Latest Snooker World Rankings: Wakelin Climbs 14 Spots with Victory, Chang Bingyu Soars & Five Chinese Players in Top 16

On December 22nd Beijing time, the Snooker Scottish Open wrapped up with Wakelin performing exceptionally in the final. He unleashed a rapid series of eight breaks to overpower Chinese post-2000 talent Chang Bingyu 9-2, securing his second ranking event championship. The latest world rankings now list Trump first, Kyren Wilson second, and Zhao Xintong as the top Chinese player at eighth, with five Chinese players remaining in the top sixteen!

Although Wakelin did not face many top-ranked opponents in this tournament, his form remained very consistent, allowing him to reach the final and vie for his second career ranking title. Against the young Chinese player Chang Bingyu, Wakelin seized this rare chance to win, playing with ease and silencing Chang. He then capitalized on opportunities to strike hard and extend his lead. Falling far behind, Chang's mentality collapsed, leading to repeated simple errors and a complete breakdown. Wakelin grew stronger as the match progressed, thoroughly defeating Chang to claim his second ranking title, earning £100,000 in prize money, reentering the top sixteen world rankings, and securing a spot in the Champion of Champions — a double win in fame and fortune!

Chang Bingyu was the tournament’s biggest dark horse, having upset multiple top-16 players to reach the final. Unfortunately, when facing Wakelin, who possesses top-16 caliber skills, he was decisively beaten 9-2 and could not pull off a complete upset to win the title. Overall, Chang appeared noticeably nervous in the final, possibly due to it being his first final and his limited ability to handle pressure. Once trailing, he collapsed mentally, which suggests overthinking hindered his rhythm. As his precision dropped and focus on avoiding simple mistakes faltered, the outcome was inevitable. Nonetheless, finishing as runner-up marks a huge breakthrough for Chang, serving as a valuable learning experience. He earned £45,000 and rose to 64th in the world rankings!

Other ranking changes were minimal. O’Sullivan’s ranking dropped to 11th after a prolonged period without a ranking title. China still has five players within the top sixteen, with Zhao Xintong as the highest-ranked Chinese at eighth, Ding Junhui at 12th, and the new Scottish Open champion Wakelin climbing to 14th!

Written by / Sports Novel