger prize money in a bid to attract more competitors from across the globe.

Last year, CBSA rescaled the match to allow more young Chinese players into the tournament.