DOTT PICKS OUT ZHOU AS CHINESE ONE TO WATCH

There is plenty of debate and discussion as to who might prove to be the next champion to emerge from China, following in the footsteps of the mighty Ding Junhui.

Quite an act to follow of course, with the world No2 having hoovered up just the five ranking titles last season alone and signalled his intent this term with success in his home Yixing Open last week.

Liang Wenbo’s time to truly seize the baton may have come and gone, and delving down into the next wave of young prospects several have their admirers.

Lyu Haotian gained some fame for reaching the quarter-finals of the International Championship at 14 and continues to progress.

And more recently the spotlight has fallen on Zhao Xintong, who beat Ken Doherty at 15 in that same Chengdu event two years ago and is improving with every event.

But former world champion Graeme Dott reckons world amateur champion Zhou Yuelong, who beat Zhao 8-4 in last year’s final for that trophy, could just prove to be the best of the bunch.

After seeing off Zhou 5-3 at the Wuxi Classic Dott said: “I have played him three times and I just think he has the best all-round game of all of them.

“I think he will be the next big player coming through from China. After Ding and Wenbo, people talk about Zhao, but Zhou is my favourite. He is the one to look out for.”

MURPHY HANKERING AFTER BRAZIL RETURN

SHAUN Murphy admitted after a 5-1 Wuxi win over Rod Lawler that he was getting Brazil withdrawal symptoms fuelled by wall-to-wall TV coverage of the World Cup being staged in the country.

The world No7 has plenty of good memories of his trip to South America for the only professional tournament ever staged by the football-mad nation.

Murphy, now 31, beat Graeme Dott 5-0 in the final to lift the trophy and until earlier this year, when he claimed the Gdynia Open crown, that was the former world champion’s last title - though the success was swiftly followed by another victory in Haikou.

“I think Brazil will win the World Cup – is that what everyone thinks in the room?” said Murphy, adding: “I have been to Brazil and it was fantastic. I want to go back now.

“I won a title there and I wish we still had that snooker tournament on the tour, it was a great country and I really enjoyed being there.

“And snooker is very popular there, a lot of people play although that is not the first thing other people will associate with the country.”