Asian Tour 2 - Zhangjiagang Open

Zhangjiagang Champion Ju Reti (middle) and runner-up
Michael Holt (left). Image: World Snooker

Ju Reti became the first amateur player to win a professional snooker tournament since 2005, when Ding Junhui won the China Open as a wildcard. Ju defeated Michale Holt 4-1 with an accomplished performance which also confirms his place in next spring’s PTC Grand Finals.

Ju, who is currently working as a farmer in China, started the match excellently, winning the first three frames with breaks of 58 and 55. Holt, who is now up to number 20 in the world ranking after good runs here and at the Shanghai Masters, kept the final alive by knocking in a run of 69 in frame four but the match was closed out as Ju took the fifth on the colours. The tournament victory also gives Ju a great chance of winning a tour card for the 2014-16 seasons as he currently tops the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Holt would’ve thought he had already passed the toughest obstacle in his path to a third PTC title when he beat fellow professional Liang Wenbo 4-1 in the semis earlier on Friday but it was not to be for the Nottingham man. The other semi-final saw Ju beat another Chinese amateur Lu Chenwei 4-2.

The tournament saw a number of strong performances for the Chinese amateur players with six of the eight quarter-finalists fitting into that category. Few tour professionals chose to enter the event although there were good runs from Leeds’ David Grace who reached the last 16 before bowing out 4-1 to Michael Holt. Scottish teenager Ross Muir, who defeated Ding Junhui 4-3 in the third round, also reached the last 16, bowing out to Da Hailin, as did Cao Yupeng who lost 4-1 to Ju Reti. Ju also recorded the highset break of the tournament, a 142 during his victory in the second round over Xu Xinjian.