December 15th 2024.
Lei Peifan's name may not have been familiar to many in the snooker world, but after his incredible performance at the 2024 Scottish Open, he has certainly made a name for himself. The 21-year-old shocked everyone by not only reaching the final, but also winning the ranking event with a stunning 9-5 victory over Wu Yize.
Lei's journey to the top was unexpected, to say the least. He had never made it past the last 16 in a ranking event before, but he arrived in Edinburgh ready to make his mark. After two qualifying games, he faced off against some of the biggest names in the sport, including Hossein Vafaei, Shaun Murphy, and Stuart Bingham. And he didn't just beat them, he did so in sensational fashion.
In the quarter-finals, Lei faced off against Tom Ford and narrowly edged out a 5-4 victory. But it was in the semi-finals where he truly made his mark. Despite being down 5-2 against world number five Mark Allen, Lei refused to give up and won four consecutive frames to secure a 6-5 win and a spot in the final.
His opponent, Wu Yize, was also a 21-year-old looking for his first ranking title. However, he was seen as the clear favorite, having made it to the English Open final earlier in the season and impressing in other tournaments. But Lei was not intimidated and dominated the match, taking a 4-0 lead while Wu struggled to find his form.
Although Wu fought hard and closed the gap to 5-4, Lei remained focused and won the next three frames to secure the championship. It was a dream come true for Lei, who had set a goal of reaching the last 16 at the start of the week. He was awarded the top prize of £100,000 and was now a Scottish Open champion.
Wu, on the other hand, was gracious in defeat, acknowledging Lei's impressive performance. He expressed his belief that Lei would surely win a title in the future. For Lei, this victory was the culmination of a tough year. He had dropped off the professional tour last year, but managed to earn his spot back at the beginning of this season. And now, he had a ranking title to add to his resume and had secured a spot in the Champion of Champions tournament for the next season.
Wu may have been disappointed with his performance, but he still took home £45,000 and continued his ascent up the world rankings. As for Lei, he had announced himself as a serious threat in the world of snooker, and his future in the sport was looking brighter than ever. His journey to the top may have been unexpected, but it was certainly one for the books.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
