Dean Young topped Group 8 – knocking out Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the process – as Championship League Snooker continued on Saturday in Leicester.
Scotland’s Young dropped off the main tour at the end of the 2024/25 campaign but has been invited to participate in this season’s opening ranking event as a top-up.
The 24 year-old seized his opportunity with a strong and undefeated display at the Mattioli Arena.
Young began the day with a 2-2 draw against Un-Nooh, who represented the eighth seed in the competition as one of the highest-ranked contenders.
Un-Nooh led 2-0 but could only sit and watch as his younger opponent compiled breaks of 82 and 107 to pinch an important point.
Young then secured back-to-back victories over Louis Heathcote and Reanne Evans, with Un-Nooh crucially only able to tie with the latter.
It continues a poor stretch of form for the Thai, who has badly struggled in the months after sensationally claiming the World Open crown in Yushan.
Pang Junxu finished in first place in Group 15, meanwhile.
The 26 year-old from China edged a tightly contested round-robin phase where four out of the six games ended in 2-2 draws.
Pang and countryman Luo Zetao managed to orchestrate a single triumph each, but the former’s 3-0 defeat of Fergal Quinn ultimately proved to the difference after Luo dropped a frame during his success over David Lilley.
Young and Pang will rejoin the event when Stage Two takes place in a couple of weeks.
There will be a rest day on Sunday before the action in Stage One resumes on Monday with Groups 18 and 29.
Hossein Vafaei is in Group 18 alongside Fan Zhengyi, Florian Nuessle, and Oliver Sykes, while Ben Woollaston has Noppon Saengkham, Liam Davies, and Huang Jiahao for company in Group 29.
Championship League Snooker represents the opening ranking event of the fledgling 2026/27 snooker season.
The overall winner on July 15th will take home £33,000 worth of prize money and ranking points, plus a ticket to the lucrative Champion of Champions invitational later this year.
Live coverage is available for Ireland and UK viewers on the Matchroom Multi Sport and Matchroom Pool YouTube channels.
Saturday, June 27
Group 8 Results
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-2 Dean Young
Louis Heathcote 3-0 Reanne Evans
Dean Young 3-1 Louis Heathcote
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 2-2 Reanne Evans
Dean Young 3-0 Reanne Evans
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 3-1 Louis Heathcote
Group 8 Table
1. Dean Young – 7 points
2. Thepchaiya Un-Nooh – 5 points
3. Louis Heathcote – 3 points
4. Reanne Evans – 1 point
Click here for more information about the tournament.
Group 15 Results
Pang Junxu 2-2 Luo Zetao
David Lilley 2-2 Fergal Quinn
Luo Zetao 3-1 David Lilley
Pang Junxu 3-0 Fergal Quinn
Fergal Quinn 2-2 Luo Zetao
Pang Junxu 2-2 David Lilley
Group 15 Table
1. Pang Junxu – 5 points
2. Luo Zetao – 5 points
3. David Lilley – 2 points
4. Fergal Quinn – 2 points
Featured photo credit: WST
