Masters snooker 2021 - Ronnie O'Sullivan: Yan Bingtao win a 'significant result for Chinese snooker'

ByDan Quarrell

Updated 16/01/2021 at 20:00 GMT

Ronnie O'Sullivan has paid tribute to Yan Bingtao after his tense victory over reigning Masters champion Stuart Bingham on Saturday. Bingham had been in the lead for much of the match but Yan roared back to five frames all before winning the decider in very impressive fashion to reach Sunday's showpiece match.

Ronnie O'Sullivan believes that Yan Bingtao's dramatic win over Stuart Bingham could be a 'significant result for Chinese snooker'.

In the deciding frame, Yan put 74 on the board and it proved decisive as he clinched an unlikely win over last year's champion of the event.

The 20-year-old closed out a stunning 6-5 triumph to reach the Masters final on Sunday, and O'Sullivan believes it could be a groundbreaking result for Chinese snooker.

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Ding Junhui has made numerous significant breakthroughs for snooker in China, but the Rocket thinks Yan reaching the final in Milton Keynes could prove to be very important.

"This is a very big match for Yan Bingtao, but I also think it is very big for the Chinese youngsters," O'Sullivan said in the Eurosport studio.

O'Sullivan: Yan win a 'significant result for Chinese snooker'

"The players that are coming through and watching this, it could really propel them on to see that he has done it.

"Ding has been the only one really and we've been waiting for another Chinese youngster, but there are five or six around this age.

"They will see Bingtao and think, 'if he can do it, I can do it' and it could really speed up that process for them.

This could be quite a significant result for Chinese snooker.

Yan will now await the winner of the day's second semi-final between John Higgins and David Gilbert.

Watch dramatic finale in deciding frame as Yan beats Bingham

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