Xiao Guodong finally captured his first ranking title, 17 years on from turning professional, holding off a Si Jiahui fightback and winning 10-7 in the final of the Wuhan Open.
Victory is the fulfilment of a lifetime ambition for Xiao, who originally clinched a place on the circuit back in 2007 after winning the Asian Under-21 Championship.
Today’s showdown was the third final between two players from mainland China. The first came in 2013, when Xiao lost out 10-6 against the legendary Ding Junhui at the Shanghai Masters.
Xiao’s triumph makes him mainland China’s seventh ranking event winner. It’s been a journey which has seen the 35-year-old come close on several occasions, without quite securing silverware. He’s made four other semi-finals and was runner-up to Anthony McGill at the 2017 Shoot Out.
He earns £140,000 for the victory, the biggest payday of his career. It sees Xiao move to 18th in the world rankings, leaping up from 29th position.
Although defeat will be a bitter pill to swallow for Si, he can reflect on a landmark week. The 22-year-old crafted the first 147 break of his career in his 6-2 semi-final win over world number one Judd Trump. That prompted Trump to admit that it was the finest performance anyone has ever produced against him.
World number 13 Si leaves Wuhan with the consolation of £63,000, which consolidates his place in the top 16 and means he all but secures his place in January’s prestigious Johnstone’s Paint Masters.
They came into this evening’s session with Xiao leading 6-3. That soon became 7-3 when he claimed the opener tonight.
Si responded in impressive fashion with a run of 109 to reduce his arrears, before 113 from Xiao in the 12th made it 8-4. He then moved just a frame from victory when a break of 77 put him 9-4 in front.
From that moment Si sprung into life and piled on the pressure. Contributions of 76, 131 and 83 gave him three on the bounce, closing in to just two behind at 9-7.
Si had the first opportunity in the 17th, but missed a difficult red to the green pocket on 46. Xiao got himself back into the frame and eventually laid a brutal snooker on the last red, with the white welded to the green near the baulk cushion. After three attempts, Si left a clear-cut chance for Xiao, who obliged to get over the line and claim glory.
“Before winning a title, I thought the moment of victory would be incredibly exciting. I’m really happy now, but it’s not as overwhelming as I imagined. Nevertheless, I feel that all the hard work over the years has finally paid off. For a player, winning a title is extremely important. I turned professional in 2007 and after 17 years of competing, I’ve finally won my first ranking title. No matter what, it’s all been worth it.”
Xiao Guodong
Wuhan Open Champion
Xiao added: “Si played very well today and we had a high quality final. Having two Chinese players reaching the final on home soil, the crowd were incredibly enthusiastic. Si’s comeback in the last few frames made me quite nervous. This title goes to me for now, but he’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future.
“The young Chinese players now are already extremely talented. I believe they just need a bit of time and as long as they adjust their mindset and break through their own barriers, they’ll succeed. Whether it’s Si Jiahui or players like Wu Yize, Yuan Sijun or Pang Junxu, I think they all have the chance to become the next Chinese champion.
“I want to thank the spectators for coming to watch the match. I also want to thank my parents for guiding me on this path and today I finally made it. A big thank you to all the fans who support me and the friends who have helped me, I finally won a tournament.“
Si said: “I was a bit nervous in the final, but I have no regrets. I played well enough. It’s a bit of a pity, but it’s okay. I’ll come back next time and aim to win my first title.
“The Masters is an opportunity to play against the top 16 players, which is a great chance to learn from them. Gaining experiences like these will be very helpful for me in the future.“
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Not much to add. Si will learn from this defeat and come back stronger next time he plays in a final, which I’m sure will happen in a not too long distant future. As for Xiao Guodong, I’m very happy for him. During my time on tour I got to know him as a hard worker and a positive character, one who once reacted to a very disappointing defeat in a World qualifier match by going out and getting his hair dyed bright pink in an attempt to cheer himself up… I wonder if he may do this time in celebration of his first ranking title 😄
The Delta Moon Snooker Club in Mons, Belgium will host the sixth event of the WPBSA Q Tour Europe series on 10-12 January 2025.
The location is a change from the initially announced Zurich, Switzerland and the tournament will now take place on the same dates in Mons, Belgium – which previously staged a Q Tour event in October 2022.
Should any player have made non-refundable travel/accommodation bookings for the event in Zurich prior to this announcement, they are invited to contact us at info@wpbsa.com with evidence of their booking for any reimbursement to be considered.
The updated remaining provisional Q Tour Europe dates are:
Q Tour 4 – 8-10 November 2024 – Club 200, UK
Q Tour 5 – 13-15 December 2024 – Vienna, AUSTRIA
Q Tour 6 – 10-12 January 2025 – Delta Moon Club, Mons, BELGIUM
Q Tour 7 – 7-9 February 2025 – Landywood Snooker Club, UK
All dates are provisional and subject to change.
I guess that many players will be happy with that change. Going to Belgium instead of Switzerland will probably be cheaper and with less administrative hassle too.
RONNIE O’SULLIVAN SAYS HE IS IN DECLINE BEFORE INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP – ‘THERE’S NOT MUCH FUN IN IT AT THE MOMENT’
BY JONNY BRAY
Ronnie O’Sullivan is quite possibly the greatest player snooker has ever seen, but he believes he is not as good a he once was. The seven-time World Championship winner has not competed since the 2024 English Open in September. He has hinted that he could be back soon. The Rocket added that he wants to compete for pleasure rather than to win the top titles.
Ronnie O’Sullivan believes his skills with a snooker cue are waning after over three decades of brilliance.
The 48-year-old did not take part in the 2024 Wuhan Open, having pulled out of the British Open in September shortly before his opening-round clash with Manasawin Phetmalaikul.
