Yu Delu

Yu made his first appearance at the China Open as a wild card in 2006. He defeated Andrew Norman, before losing to Graeme Dott in the last 32.{{cite web|title=Star Dragon Woods Villa Cup China Open 2006|url=http://www.snooker.org/trn/0506/co2006_res.shtml|publisher=Snooker.org|access-date=9 February 2011}} He was awarded a wild card for every China Open event between 2006 and 2011, and for the first three Shanghai Masters events in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

He recorded a maximum break during a China Snooker Professional Tour event in ZhengZhou against Jin Long on 20 September 2009. This made him the first person to score a 147 on the China Professional Tour. However, it is not recorded by World Snooker Association.

He was awarded a place on the 2011–12 professional Main Tour as a wildcard by World Snooker. In Yu's first ranking event qualifier, the Australian Goldfields Open he beat Michael White 5–4, Joe Swail 5–1 and Joe Jogia 5–2 before losing in the final qualifying round 5–0 to Ryan Day.{{cite web | url=http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=184&season=2011 | title=Yu Delu 2011/2012 | publisher=Snooker.org | access-date=12 May 2012}} Later in the season, he came through three qualifying matches to reach the wild-card round of the German Masters where he beat Chris Norbury 5–3.{{cite web | url=http://www.snookerdatabase.co.uk/FixtureList.aspx?EventKey=300 | title=2012 German Masters Results | publisher=Snooker Database | date=3 February 2012 | access-date=3 February 2012}} The result meant that he played in the main draw of a ranking event outside of China for the first time. Yu drew compatriot Ding Junhui in the last 32 and pulled off the result of his career to date as he won the first three frames before once again closing out the match 5–3. He couldn't replicate his form in the last 16, however, as he was beaten 2–5 by Stephen Lee.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/16814724 | title=German Masters scores and match schedule | work=BBC Sport }}

Yu reached the final qualifying round in three of the last four ranking events, losing to Andrew Higginson in the World Open and to seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry in both the China Open and World Championship. He was therefore one of the Scot's last opponents before his retirement.{{cite web | url=http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=153&season=2011 | title=Stephen Hendry 2011/2012 | publisher=Snooker.org | access-date=12 May 2012}}

Yu also had a good season in the minor-ranking Players Tour Championship series as he played in 11 of the 12 events, picking up two quarter-finals and two last 16 finishes to be placed 34th on the PTC Order of Merit.{{cite web|url=http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=10&season=2011|title=Order of Merit|publisher=WWW Snooker|date=8 January 2012|access-date=12 May 2012}} He finished his debut season ranked world number 58, inside the top 64 who guarantee their places for the 2012–13 season. Yu was also the highest ranked out of all the new players on the tour.{{cite web | url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/staticFiles/1d/b0/0,,13165~176157,00.pdf | title=Official World Ranking List for the 2012/2013 Season | access-date=12 May 2012}}

Yu had a disappointing 2012/2013 season as he could not qualify for any of the ranking events.{{cite web | url=http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=184&season=2012 | title=Yu Delu 2012/2013 | publisher=Snooker.org | access-date=17 April 2013}} He played in nine of the ten Players Tour Championship during the year, with his best finishes being three last 32 defeats to see him placed 63rd on the Order of Merit.{{cite web | url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=10 | title=Order of Merit 2012/2013 | publisher=Snooker.org | access-date=17 April 2013 | archive-date=28 April 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428072211/http://snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=10 | url-status=dead }} Yu did have an upturn in form in World Championship Qualifying, by defeating Ian Burns 10–2 and Jamie Burnett 10–6. His break of 140 against Burnett was the joint highest of his career to date and the second highest of the qualifying tournament.{{cite web|title=Betfair World Championship Qualifiers Centuries|url=http://livescores.worldsnookerdata.com/CenturyBreakList/Tournament/13298|work=worldsnookerdata.com|publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association|access-date=14 April 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412085400/http://livescores.worldsnookerdata.com/CenturyBreakList/Tournament/13298|archive-date=12 April 2013|url-status=dead}} Yu faced Mark King, just one match away from reaching the Crucible for the first time, and led 8–6 and 9–8, but lost the 18th frame on the colours and the deciding frame to be defeated 9–10.{{cite web | url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0,,13165~3144388,00.html | title=White Denied By Milkins | publisher=World Snooker | access-date=17 April 2013}} His ranking increased 11 places during the year to end it at world number 47.{{cite web | url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/staticFiles/49/bc/0,,13165~179273,00.pdf | title=Official World Snooker Ranking List For The 2013/2014 Season | publisher=World Snooker | access-date=24 May 2013}}

Yu lost in the first round of both the Indian Open and Shanghai Masters, before winning his first match in a ranking event at the UK Championship with a 6–3 victory over David Grace.{{cite web|title=Yu Delu 2013/2014|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2013&player=184|publisher=Snooker.org|access-date=16 April 2014}} His second round match against Matthew Stevens went into a deciding frame which lasted 40 minutes and hinged on a safety battle that Stevens won on the final pink.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/25180309 | title=Ding Junhui beats James Wattana at UK Championship | work=BBC Sport | access-date=16 April 2014}} Yu played in all four of the Asian Tour events and lost 4–1 to Alan McManus in the quarter-finals of the Yixing Open, with his only frame coming courtesy of a 117 break. At the final event, the Dongguan Open, Yu advanced to the semi-finals where he was beaten 4–2 by Liang Wenbo. His results saw him finish ninth on the Asian Order of Merit to claim the final spot in the Players Tour Championship Finals.{{cite web|title=Asian Order of Merit 2013/2014|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?template=26&season=2013|publisher=Snooker.org|access-date=16 April 2014}} There, he exacted revenge over Wenbo by winning their first round clash 4–2. He recorded the best result of his career to date in the next round by restricting reigning world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan to just two points from 3–2 down to win 4–3.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/26779679 | title=Ronnie O'Sullivan goes out to Yu Delu in Players' Championship | work=BBC Sport | access-date=16 April 2014}} In Yu's first ranking event quarter-final of his career, he was unable to recapture his prior form and was beaten 4–1 by Barry Hawkins.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/26795023 | title=Players' Championship: Judd Trump beats Joe Perry in quarters | work=BBC Sport | access-date=16 April 2014}} Yu continued his recent good play into the China Open with wins against Duane Jones and James Wattana to face Neil Robertson in the third round. The match lasted four hours with Yu just being edged out 5–4.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/26869687 | title=China Open 2014: Neil Robertson survives scare to reach quarters | work=BBC Sport | access-date=16 April 2014}}

