Lu Ning

{{family name hatnote|Lu ({{linktext|鲁}})|lang=Chinese}}

{{Infobox snooker player

| name = Lu Ning

| image = Lu Ning PHC 2014-2.jpg

| caption = Paul Hunter Classic 2014

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1994|1|1}}

| birth_place = Jilin, China{{cite web|title=Holt Bares Teeth To Escape Zhu|url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0,,13165~2626073,00.html|work=worldsnooker.com|publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association | accessdate=29 March 2012}}

| Sport country = {{CHN}}

| Professional = 2014–2016, 2018–2023

| High ranking = 28 (November 2021)

| Official maximums =

| Best finish = Runner-up (x1)

| Ranking wins =

| World champ =

}}

Lu Ning ({{zh|s=鲁宁}}; born 1 January 1994 in Jilin) is a former professional snooker player from the People's Republic of China who, in 2023, was banned from professional competition for five years and four months after committing match-fixing offences.

In December 2022, Lu was suspended from the professional tour amid a match-fixing investigation.{{Cite news |title=UK Championship winner Zhao latest to be suspended |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/snooker/64152359 |access-date=2023-01-03}} In January 2023, he was charged with being concerned in fixing matches and approaching players to fix matches, seeking to obstruct a WPBSA investigation, and betting on snooker matches.{{Cite web |last=Huart |first=Matt |date=2023-01-18 |title=WPBSA Statement {{!}} 18 January 2023 |url=https://wpbsa.com/wpbsa-statement-18-january-2023/ |access-date=2023-01-18 |website=WPBSA |language=en-GB}} Following an independent disciplinary tribunal, Lu was banned from professional snooker until 6 April 2028.

Career

Lu's first appearance in a ranking tournament was in the wildcard round of the 2012 World Open, where he defeated 1996 British Open winner Nigel Bond 5–4 in Haikou. He met Mark Selby in the first round and, despite taking the first two frames, Lu lost 3–5.{{cite web|title=2012 Haikou World Open results|url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/HainanWorldOpen/0,,13165~2633098,00.html|work=worldsnooker.com|publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association|accessdate=4 March 2012}}

Lu continued to show his talent in the next local ranking tournament, the 2012 China Open. He was awarded a wildcard to compete against Welsh player Jamie Jones, where Lu won 5–3.{{cite web | url=http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2011&player=908 | title=Lu Ning 2011/2012 | publisher=Snooker.org | accessdate=3 June 2013}} He won against 2005 world snooker champion Shaun Murphy by 5–2, with two centuries.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/17537063 | title=Shaun Murphy loses to Lu Ning in China Open first round | publisher=BBC Sport | accessdate=3 June 2013}} However, in the second round Ali Carter won 5–1.{{cite web|title=2012 China Open results |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0,,13165~2395611,00.html |work=worldsnooker.com |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |accessdate=24 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118222743/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0%2C%2C13165~2395611%2C00.html |archivedate=18 January 2015 }}

=2012–13 season=

In the 2012/2013 season Lu was awarded a place in the wildcard round for five ranking events, losing at this stage in four of them.{{cite web | url=http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2012&player=908 | title=Lu Ning 2012/2013 | publisher=Snooker.org | accessdate=3 June 2013}} At the International Championship he beat Barry Pinches 6–5, before losing in the first round 6–4 to Ricky Walden. He played in all three of the new Asian Players Tour Championships, but could not advance beyond the third round in any of them to finish 45th on the Asian Order of Merit.{{cite web|title=Asian Order of Merit 2012/2013|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=26&season=2012|publisher=Snooker.org|accessdate=3 June 2013}}

=2013–14 season=

In July 2013 he became the IBSF Under 21 World Champion, defeating Zhou Yuelong 9–4 in the final.{{cite web|title=IBSF Snooker Championships U21 - Beijing China 2013 Knockout draw|url=http://ibsf.info/turnieje/2013/ms21/ms21_2013_knockout.php|publisher=IBSF|accessdate=19 July 2013}} He came through the wildcard round of the Wuxi Classic by beating Adam Duffy 5–3, before losing 5–1 to Matthew Stevens.{{cite web|title=Lu Ning 2013/2014|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2013&player=908|publisher=Snooker.org|accessdate=24 May 2014}} His Under-21 title earned him a two-year main tour card starting with the 2014/2015 season.{{cite web|url=http://ibsfnews.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=84:lu-ning-crowned-world-under-21-champ&Itemid=181 |title=Lu Ning crowned World Under-21 Champ |publisher=IBSF |accessdate=24 May 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110111613/http://ibsfnews.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=84%3Alu-ning-crowned-world-under-21-champ&Itemid=181 |archivedate=10 November 2014 }}

=2014–15 season=

Lu failed to qualify for any ranking events besides the UK Championship and the Welsh Open for which all players on the tour gain automatic entry at the venue stage. Lu lost 6–2 to Stephen Maguire in the first round of the UK and 4–0 to Ricky Walden at the Welsh.{{cite web|title=Lu Ning 2014/2015|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2014&player=908|publisher=Snooker.org|accessdate=10 April 2015}} He was placed world number 114 after his first season as a professional.{{cite web|title=World Rankings After 2015 World Championship|url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/rankings/|publisher=World Snooker|accessdate=8 May 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150507001308/http://www.worldsnooker.com/rankings/|archivedate=7 May 2015}}

