Outburst! O'Sullivan led 3 people to retire, which was good for the Chinese youngsters, and the 31 champions went straight to the top 32!
In the 2024 World Championships, an unexpected situation surprised the world - O'Sullivan, Mark Williams, and Joe Perry, three top players, announced their retirement, and after the news came, everyone began to look forward to the next development of the game.
The Chinese fans are particularly excited because it is a great opportunity for the Chinese youngsters. Among them, the 31-time champion Li Xing successfully advanced in the second round and became the only Chinese player in the top 32.
Li Xing used to be a very talented player, but due to various reasons, he has not been given many opportunities in his career. However, at this World Championships, he finally had a chance to prove himself.
When Li Xing heard the news that O'Sullivan and the other three had withdrawn from the competition, he felt both excited and nervous. He knows that means his next bout will be more difficult because other fighters will want to take advantage of this opportunity.
But Li Xing did not feel afraid, on the contrary, he was more confident. He knows he has what it takes to do well, and this tournament will be the best chance to prove himself.
In the second round, Li Xing's opponent was Chris Walker from the United Kingdom. The youngster has been looking for a breakthrough over the past few years but hasn't made much progress.
After the start of the game, Li Xing showed strong strength. He hit back-to-back high scores in the first few innings, putting a lot of pressure on Walker.
However, in the fourth game, Li Xing made a mistake that allowed Walker to score back-to-back points. The mistake frustrated him, but he didn't give up and continued to work on it for the next few rounds.
In the end, Li Xing won 5-3 and successfully advanced to the top 32.
He was very happy because he knew he was doing really well and that he had proven his quality.
When he walked out of the stadium, he saw a lot of fans waiting for him. He is very grateful because he knows that these fans have always supported him.
He remembered the difficulties and setbacks he had experienced before, as well as the various losses he had experienced in his career. But now, he feels like he's moved beyond those issues and has become a true pro.
Li Xing's success has also encouraged other Chinese players. They know that they can succeed if they work hard.