Yu lost in the quarter-finals of the Yixing Open for the second year in a row, this time 4–1 to Ryan Day. He qualified for the Wuxi Classic but was beaten 5–4 by Yan Bingtao in the wildcard round, and lost 6–1 to Shaun Murphy in the opening round of the International Championship.{{cite web|title=Yu Delu 2014/2015|url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2014&player=184|publisher=Snooker.org|access-date=21 April 2015}} Yu recorded his first win of the year at a ranking event by knocking out Oliver Lines 6–2 in the UK Championship and, though he led 3–0, he would be beaten 6–4 by Stephen Maguire in the second round.{{cite news | url=http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/other-sport/snooker/oliver-wants-more-from-father-lines-in-o-sullivan-showdown-1-6979385 | title=Oliver wants more from father Lines in O'Sullivan showdown | newspaper=Yorkshire Evening Post | access-date=21 April 2015}}{{cite web | url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/robertson-survives-wilson-scare/ | title=Robertson Survives Wilson Scare | publisher=World Snooker | access-date=21 April 2015}} He received a bye through to the second round of the Welsh Open and was thrashed 4–0 by Joe Perry. In Yu's deciding frame of his first round match at the Indian Open he led Ben Woollaston 67–0, before the Englishman made a 67 break and won the respotted black.{{cite news | url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/snooker/billiards/Jones-puts-out-fancied-Wenbo-in-Indian-Open-Snooker/articleshow/46517952.cms | title=Jones puts out fancied Wenbo in Indian Open Snooker | newspaper=The Times of India | access-date=21 April 2015}} Yu closed out the season with a 5–3 loss to John Higgins in the first round of the China Open and reached the final round of World Championship qualifying where he was defeated 10–7 by Graeme Dott.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/32324312 | title=World Championship: Ken Doherty goes out to Mark Davis | work=BBC Sport | access-date=21 April 2015}}

A 6–1 victory over Chris Melling saw Yu qualify for the International Championship and he knocked out reigning world champion Stuart Bingham 6–2 in the first round.{{cite web | url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/bingham-falls-to-delu/ | title=Bingham Falls to Delu | publisher=World Snooker | access-date=2 April 2016}} He was edged out 6–5 by Ben Woollaston in the next round. Another second round exit followed at the UK Championship, 6–0 at the hands of Marco Fu.{{cite web | url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=184&season=2015 | title=Yu Delu 2015/2016 | publisher=Snooker.org | access-date=2 May 2016}} A trio of deciding frame victories over Ian Glover, Ricky Walden and Dechawat Poomjaeng saw Yu reach the last 16 of the Welsh Open, his deepest run a ranking event this season, and he lost 4–1 to Ronnie O'Sullivan.{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/35606204 | title=Ronnie O'Sullivan wins at Welsh Open but John Higgins is out | work=BBC Sport | access-date=2 April 2016}} In the first round of the China Open Yu lost 5–2 to Fu and he fell at the first hurdle in World Championship qualifying 10–9 to Paul Davison. He just held on to his top 64 ranking and therefore his tour place as he was 63rd in the world.{{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 | access-date=24 September 2016}}

Yu could not win a first round match in the 2016–17 season until the ninth event when he beat Ding Junhui 4–2 at the Northern Ireland Open, before losing 4–1 to Robbie Williams. He reached the third round of the UK Championship by defeating Nigel Bond 6–3 and Stuart Bingham 6–4, but lost 6–1 to Luca Brecel.{{cite web | url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?player=184&season=2016| title=Yu Delu 2016/2017| publisher=Snooker.org| access-date=26 February 2017}}

At the Scottish Open, Yu reached the semi-finals for the first time in his career in a ranking tournament, beating Josh Boileau, Mark Joyce, Daniel Wells, Sean O'Sullivan and Liang Wenbo, all in final frame deciders. He was defeated by Marco Fu, the eventual winner of the tournament, 6–1 in the semi-finals.{{cite web | url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/fu-sets-up-higgins-final/| title=Fu Sets Up Higgins Final| date=17 December 2016| publisher=World Snooker| access-date=26 February 2017}} Yu was eliminated 5–3 by Michael White in the first round of the China Open and got through to the final World Championship qualifying round, but lost 10–7 to Martin Gould.

On 25 May 2018, he was suspended from the tour for suspected match fixing.{{Cite web|url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/wpbsa-statement-cao-yupeng-and-yu-delu/|title = WPBSA Statement - Cao Yupeng and Yu Delu|date = 25 May 2018}} After a lengthy investigation, Yu was found guilty of match fixing and received a ban for 10 years and 9 months on 1 December 2018.

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Category:1987 births

Category:Chinese snooker players

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Shanxi

Category:Match fixers

Category:Banned sportspeople