Li Hang (; born 4 October 1990) is a Chinese former professional snooker player who, in 2023, was permanently banned from the sport after committing a range of match-fixing offences. Li first competed professionally during the 2008–09 season. His best performances during his professional career were reaching two ranking semi-finals. He reached a career high of 28th in the snooker world rankings in 2019.
In December 2022, the WPBSA suspended Li from the professional tour amid a match-fixing investigation. In January 2023, it charged him with fixing a match, being concerned in fixing matches, approaching a player to fix a match, seeking to obstruct the investigation, and betting on snooker matches. Following an independent disciplinary tribunal, Li and compatriot Liang Wenbo were permanently banned from the sport, the only two lifetime bans ever handed down in professional snooker.
Career
Early years Li was entered into the wildcard round of the China Open as an amateur player for three consecutive years from 2006. He lost at this stage in 2006 and 2008, but in 2007 he beat Ian Preece 5–4 to reach the first round of a ranking event for the first time, where he lost 1–5 to 1997 world champion Ken Doherty. In April 2008, Li won the ACBS Asian Under-21 Snooker Championship with a 6–1 success over Li Yuan in the final. The title earned him a place on the 2008–09 snooker tour.
Professional debut His first tournament as a professional was the 2008 Jiangsu Classic, where he finished last in his group, although he managed to beat the 2008 World Championship runner-up Ali Carter 2–0. In qualifying for the first ranking event of the year, the Northern Ireland Trophy, Li beat Robert Stephen 5–1 and David Morris 5–4 to reach the last qualifying round, where he was defeated 2–5 by Andrew Higginson. This was the closest he came to reaching the main stage of a tournament during the season, with it ending when Li lost 9–10 to Daniel Wells in the second round of World Championship qualifying. Li finished the year ranked world number 71.
2009/2010 season Li entered qualifying for five of the six ranking events during the 2009–10 season, losing in the first round in the UK Championship, China Open and World Championship. At the Grand Prix he saw off Brendan O'Donoghue and David Roe both by last frame deciders, before losing 3–5 to Mark Davis. Li enjoyed his best run in qualifying for the Welsh Open, reaching the final round by eliminating Ian Preece, Jin Long and Mike Dunn, but was then beaten 4–5 by Fergal O'Brien. However, his performances were not enough for him to retain his place on tour as he finished the season ranked 81st in the world, outside of the top 64 who remained.
Wildcard years Competing as an amateur after losing his place on the main tour, Li could not enter qualifying for any ranking events. In the next three seasons he was placed into the wildcard round for five events in his homeland of China. The best run of his career to date came in the 2011 China Open by beating Ken Doherty 5–1 in the wildcard round and Graeme Dott 5–4 in the first round. By facing Shaun Murphy in the second round he played his third former world champion in succession and led 3–1 before being edged out 4–5. He also reached the first round the following year, but was whitewashed 0–5 by Mark Selby. In 2011 and 2012 Li entered Qualifying School in an attempt to win back his place on the tour, but was unsuccessful on each occasion. In the 2012–13 season Li entered all three of the new minor-ranking Asian Players Tour Championship events. He lost in the first round of the opener and the second round of the next, but then produced a fantastic result at Event 3. He won three matches to reach the quarter-finals and then beat compatriot Zhang Anda 4–2 and established top 32 player Robert Milkins 4–1 in the semis. In his first final in a professional event Li faced Stuart Bingham and raced into a 3–1 lead with a high break of 83 before his opponent came back to win the last three frames to edge the match 4–3. The result saw him finish fourth on the Asian Order of Merit, inside the top eight who qualified for the 2013–14 snooker tour. It also gave him a place in the PTC Finals, but he lost 0–4 to Barry Hawkins in the first round.
Rejoining the tour Li beat Mark Joyce in his opening match of the 2013–14 season to reach the first round of the Wuxi Classic where he made three breaks over 50 to establish a 3–0 lead over world number three Judd Trump and went on to seal a 5–2 win, the best of his career so far. He was edged out 5–4 by compatriot Xiao Guodong in the following round. At the UK Championship, Li beat David Gilbert and Andrew Higginson both by 6–4 scorelines to face world number one Neil Robertson in the last 32. Li gave the Australian a competitive game but lost 6–3, with Robertson stating afterwards that Li was much better than his ranking suggested and that his safety play had particularly impressed him. Li also qualified for the German Masters and China Open but lost 5–3 to ranking event winners Barry Hawkins and Marco Fu. Li whitewashed former world champion Peter Ebdon at the Welsh Open, before being beaten 4–1 by Anthony Hamilton in the last 64. Li was ranked world number 85 at the end of the season.
2014/2015 season Li won four matches at the Yixing Open, before losing 4–3 to Michael Holt in the quarter-finals. He defeated Nigel Bond, David Morris and Mark Joyce all by 5–2 scorelines to qualify for the Shanghai Masters, where he was beaten 5–3 by Stuart Bingham in the first round. At the International Championship, Li thrashed four-time world champion John Higgins 6–1 and Zhao Xintong also 6–1 to reach the last 16. A third 6–1 result followed, however it was Li's opponent Ronnie O'Sullivan who recorded it to end his tournament. Compatriot Liang Wenbo eliminated Li 5–1 in the first round of the German Masters. His second last 16 match in a ranking event came at the Indian Open thanks to wins over Allan Taylor and Stuart Carrington, but he lost 4–2 to Michael White. Following 10–1 and 10–7 victories over Chris Melling and Gary Wilson he stood one win away from qualifying for the World Championship for the first time. Li held 3–0 and 8–5 leads over Carrington but would ultimately lose 10–9. He ended a season inside the top 64 in the rankings for the first time as he was 55th.
