Xiao Guodong guaranteed himself a place among the world's top 16 for the first time in his career by beating Jackson Page 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the International Championship.
At the age of 35, and having first turned pro in 2007, China's Xiao is now playing the best snooker of his life. He won his first ranking title at the Wuhan Open last month, and is now just two wins away from doubling his tally. He will face John Higgins or Chris Wakelin in a best-of-17 frame semi-final in Nanjing on Friday.
These results have boosted Xiao into the elite top 16, indeed he could even crack the top ten by winning the title this week. He will be a seeded player at the UK Championship in York later this month and is also on track to earn a debut at the Johnstone's Paint Masters in London in January.
From 2-1 down today, Xiao fired breaks of 135, 110 and 50 as he took four frames in a row to lead 5-2. Welshman Page, a semi-finalist at the World Open earlier this year, responded with 86 and 82 to close to 5-4. But a run of 73 from Xiao in frame ten completed the scoring.
"Winning the title in Wuhan helped my confidence significantly," said Xiao after today's success. "It was a psychological breakthrough for me, and I keep reminding myself not to create pressure. I try to handle every match seriously, finding a balance. Winning a title has been uplifting, both for myself and others. Zhang Anda and I showed that if you work hard, you can succeed, even if it takes years. Winning after over a decade of committing gives younger players the belief that they have a chance to beat players like Trump or O’Sullivan - it’s inspiring for them.
"Playing a tournament in China also makes a difference. The promoters provide us with so much support, and having my family nearby is encouraging too. Playing abroad, I’m usually competing alone, but in China, it feels more like a team effort. In Wuhan, three Chinese players made it to the semi-finals, and this time it could be the same. Competing at home makes us feel more at ease.
"I’ve been ranked in the 20s or 30s for years without breaking through. Winning in Wuhan gave me a mental edge. Young players can also win big titles if they stay calm and be consistent in both their technique and mindset. We still have much to learn from the top players.
"I felt confident today. My opponent played some high-quality frames towards the end, which stretched the match before I finally won 6-4. He’s won quite a few matches himself, so I just focused on not giving up and showing my fighting spirit - that’s all there is to it."
Higgins and Wakelin were tied at 5-5 when the match was pulled off, with the next session set to begin. Wakelin led 4-2 before Higgins reeled off three in a row with breaks of 77 and 112, only for his opponent to take frame ten. They will return to play the deciding frame later today.