Spat between Jimmy White, referee Ben Williams after 'error' in Northern Ireland Open

"I'll be very surprised if he doesn't win at least one or two world titles," O'Sullivan, a six-time world champion, told Eurosport. Nicknamed "The Chinese Tiger", Yan's roaring triumph in his Masters debut is the culmination of a long struggle which at times seemed destined to end in a heart-breaking whimper.

He was born in Zibo, in China's eastern province of Shandong, on February 16, 2000 and his first taste of holding a cue was on a rickety outdoor billiards table when he was seven years old. "I remember that it was uneven, there were leaves in the corners and the white ball went in a strange way," the state-run People's Daily quoted him as saying last year.

But Yan had talent and hoping that his boy had a future in the sport, his father Yan Dong quit his job at a pharmaceutical factory. Against the advice of friends and family, the pair left home and Yan quit school aged eight or nine so they could pursue his snooker dreams in Beijing. "To save money my father and I rented a room in the suburbs with just a bed and desk, costing 280 yuan ($45) a month," Yan said, comments that were widely regurgitated following his Masters feat.

In 2013 they were plunged into crisis when Yan's mother, the family bread-winner, was diagnosed with rectal cancer and needed an operation. Earning the money to fund his mother's recovery motivated him to enter "more and more" tournaments, the People's Daily said. At 13, with his reputation on the rise, Yan began competing as a wildcard at professional events. A year later, in 2014, Yan became the youngest winner of the World Amateur Snooker Championship.