So high is the standard on the World Snooker Tour that for any player to win their first match as a professional is an impressive achievement, so when Zhao Hanyang beat Sanderson Lam 5-1 last week to qualify for the Wuhan Open, he gave an early indication of his potential.
Zhao's journey to the sport's highest level owes something to chance. His father began to follow snooker when Ding Junhui emerged as a world-beating talent. The family ran a successful auto-repair garage near the city of Xi'an in China's Shaanxi province, and Zhao senior had a small table installed on an upper floor. That's where his son first held a cue at the age of eight. When the boy started to show a natural gift, a friend of his father put him in touch with the renowned coach Wu Wenzhong, who has mentored the likes of Ding and Zhou Yuelong.
The family soon took the bold decision to close their business and move over 1,000 miles south to the Guangdong province, to give the young prodigy the best opportunity of developing his skills under the guidance of Wu. "That’s when I started to practise properly," recalls Zhao, now age 25. "I used to train with the likes of Zhou Yuelong and Zhao Xintong when we were young. The environment was great. Wu was very experienced and gave each player a tailored practice plan. That helped a lot."
Zhao has taken longer than some of his contemporaries to earn a place on the pro tour, but achieved that goal this year at Asia-Oceania Q School, winning six consecutive matches in the second event, beating Narongdat Takantong 4-1 in the final round to earn a two-year card.
"This year, I made solid preparations after Chinese New Year and gave it everything," he said. "I lost in the quarter-finals of the first event, but I stayed calm. I focused on playing my best rather than worrying about results. In the final match of the second event, I got a bit emotional when I won."
Looking ahead to his first spell on tour, he said: "The first priority is to adapt, both to life here in the UK and to the practice environment. There are many great players around, and I can learn a lot. I’ve received a lot of help since arriving here. I stayed with Zhou Yuelong at first, and Long Zehuang helped me to settle in and get used to the daily routine. Their support has been invaluable because when your life is in order, it’s easier to focus on matches.
"Seeing their success, particularly of players from the Shaanxi region like Zhao Xintong and Bai Yulu, has definitely been inspiring. It’s mostly about attitude, how seriously everyone takes their dreams. They’re far from home but give it everything, training hard every day. That kind of focus is really motivating."
And Zhao's fast start against Lam has already given him a trip to Wuhan to look forward to. "I'm excited about that!" he added. "I stayed relaxed in that match and focused on playing my game, and things went smoothly. Of course, everyone wants to win, but that’s not always in our control. In key moments, I try to be bold and take my chances."
