The Top Ten Snooker Teenagers

·40 min·3 clips

Dave Hendon reveals his top 10 teenage snooker players, sparked by Michael Shubachek's chance to become the youngest pro.

The episode begins with host Dave Hendon introducing the topic: a countdown of the top 10 teenage snooker players. He mentions this is inspired by Michael Shubachek possibly becoming the youngest professional. Hendon first addresses listener emails, discussing Kyren Wilson's remarkable run of five ranking titles in less than a year after winning his first world championship, comparing it to other champions like Stephen Hendry and Judd Trump. He then shifts to snooker news, announcing Halo as the new sponsor for the World Championship and analyzing the five players featured on the promotional poster, noting the absence of Ronnie O'Sullivan. The main segment starts with number 10, James Wattana, who at age 16 beat Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor to win a tournament in Thailand, later reaching a ranking final at 19. Number 9 is Judd Trump, who won a national under-15 title at age 10 and turned pro at 16, with his breakthrough coming in the Championship League in 2009. Number 8 is Mark Selby, who at 18 beat Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O'Sullivan in China, with a humorous anecdote about jet lag causing him to mistake match times. Number 7 is Jimmy White, a prodigy who won invitation events as a teenager by beating champions like Steve Davis. Number 6 is Yan Bingtao, who won the World Amateur Championship at 14 but is currently suspended. Number 5 is Paul Hunter, who won the Welsh Open at 19 by defeating top players including John Higgins. Number 4 is Stephen Hendry, who turned pro at 16, won his first ranking title at 18, and became the youngest world champion. Number 3 is Ding Junhui, who won the China Open at 18 after moving to the UK alone at 16, and later won three ranking titles as a teenager. Number 2 is John Higgins, the first to win three ranking titles as a teenager. Number 1 is Ronnie O'Sullivan, who won the UK Championship at 17. Hendon concludes by reflecting on the need for a teenage star like darts' Luke Littler and promoting his Substack column.

As heard by us

A story-led ranking that links teenage promise with the harder education of professional snooker.

The Snooker Scene Podcast uses its Wednesday edition to rank teenage snooker talent, with Judd Trump's early rise framed as a case study in how raw promise had to absorb the tactical demands of the professional game.

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Why you'd press play

You get Judd Trump's early proving ground and Mark Selby's China Open breakthrough in one teenage top 10.

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