Bengaluru: After winning 10 matches in 12 days, Yan Bingtao, all of 14, but with the maturity of a professional, hardly allowed himself a hearty smile. On a nippy Saturday evening, the baby-faced monk-like Chinese prodigy gave out a toothy smile one which reflected joy, contentment and happiness. He had every reason to be pleased, as he proudly wore the crown of the IBSF World Snooker champion at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here.
In the process, he also became the youngest ever world champion surpassing compatriot Zhou Yuelong, who won the title at the age of 15 last year.Dressed in black and white with a patch of red the Chinese national colours on the back of his waistcoat, Bingtao thwarted an outstanding challenge from Mohammed Sajjad of Pakistan 8-7.
Although the final did not have any big century breaks, it had all the trappings of a blockbuster, complete with a see-saw battle and a black ball play-off over tied scores. With the scores tied at 7-7, the tie-breaker will haunt Sajjad for a longtime as he missed a top pocket red and opened out the frame for Bingtao to finish for the coveted trophy, which he did with a break of 60. The players began on a sedate note especially since both are outstanding potters.
