Zhou Yuelong insists he is feeling confident ahead of Sunday’s clash with England after he and Yan Bingtao helped China B into the semi-finals of the Snooker World Cup. The duo were too strong for Belgium in their quarter-final clash and they eventually secured a 4-3 victory, while China A also breezed into the next round.
An all Chinese final is a distinct possibility after Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo of China A beat Wales 4-1 in the quarter-finals. Ding and Liang will now take on Thailand in their last-four clash and the latter is determined to keep the errors at bay. He told World Snooker: “I’m cueing differently almost every day but I try my hardest on every shot. We try our best as sportsmen, and we sum up the experience after each match. We respect every opponent, and it only gets tougher. Hopefully I will make progress, and make sure that I do not make silly mistakes.”
The duo won the title in 2011 but they may have their work cut out if Zhou and Yan can overcome England. At one point, China B were 2-1 down but they dug deep and they will need to reproduce the goods when they do battle with Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins. Heading into the contest, Yan admits he has not played well but Zhou is relishing the chance to dump England out of the tournament.
He said: “It was a really tough match and the opponent played well. We didn’t want to play a deciding frame, but I managed to stay calm and I’m happy with my performance at the end. Looking forward to the match against England, I’m feeling very confident at the moment.”