If you’re looking for snooker’s transformation man, look no further than Cao Yupeng.
The 27-year-old Chinese cueman has had a week to remember in Glasgow. It started with his first ever 147 maximum break in the early rounds and culminates in his first ever ranking event final as he prepares to take on Neil Robertson to capture the Scottish Open title; the final piece of silverware of the calendar year.
This landmark moment of his career sees him become the fifth Chinese player to reach a ranking event final and he could become only the third behind Ding Junhui and Liang Wenbo to win one.
Not only has it been a week to remember for Cao, but also a remarkable season. He’s won 22 matches already compared to just two in total last season and four in the previous campaign which meant he actually briefly lost his professional tour card in April 2016 before earning it back at Q School.
To put this turnaround into perspective, Cao has won as many competitive ranking events matches in this event as he did in the two previous campaigns combined.
But this doesn’t mean his route to the final here is a complete surprise. Just two months ago, he progressed through to his first ever semi-final at the European Masters. He lost out to the eventual winner Judd Trump there and met him again here in the last four but managed to turn a previous 6-1 defeat into a 6-4 victory with an impressively tenacious performance.
Cao knows he is the plucky underdog in this contest largely because he finds himself in such unchartered territory, but also because he faces Australian Robertson who is bang in form and enjoying a memorable week himself.
The former world number one and world champion is of course the more experienced and decorated player of the two and finally looks as though he has put two years of struggles on the table behind him.
He’s looked more his old self this week compiling 10 centuries already and has played the kind of snooker which saw him capture the Triple Crown two years.
Victory for him would be his first ranking title since he landed the Riga Masters last summer and will mark a long-awaited return to top form with a piece of silverware as the proof.
He knocked out the home hopeful John Higgins last night 6-3 and did most of the damage in the first session where he raced into a commanding 4-0 lead with breaks 135, 117, 74 and 65 while the Scot picked up just 12 points in all.
Robertson has been in devastating scoring form all week long and will go into this final a very strong favourite. Cao though is enjoying the season of his life he could only have dreamed of, so who knows.
