Mark Selby names surprise snooker underachiever who ‘hasn’t really kicked on’
Mark Selby names surprise snooker underachiever who ‘hasn’t really kicked on’
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Zhou Yuelong is still searching for his first ranking title and Mark Selby is surprised that the Chinese star has not made more of an impact on the World Snooker Tour. The 27-year-old has already been on tour for over 10 years, turning professional in 2014 at just 16 years old having won the World Amateur Championship the previous year.
![[2024 Shanghai Masters - Day 3]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2162413358.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Alongside Yan Bingtao, Zhao won the World Cup in 2015 as a 16-year-old and expectations were sky high for the young talent from Chengdu. It has been a solid career on tour for him since then, finishing runner-up in three ranking events and reaching a peak of 17 in the world rankings, but he is yet to really fulfil his great potential.
![[Evergrande 2017 World Snooker China Champion - Day 3]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-834542522.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Selby was one of the many who thought Zhou was heading for the very top and is surprised he is not there yet, currently ranked 32 in the world. ‘Zhou Yuelong years ago when I watched him I thought for his age he had the complete game, an old head on young shoulders,’ Selby told Metro.
‘He’s not really kicked on. I know he’s not 70-odd in the rankings, he’s still hovering around outside the 16, but I thought he’d do a lot better than what he’s done so far. ‘I just thought he was the one who stood out, for me, and he’s not really kicked on. He’s still got time on his side though, and I’m sure he’ll do something at some stage.
‘Especially with the other Chinese boys doing well, I think it pushes them on.’. It has indeed been a successful season for Chinese players in general, with Xiao Guodong winning the Wuhan Open, Ding Junhui claiming the International Championship title and Lei Peifan a surprise champion at the Scottish Open, but Zhou is still without a ranking title.
