He's had a lot of close calls, has Ezekiel Lau. Instances when the result was anything but definitive and yet he ended up the also-ran. In 2012 he lost the final of the World Juniors by 0.11 to Jack Freestone. In 2015 he came within two heats of making the CT.

Last year, however, he got the rub of the green. Though he sat outside the Top 10 of the QS he staked a CT spot due to Kanoa Igarishi's double qualification.

So rather than a seamless transition from a succesful junior career to the opens, Lau has had his share of setbacks. Here's hoping the big fella has learnt from them, that he's become battle hardened and contest savvy, 'cos the CT could do with his flair.