Xiao Guodong
Xiao Guodong (Chinese肖国栋, Pinyin Xiao Guodong; born 10 February 1989) is a Chinese snooker player.
Career
With a wildcard Xiao Guodong took part in the China Open as an amateur in 2007. He won his opening match against Tom Ford and then defeated Matthew Stevens. With his victory at the U21 Asia Championship, he qualified for the 2007/08 season for the main tour. However, his first year as a professional was not very successful; at the end of the season he was on rank 84 of the snooker world ranking, which is not enough to remain on the professional tour.
The following year he received a wildcard as an amateur player for both ranking tournaments in China. While he lost his first match against Jimmy White at the Shanghai Masters 2008, he moved at the China Open 2009 by beating Michael Holt and countryman Ding Junhui in the second round, where he defeated the three -time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan with 3:5. In the 2008 /09 season he also finished in the Pontin's International Open Series in second place, so the return to the main tour was assured.
Although he could in the season 2009/ 10 does not qualify for the finals of a ranking tournament, but he won a lot more qualifiers than in his debut season two years earlier. At the end of the season he was out on court 75. He missed the club shall qualify for the following season, he was awarded by the World Association, however, a wildcard.
In the season 2010/11 he was able to confirm its upward trend. He qualified for the final round, although again not a ranking tournament, but he lost none of his opening matches in qualifying. At the end of the season it was enough for 64th place in the world rankings.
The 2011/12 season also started successfully. In the second PTC event in Gloucester, he penetrated until the semi-finals, after he had already reached the quarterfinals at the first PTC tournament. When Warsaw Classic 2011 (also part of the PTC series) jumped out another quarter-finals. In the PTC Grand Finals in March 2012, Xiao, who played with a plastered, broken left hand sat through against Dominic Dale and Judd Trump, before he was defeated in the quarterfinals Andrew Higginson with 1:4. A year later, he again succeeded the jump in the same event the quarterfinals.
At the 4th Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games 2013 Incheon Korean he defeated in the final of the Six -Red snooker competition the Iranians Amir Sarkhosh 5-4 and won the gold medal.
In September 2013 Xiao reached the final of a world ranking tournament, but where he had to give his countryman Ding Junhui beaten with 6:10 to in the Shanghai Masters for the first time.
Achievements
- ACBS U21 Asia Championship: Winner 2007
- Chinese National Championship: Winner 2011
- Asian Indoor & Martial Arts Games: Winner of 2013 Six -Red Snooker