=2015–16 season=

It was a similar story in the 2015/2016 season as Lu only reached the UK Championship and Welsh Open, losing in the first round of both.{{cite web | url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=908&season=2015 | title=Lu Ning 2015/2016 | publisher=Snooker.org | accessdate=20 March 2016}} He was relegated from the tour at the end of the season due to being ranked 101st in the world, well outside of the top 64.{{cite web | url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?cutoff=1&season=2016&template=25 | title=Historic Seedings After 2016 World Championship | publisher=Snooker.org | accessdate=24 September 2016}}

=2018–19 season=

Lu won his place on the snooker tour back for the 2018/19 season at the second event of 2018 Q School,{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/brown-earns-tour-return/|title = Brown Earns Tour Return|date = 25 May 2018}} losing only 7 frames in six matches. He stated that he felt 'mentally ready' to resurrect his professional career after two years playing only on the Chinese tour.

He reached his first last 16 in the Northern Ireland Open, beating Craig Steadman, Alan McManus and Hammad Miah, before losing to David Gilbert. He repeated the feat in next tournament, the UK Championship, where he beat Anthony McGill, Mark Joyce and Luca Brecel, before losing 6–5 to Tom Ford despite missing several chances to win.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rtbf.be/sport/dossier/actu-des-athletes-belges/detail_luca-brecel-elimine-au-troisieme-tour-de-l-uk-championship?id=10088725|title = Luca Brecel éliminé au troisième tour de l'UK Championship|date = 3 December 2018}}

In February, Lu reached his first ranking quarter-final at the Indian Open, beating Robert Milkins, Liam Highfield, Yan Bingtao and Stuart Bingham, before losing to eventual champion Matt Selt. The win against Bingham featured an amazing final frame clearance including a fluked blue and a fortunate kiss on the black.

In the following tournament, the Gibraltar Open, Lu went one better, beating three amateurs and professionals Shaun Murphy and Tian Pengfei before losing to defending champion Ryan Day. This semi-final lifted him inside the top 50 on the one-year ranking list.

Performance and rankings timeline

class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"

! Tournament

Ranking{{cite web|title=Ranking History|url=http://www.snooker.org/rnk/history.asp|publisher=Snooker.org|accessdate=6 February 2011}}It shows the ranking at the beginning of the season

|align="center"|He was an amateur

|align="center"|

|align="center"|New players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking

|align="center"|114

|align="center"|

|align="center"|65

|align="center"|51

|align="center"|35

|align="center"|34

colspan="20"|Ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Championship League

|align="center" colspan="9" style="color:#555555;"|Non-Ranking Event

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|RR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WD

|align="center" style="background:thistle;"|F

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|European Masters

|align="center" colspan="5" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|British Open

|align="center" colspan="10" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Northern Ireland Open

|align="center" colspan="5" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|UK Championship

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Scottish Open

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|MR

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|English Open

|align="center" colspan="5" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WD

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Grand Prix

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|WDLu was initially eligible to enter the World Grand Prix as he was in the Top 32 of the one-year ranking list at the cut-off point. However, he was suspended by the WPBSA before the cut-off point and thus he was withdrawn from participating in the tournament.

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Shoot Out

|align="center" colspan="5" style="color:#555555;"|Non-Ranking Event

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|German Masters

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Welsh Open

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Players ChampionshipThe event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2011/2012–2012/2013)

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|WST Classic

|align="center" colspan="11" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Tour Championship

|align="center" colspan="7" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|DNQ

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World Championship

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

colspan="20"|Non-ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Championship League

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|RR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

colspan="20"|Former ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Wuxi Classic

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|WR

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Australian Goldfields Open

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" colspan="20" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Shanghai Masters

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|WR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Non-Ranking

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Paul Hunter Classic

|align="center" colspan="5" style="color:#555555;"|Minor-Ranking Event

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Indian Open

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|China Open

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|WR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Riga MastersThe event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Minor-Ranking

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|International Championship

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|China Championship

|align="center" colspan="5" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|World OpenThe event was called the Haikou World Open (2011/2012–2013/2014)

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|WR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|LQ

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|WST Pro Series

|align="center" colspan="9" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Not Held

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Turkish Masters

|align="center" colspan="10" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Gibraltar Open

|align="center" colspan="4" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|MR

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

colspan="20"|Non-ranking tournaments

style="background:#EFEFEF;"|Haining Open

|align="center" colspan="3" style="color:#555555;"|Tournament Not Held

|align="center" colspan="2" style="color:#555555;"|Minor-Ranking

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|4R

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|A

|align="center" style="color:#555555;"|NH

class="wikitable" style="font-size:78%;"

bgcolor="#efefef"

! colspan="6"|Performance Table Legend

align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|LQ

| lost in the qualifying draw

| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|#R

| lost in the early rounds of the tournament
(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)

| align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF

| lost in the quarter-finals

align="center" style="background:yellow;"|SF

| lost in the semi-finals

| align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;"|F

| lost in the final

| align="center" style="background:#00ff00;"|W

| won the tournament

align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|DNQ

| did not qualify for the tournament

| align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|A

| did not participate in the tournament

| align="center" style="color:#555555;" width="30"|#R

| withdrew from the tournament

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"
style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"\|NH / Not Held	means an event was not held.
style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"\|NR / Non-Ranking Event	means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.
style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"\|R / Ranking Event	means an event is/was a ranking event.
style="text-align:center; color:#555555;" colspan="4"\|MR / Minor-Ranking Event	means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.