2015/2016 season Li lost in the qualifying rounds for the first three ranking events of the 2015–16 season. A pair of 6–5 victories over Lee Walker and Ricky Walden saw him advance to the third round of the UK Championship, where he lost 6–3 to Jamie Burnett. Li was knocked out in the second round of the Welsh Open by Joe Perry and the only other ranking event he qualified for was the China Open, but he was beaten 5–3 by Walker in the first round.
Performance and rankings timeline Tournaments 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23RankingsFrom the 2010/2011 season it shows the ranking at the beginning of the seasonHe was an amateurNew players on the Main Tour don't have a ranking71855552583629443848Ranking tournamentsChampionship LeagueNot HeldNon-Ranking Event2RARREuropean MastersThe event was called the Malta Cup (2005/2006–2007/2008)AANRTournament Not HeldLQLQ1RLQ1R1RWDBritish OpenTournament Not Held2R1RNorthern Ireland OpenTournament Not Held1R2R4R2R1RLQ3RUK ChampionshipAAALQLQAAA3R1R3R1R4R2R4R3R2RLQScottish OpenTournament Not HeldMRTournament Not Held3R3R1R2RSFQFLQEnglish OpenTournament Not Held2R2R1R2R1R2RLQWorld Grand PrixTournament Not HeldNRDNQDNQ1RDNQ1R1RDNQDNQShoot OutTournament Not HeldNon-Ranking Event4R1RQF3RWD1RAGerman MastersTournament Not HeldAAA1R1RLQLQLQ1RLQLQLQWDWelsh OpenAAALQLQAAA2R2R2R1RWD1R1R1R1RAPlayers ChampionshipThe event was called the Players Tour Championship Grand Finals (2010/2011–2012/2013)Tournament Not HeldAA1RDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQWST ClassicTournament Not HeldATour ChampionshipTournament Not HeldDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQWorld ChampionshipAAALQLQAAALQLQLQLQLQ1RALQLQANon-ranking tournamentsThe MastersAAALQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAChampionship LeagueNot HeldAAAAAAAAAAAAARRAASix-red World ChampionshipThe event was called the Six-red Snooker International (2008/2009) and the Six-red World Grand Prix (2009/2010)Tournament Not HeldAAANHRRAAAAAAANot HeldAFormer ranking tournamentsNorthern Ireland TrophyNRAALQTournament Not HeldBahrain ChampionshipTournament Not HeldLQTournament Not HeldWuxi ClassicThe event was called the Jiangsu Classic (2008/2009–2009/2010)Tournament Not HeldNon-Ranking EventWR2RLQTournament Not HeldAustralian Goldfields OpenTournament Not HeldAALQLQLQTournament Not HeldShanghai MastersNot HeldALQWDWRWRALQ1RLQLQLQNon-RankingTournament Not HeldPaul Hunter ClassicPro-am EventMinor-Ranking Event3RAANRTournament Not HeldIndian OpenTournament Not HeldLQ3RNHLQ1RQFTournament Not HeldChina OpenWR1RWRLQLQ2R1RA1RLQ1R2RLQ3RTournament Not HeldRiga MastersThe event was called the Riga Open (2014/2015–2015/2016)Tournament Not HeldMinor-Ranking2RLQ2RQFTournament Not HeldInternational ChampionshipTournament Not HeldALQ3RLQ2R2R1RLQTournament Not HeldChina ChampionshipTournament Not HeldNRSFLQ2RTournament Not HeldWorld OpenTournament Not HeldAAALQNot HeldLQQFLQ1RTournament Not HeldWST Pro SeriesTournament Not HeldRRNot HeldTurkish MastersTournament Not HeldLQNHGibraltar OpenTournament Not HeldMRA2RA4R1RWDNHFormer non-ranking tournamentsBeijing International ChallengeTournament Not HeldALQTournament Not HeldWuxi ClassicTournament Not HeldRRRRAARanking EventTournament Not HeldShoot OutTournament Not HeldAAAAA2RRanking EventHaining OpenTournament Not HeldMinor-RankingF4RFFNHANH Performance Table LegendLQ lost in the qualifying draw#R lost in the early rounds of the tournament(WR = Wildcard round, RR = Round robin)QF lost in the quarter-finalsSF lost in the semi-finalsF lost in the finalW won the tournamentDNQ did not qualify for the tournamentA did not participate in the tournamentWD withdrew from the tournament NH / Not Held means an event was not held.NR / Non-Ranking Event means an event is/was no longer a ranking event.R / Ranking Event means an event is/was a ranking event.MR / Minor-Ranking Event means an event is/was a minor-ranking event.
Career finals
Minor-ranking finals: 1 Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final ScoreRunner-up 1. 2012 Stuart Bingham 3–4
Non-ranking finals: 4 Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final ScoreRunner-up 1. 2005 HK Spring Trophy Jin Long#Runner-up 2. 2016 Haining Open 3–5Runner-up 3. 2018 Haining Open (2) Mark Selby 4–5Runner-up 4. 2019 Haining Open (3) Thepchaiya Un-Nooh 3–5
Amateur finals: 2 (1 title) Outcome No. Year Championship Opponent in the final Score Winner 1. 2008 ACBS Asian Under-21 Championship Li Yuan 6–1Runner-up 1. 2010 IBSF World Under-21 Championship Sam Craigie 8–9
References
External links