Top contenders of 2011 UK Championship title ready for battle – Part 2
Countdown for the 2011 UK Championship has already begun and the clock is ticking for the players, who want to see their name in the final stage fixtures. As the championship is drawing nearer, it is boosting up the excitement and thrill for those involved
in the event.
Defending champion, Scotland’s John Higgins, is looking forward to retain the title this year but the rest are aiming to snatch it from him like he did from China’s Ding Junhui, last year.
The Chinese potter is one of the most unpredictable players to watch during a match. With his sensational ability to build big breaks, he can stun his opponents at any moment during the match. He is a calm player, does not rush towards the finish, plays
calculated shots with a relieved mind and usually takes his opponent by surprise coming from down to take the victory.
Due to the very same unique skill of springing back into the game, he is sometimes called the ‘comeback kid’. The Star of the East is one of the few Asian snooker stars, who have gained international appreciation in the sport. The Chinese Sensation, Jinhui,
has grabbed the UK Championship twice in his career, beating Steve Davis in 2005 and John Higgins in 2009.
As far as his performance in the current season is concerned, the 24-year-old has not won any major events but a couple of Premier League Snooker events. He has played 16 matches so far, out of which he was victorious in 10. Thus, he attained a winning percentage
of 62.5 percent. Out of a total of 96 frames, he could win only 52, which formulated his frame winning rate at 54.2 percent.
One of the top players in the history of Wales, Mark Williams, is looking ahead to make his presence felt at the York Barbican Centre. He has already played against all top dogs of snooker, who will be present at the arena. The Welsh Potting Machine himself
has won the UK Championship twice in his career, 1999 and 2002, and surely has the guts to unsettle any opponent at the green baize.
The current World Number Two has this unique skill to pot long-range balls. His single-ball potting capability put him in the group of big break builders. His compiled century breaks have crossed the 250 figure, which makes him a distinguishable icon of
snooker world. In the lone-up of 2011 UK Championship at York, Williams is up against England’s Joe Jogia.
In the recent season, the 36-year-old Williams has received two major blows, losing to Stuart Bingham 9-8 and Mark Selby 10-9, in the final clashes of 2011 Australian Goldfields Open and 2011 Shanghai Masters, respectively. Despite the losses, he managed
to stay in the top guns with a premier league victory and some steady performances.
His current match winning rate is a bit lower than the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and John Higgins. With 10 wins and 10 defeats in 20 matches, Williams possesses a match winning ratio of 50 percent along with a frame winning rate of 54.4 percent in the current
season.
World Number One cueist, Mark Selby, enjoyed a tremendous start of the season winning the 2011 Wuxi Classic in July, 2011, beating Ali Carter 9-7. After that, a Players Tour Championship (PTC) victory followed by a major ranking event, the 2011 Shanghai
Masters win brought him on top of the snooker podium and now, he is a potential winner of the 2011 UK Championship.
The Englishman has not won any UK Championship, however, in 2007, he played the final of World Snooker Championship against John Higgins, where he was defeated by the score line of 13-18. Selby is a tough opponent to face in a match, as top players acknowledge
his impressive snooker skills and believe that he can take on any top cueist in the world.
Overall, he has grabbed three event wins so far and shown excellent performances in other events, reaching the final stages of several tournaments. After participating in 37 matches, he dominated in 29 to hit a 78.4 percent match winning rate. On the other
hand, he has compiled 140 frame triumphs after playing 214, which means he has a 65.4 percent frame winning tendency.
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