Xiao Guodong reveals secret to long-awaited success ahead of Masters debut

Xiao Guodong waited 17 years for his first ranking title but he now has two on his CV and is making his Masters debut, levelling up in impressive fashion.

The 36-year-old turned pro in 2007 and it wasn’t until the 2024 Wuhan Open that he lifted a trophy on tour.

Far from that being a flash in the pan, he returned to Wuhan this season and retained the title, beating Gary Wilson 10-9 in an epic final.

The back-to-back titles in Hubei have launched Xiao to number 11 in the world and sees him take on Mark Selby on Sunday in his Masters debut, with his career soaring after many years of floating around outside of the top 16.

However, given the experience he has gained, he doesn’t feel that the success has changed too much for him.

‘I waited to be a champion for a long time,’ Xiao told Metro. ‘I think if in the first five years on tour I won a title it would be different, but now it’s a long time to wait for a trophy and a first ranking event, I don’t think it changed too much.

‘Just more peace. I’m more concentrated and more confident for the next one. I’m not just looking for the first one, that’s passed.

‘The first one was a lot of pressure. I got to the final two or three times and never won, which made me nervous. That time in Wuhan my family and friends came, which gave me a lot of confidence. I didn’t worry, if I lost or won, it didn’t matter, I just did my best.’

Being in familiar, relaxed surroundings, with family and friends appears to have helped Xiao out in his new favourite event.

‘Many times someone asked me about winning again in Wuhan, but I didn’t think too much,’ he said. ‘If you think, there’s going to be pressure.

‘When I come to Wuhan, it’s my second home town, but I don’t live in Wuhan, I live in Chongqing, but the food is the same, spicy, I eat spicy food and we talk same language, I have friends there. When I finish the game I can be happy, watching a movie or walking on the street, do some massage.

‘Snooker game is a mental game. It can make you nervous, you have to push the pressure.’

‘I think young players have to change their way of thinking’

Discovering how to ‘push the pressure’ has been behind Xiao’s climb to the game’s elite. He has learned to treat the sport that has dominated his life with not quite as much importance as it has always held.

‘When we’re training snooker we’re just focussed on snooker. I think from 13 years old I didn’t go to school so everything was put on snooker,’ he said.

‘Family gives you a lot of pressure. I gave myself a lot of pressure. In the past I didn’t know how to push the pressure, but now I do. So this is a big change.

‘Young boys come here [to the UK] very nervous. People don’t understand, but I understand. It’s far away to come here, leave their family, cannot speak the language, cannot cook. You don’t want the pressure, but sometimes it comes. You need to know how to push the pressure.

‘You lose a game, miss your family, feel very sad. You put everything on snooker. I think young players have to change their way of thinking. Snooker is not just the only way. You have a different life. If you lose you still have friends, still have family.’

Xiao’s own family was extended in 2024 when he got married, which presents another difficulty of spending a lot of time in the UK, but has also helped him gain perspective.

‘She came here one time but she works in China so can’t come every day,’ he said. ‘But it means for me a bit more travelling.

‘Everyone‘s the same, Chinese players, every player wants to go back to China to play but the professional game is here.’

‘Sometimes you have to choose the right things.’

Despite the fine results of the last 18 months, Xiao’s progress has been interrupted. He chose to play in the World Games, where he won a gold medal for China, but it meant he missed the huge-money ranking event, the Saudi Arabia Masters.

He also had something of a shocker by not seeing emails and failing to enter the Northern Ireland Open and Xi’an Grand Prix.

‘This year is more difficult because I played the World Games for the country,’ he said. ‘I think I missed four tournaments.

‘Two tournaments I couldn’t enter because the China team had training together for two months. So Saudi Arabia was a big one I missed. And third and fourth tournament I forgot to enter because I didn’t see the email and nobody told me. Xi’an and Northern Ireland I wasn’t in, but I definitely wanted to play. I won Wuhan but after that I had no tournament to play!

‘If you’re winning you want to keep going to play. I won and didn’t play for one or two months and the feeling was different.’

Foregoing the chance to land the £500,000 top prize in Jeddah was a tough choice, but Xiao says: ‘In life you have to choose.

‘I could play for my country and when someone asked if I wanted to play I definitely had to say yes. It was in China, my family could support me. It’s not about the money. If it was about the money then I would play Saudi Arabia because it’s big money, everybody knows that. Sometimes you have to choose the right things.’

‘I don’t know what he is no good at!’

The man known as X-factor is relishing the chance to play at Alexandra Palace, although knows he is facing a stern test in the shape of four-time world champ Selby.

‘So exciting!’ Xiao said. ‘When I was younger, I watch TV and it was the Masters and World Championship. I really wanted to play the Masters because it was my dream venue. Only top 16, top players can play that tournament. One table, it’s difficult. Very, very good feeling. I have to enjoy it!

‘You play anyone and he’s a good player, but this player is very dangerous. I don’t have to think about win or loss, I just have to enjoy the venue and the crowd because it’s my first time to play. If I lose, it’s ok, but if I win then I keep going.

‘You play Mark Selby you have to be careful with everything. Long potting is good, safety is good, everything. I don’t know what he is no good at!’

Xiao takes on Selby at Alexandra Palace at 7pm on Sunday.

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