Pro Snooker Blog

Name: Liang Wenbo

DOB: August 25th, 1987

Nationality: Chinese

Turned Pro: 2004

Highest Ranking: #16 (2010/11)

Current Ranking: #16

Highest Break: 147 (2008 Bahrain Championship Qualifying)

Career Highlights: 2008 World Championship Quarter Finalist, 2008 Northern Ireland Trophy Quarter Finalist, 2009 Beijing Challenge Champion, 2005 World under-21 Champion

In short

One of the most attacking players I have ever seen, nothing is safe when Liang is at the table. A sensational long-potter, there are few more exciting players to watch than Wenbo and it is these qualities, plus his charismatic manner that made him such a popular player during the 2008 World Championship.

That said though, as good as he is to watch, many think he would benefit from just being a bit more cautious at times. While he is capable of blitzing some very good players on his day (just ask Peter Ebdon and Nigel Bond), against the top players in the game, he can be exposed as they will punish him for every miss that he makes. Still he is a young player and he will hopefully improve the tactical side of the game as he gains more experience.

Early career

Having reached the semi-finals of the World under-21 Championship in 2004, Liang went further the following year when he won the tournament, defeating countryman Tian Pengfei 11-9 in Bahrain. As well as being a significant victory on the international stage, this also gained him a spot on the main tour for 2005/6 where he has remained ever since.

For a rookie, his debut season on the tour was a quietly impressive one as he managed to improve enough to qualify for the final stages of the 2006 Welsh Open. Having made it this far he defeated veteran Nigel Bond 5-0 before narrowly losing out to Graeme Dott 5-3 in the last 32. He had at least just about done enough to retain his place on the tour for another year by virtue of finishing up 7th on the one year list of players outside of the top 64.

His second season was to be impressively consistent, winning at least one match at each ranking event to secure a strong amount of points on the one year list once again. His most impressive results came in qualifying for the final stages of the Grand Prix by finishing top of his qualifying group, as well as qualifying for the Welsh Open for a second successive season.

Liang defeats Nigel Bond in a tight finish at the 2005 China Open

World Championship breakthrough

2007/8 appeared to be much of the same for Liang, a few qualifying wins but no real standout result along the way.

Things were all to change however as he qualified for the final stages of the World Championship at the Crucible for the first time at the end of the season. Along the way he defeated Ben Woollaston, Rod Lawler, Dave Gilbert and former top 16 player Ian McCulloch, all very good players who will have taken some beating.

Liang was not just happy with this however as sensationally he defeated former world champion Ken Doherty 10-5, ending the Irishman’s long stay in the top 16 in the process. In the second round he held off a courageous fightback from another Irishman Joe Swail to take the match 13-12, though this match was not without controversy. Having been snookered in the decider, Liang missed the yellow on his first attempt but when the balls were replaced, was able to hit the ball directly, something that Joe was distraught at.

Either way Liang was through to the quarter-finals where he would meet eventual champion Ronnie O’Sullivan, eventually losing out 13-7. By making it this far however he had not only guaranteed his place on the tour for another year, but rocketed up 26 places in the rankings to 40th place. Not only this but his profile and popularity was dramatically increased in the UK and he is a player that many will have their eyes on in the next few years.

Recent form and 147

Many wondered whether this run would be a one-off or whether Liang could repeat such performances at the start of the 2008/9 season. The early signs were promising though as he reached the last 16 of the season opening Northern Ireland Trophy and the Shanghai Masters.

Though he was not to qualify for the final stages in Bahrain, Liang put in a sensational performance against Martin Gould early on in the competition, not only making two breaks of 139, but in the fourth frame making the first maximum 147 break of his career.

He was to maintain a consistent level of performance for the rest of the season, losing just once in his opening match and although he lost out 10-8 (having led 8-7), to friend and countryman Ding Junhui back at the Crucible,  still managed to do enough to comfortably move up into the top 32 for 2009/10.

2009/10

Liang got his 2009/10 season off to the perfect start in July’s Beijing International Challenge as he managed to overcome the likes of Stephen Hendry, Mark Allen and Stephen Maguire to take his first professional title. In particular the manner of his final victory against Maguire from two down with three to play showed that he can be resilient as well as exciting.

The best was yet to come however as he continued this form into the first ranking event of the season in Shanghai. There he defeated Peter Ebdon, Ali Carter, defending champion Ricky Walden and world number three Shaun Murphy to reach the first ranking event final of his career.  Although his fairytale run was ended by the vastly experienced Ronnie O’Sullivan, he had broken new ground and put himself well inside the top 16 provisionally for the first time.

He reinforced this at the UK Championship with a run to the quarter-finals and despite a poor finish to the season which saw him win just one further match, he had done enough to secure his top 16 status for 2010/11 at the expense of Stoke’s Jamie Cope.

Non-Ranking Event wins (1)