China's Si Jiahui, who is set for a debut in the Johnstone's Paint Masters next week, considered pursuing a career as a table tennis player before deciding on snooker and climbing into the world's top 16.
The 22-year-old was a Crucible semi-finalist in 2023 and reached two ranking event finals in 2024, jumping to 13th in the world. A gifted sportsman, he could have picked the bat and ball over the snooker cue during his junior years.
“I was runner up in my school table tennis tournament,” Si explains. “My opponent’s dad was the coach, I would win most of the time against everyone except him. The coach said I had potential. My dad asked him if I could pursue a career in table tennis, but the coach said I was too old to start on that path.”
That decision has turned out to be good news for snooker fans worldwide as Si is now among the most exciting young talents in the sport, described by Judd Trump as "an absolute mile clear of anyone his age or within five years of him.”
Next Tuesday night (January 14th) at Alexandra Palace, Si will meet Mark Allen in his first match at snooker's biggest invitation event. He admits: “It makes me a bit nervous, thinking of playing in front of such a big crowd, but also excited. When you walk out into that kind of arena, with so many people watching you, there is a real motivation to perform well. Since it is my first time playing somewhere like this, I just can’t wait. I hope this will make me perform even better than I have before.
“I’m not in a rush to win a title. I feel like my game isn’t quite where I want it to be. There are still so many areas to improve. Every tournament, my form varies. I haven’t set any targets of when I want to win. If my form is good, the gap to the top players doesn’t feel too big. I’ve improved in many areas. I’m just going with the flow. I won’t put too much pressure on myself. You never know, I might win one unexpectedly.”
Ronnie O'Sullivan defends the title in London, with only the world's best 16 players in the field. The opening day and final are sold out but tickets for certain sessions are still available from just £32 - for details click here. For the match schedule click here.