BRISTOL: Former Masters champion Yan Bingtao has become the latest Chinese player to be suspended from the World Snooker Tour amid an ongoing investigation into match-fixing, the sport’s governing body announced Monday.
The Chinese world number 16, has been banned from attending or competing at events with immediate effect as the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association continues to look into allegations matches were manipulated for gambling purposes.
Last week, five other Chinese players — Lu Ning, Li Hang, Zhao Jianbo, Bai Langning and Chang Bingyu — were suspended pending the outcome of the investigation, with compatriot Liang Wenbo banned in October.
“WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson has taken the decision to suspend Yan Bingtao from attending or competing on the World Snooker Tour with immediate effect,” said a statement issued Monday.
“This decision is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of manipulating the outcome of matches for betting purposes in breach of the WPBSA conduct regulations.
“The suspension will remain in place until the conclusion of the investigation or any subsequent charges that may or may not be brought. Yan Bingtao has the right to appeal this decision.”
Yan is the highest-profile player to be suspended during the ongoing probe.
The 22-year-old produced a stunning upset to win the Masters, one of snooker’s leading tournaments, on his debut in the competition in 2021 and also has one ranking title to his name after winning the 2019 Riga Masters.
Yan was due to play in the English Open this week, but first-round opponent Ashley Hugill has been awarded a walkover.
READ: Naseem Shah ruled out of Karachi Test due to injury
SHEFFIELD: The 15th-ranked cueist China’s Yan Bingtao knocked out the defending champion of the World Snooker Championship Mark Selby after a match featuring the longest frame in Crucible history.
In the second-round fixture, Bingtao ranked 15th, blunted the top-ranked Selby by the scores of 13-10 in the Best of 25 to book a quarter-final berth in the ongoing tournament.
The two cueists remained involved in a see-saw battle, right from the start with Selby pulling ahead and Bingtao levels and vice versa. Both the cueists won four of the first eight frames.
Bingtao then took a decent lead 7-4 as he won the next three frames, including a century in the ninth.
Selby, however, responded quickly as he managed to claim three out of the next four frames to cut the margin to 8-7 only for Bingtao to secure victories in the next three frames to extend his lead to 11-7.
With his opponent just two shy away from the victory, Selby looked to retaliate as he copied Bingato; winning three consecutive frames and moving just one short of the Chinese cueist 11-10.
The two cueists then involved a nerve-wracking 22nd frame – the longest in the history of Crucible, lasting 85 minutes and 22 seconds, beating the previous longest by five minutes and 51 seconds.
Bingtao managed to hold his nerve calm to claim the marathon frame by 63-49 before bettering it by scoring a century in the 23rd frame to thump the defending champion Selby 13-10 in the second round.
Bingtao scored three, while Selby scored four centuries in an exciting see-saw battle. Selby scored the best break of match 132, which came in the 12th frame.
READ: Alcaraz outshines Carreno Busta to win maiden Barcelona Open title