The latest world snooker rankings demonstrate that the sport is still dominated by the old guard. The top 10 is full of players who could be described as veterans but who continue to set the bar for the elite game. So, are the older players getting better with age? Or is there a lack of talent coming through?
The over-40s club
Four of the current top 10 snooker players are in their 40s including the so-called Class of 92 featuring Mark Williams who is 47; and Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins who are both aged 46.
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Mark Williams ✔️
Ronnie O’Sullivan ✔️
John Higgins ✔️The Class of ’92 have all attempted the Mark Williams™️ break-off at the Crucible pic.twitter.com/S5MnFIU5fd
— Eurosport (@eurosport) April 23, 2021
Barry Hawkins is 42 and Neil Robertson turned 40 in February. Behind them, Shaun Murphy is 39 and Mark Selby is 38. Then comes Judd Trump at 32 and Kyren Wilson at 30. That’s nine of the top 10 aged 30 or over. This was also reflected in the list of favourites in the 2022 World Championship Snooker odds, which were topped by 40-year-old Robertson priced at 7/2. In the top 20, there are just three more twentysomethings (Luca Brecel, Yan Bingtao, and Hossein Vafaei). This is quite remarkable when you consider players such as Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry, and Ronnie O’Sullivan were all winning world titles in their early 20s.
This data also seems to back up previous claims by Ronnie O’Sullivan that there is a lack of talent coming through. However, O’Sullivan has been very supportive of the Chinese players such as Zhao Xintong and Yan Bingtao (who both reached the German Masters final) who he sees as the most likely to spearhead the next generation.
Win together, lose together – these guys did Chinese snooker proud all week 👏🏻🇨🇳 #GermanMasters #BVEuroSeries pic.twitter.com/cEBn7D9V5R
— World Snooker Tour (@WeAreWST) January 30, 2022
The exception to the rule
The only current top 10 player under the age of 30 is Chinese player Zhao Xintong. Still only 25, he looks the most likely player to rise to the top from the next generation of snooker talent, and he already has a ranking title to his name. In fact, many of the new players breaking through are from China.
So, why are the older players still dominating? There have been some suggestions that the game has almost reached a peak level where there is little room for improvement. Being better than the last generation is now tougher than ever. This leaves little room for error and players must maintain that level across the whole season to climb the rankings.
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Old school have the advantage
The established players already have the experience to thrive on the tour, while new players who have not quite reached the top are finding it hard to break into this clique. The new payment structure that does not reward players who are eliminated in the first round of tour events makes it even harder for these players to earn a living. Many players have complained that getting the experience needed to start making an impact in the major tournaments is harder with the current set-up.
Whatever the reason, this season has given us a glimpse of the future. Of the 29 newly registered professionals on the 2021/22 men’s tour, 10 were from China or Hong Kong. The rest were from the UK or Ireland except for Brazilian Igor Figueiredo. And Chinese players claimed four titles on the tour including three ranking events. The emergence of Ding Junhui nearly two decades ago prompted a snooker craze in China. The effects of that are starting to be felt and could shape the future of the game.
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