O’Sullivan did hint that he could return for the 2024 International Championship in Nanjing, China.
However, he also cast doubt on his long-term future in the sport, suggesting that he has been in decline for a while.
“If you go by other people, you can see that gradually they lose whatever they had,” he told The Independent. “That’s been happening for quite a while for me.
“The thing that frustrates me is I’m not playing great.
“Once that zip isn’t there, I don’t know, there’s not much fun in it at the moment.
“I’m enjoying just having time to myself, not having to practice, not having to be away.
“Maybe I’ll play in the next one in November [International Championship].
“I’ll see, if I’m still enjoying not playing, then I won’t play.
“I’ll delay it until I feel like it.”
O’Sullivan has won the World Championship seven times, most recently in 2022.
His latest tournament appearance was at the English Open earlier this year, when he was eliminated in the last 64.
‘The Rocket’ insists winning or losing does not matter to him, and that he much prefers the enjoyment that comes with playing well.
However, he admitted he wished he was a more “results-driven” player.
“I wish I was a bit more results-driven and win-driven, like Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis,” he added.
“If you’re more like that, then you can go ‘Oh, I won – great.’
“I think for Hendry especially, it was all about winning.
“They’re different animals.
“But I’m not, I’m much more like ‘Did I play a good game? Did I hit the ball well? Am I enjoying it? Am I feeling the buzz from it?’
“If I’m doing all that, I don’t need to win – you just can’t wait to get your cue out of your case.
“It becomes a bit more feeling-based and emotion-based.
“That’s probably not the best way to be.
“In hindsight, I would have much rather been the other way, but you feel how you feel in your heart.”
So although Ronnie has not officially withdrawn from the 2024 Northern Ireland Open1 I would be very surprised if he showed up and even the International Championship seems to be in serious doubt… 😞
Not great but as as he would put it himself “it is what it is…”
Oh… and a small piece of news …
There is a new Ronnie O’Sullivan snooker academy … in Saudi Arabia … it just opened and Nigel Bond has been appointed as the head coach there. Nigel is a really excellent coach.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: ‘I wish I was more like Hendry and Davis’
Exclusive: The greatest snooker player of all time tells Luke Baker why he is still envious of his rivals, whether it’s possible to stop the decline he feels he’s in and where the sport’s next star is coming from
Ronnie O’Sullivan has won a record-equalling seven world snooker titles but envies some of his rivals (Getty Images)
Ronnie O’Sullivan’s most recent World Championship title, won so emotionally at the iconic Crucible Theatre in 2022, more or less ended the debate surrounding snooker’s greatest player of all time.
By claiming the world title for a seventh time, O’Sullivan equalled Stephen Hendry’s modern-era record, having already surpassed the Scot for most ranking titles (currently 41 and counting) and becoming the first man to make 1,000 century breaks in professional competition.
He never quite dominated snooker in the same way that Hendry did in the 1990s or Steve Davis had in the decade prior but has instead enjoyed a scarcely believable longevity at the very top. After all, this was a career that really burst into life when a 17-year-old snooker-obsessed teenager from Essex became the youngest-ever ranking event winner at the 1993 UK Championship and he’s still claiming titles in 2024 at the age of 48.
Throw in a captivating, swashbuckling, seemingly effortless style of play that means The Rocket’s reputation as a sporting genius has long since transcended snooker’s narrow confines, and GOAT status is undisputed.
Yet as those who have followed his rollercoaster career, or watched his candid, raw 2023 documentary The Edge of Everything will be painfully aware, the almost endless trophies and triumphs haven’t always brought him happiness or satisfaction. Many a whitewash victory against an overmatched opponent has been followed by O’Sullivan slating his own performance for not quite reaching the impossibly perfect standards he demands of himself.
So perhaps it should come as no surprise that, in an exclusive interview with The Independent, he reveals that he yearns to be more like those who came before him.
“I wish I was a bit more results-driven and win-driven, like Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis,” says O’Sullivan. “If you’re more like that, then you can go ‘Oh, I won – great. I lost – p****d off. I just need to win next time.’ I think for Hendry especially, it was all about winning. They’re different animals.
“But I’m not, I’m much more like ‘Did I play a good game? Did I hit the ball well? Am I enjoying it? Am I feeling the buzz from it?’ If I’m doing all that, I don’t need to win – you just can’t wait to get your cue out of your case. It becomes a bit more feeling-based and emotion-based.
“That’s probably not the best way to be. In hindsight, I would have much rather been the other way. But you feel how you feel in your heart.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry were rivals on the snooker table (Getty Images)But O’Sullivan has admitted he wishes he was more like his old foe (Getty Images)
It’s hard to imagine the athlete considered the greatest in any other sport longing to be more like their rivals. The idea of Michael Jordan wanting to channel Magic Johnson or Tiger Woods wishing he was more Phil Mickelson-esque is preposterous.
But O’Sullivan has never shied away from expressing what he feels at any given moment, even if it seems illogical to an outsider and inconsistent with what he said as recently as the previous day.
Despite 2024 having seen him win multiple tournaments and reach numerous other finals and semi-finals, the world No 5 has recently spoken about his belief that his snooker game is in decline and that he’s not the player he was a few years ago. It’s part of the reason he’s withdrawn from the British Open and Wuhan Open in recent weeks, with the upcoming Northern Ireland Open also likely to be skipped, and he is in no rush to set a definitive timeline for his return to the baize.
“If you go by other people, you can see that gradually they lose whatever they had,” he explains. “That’s been happening for quite a while for me. The thing that frustrates me is I’m not playing great. Once that zip isn’t there, I don’t know… there’s not much fun in it at the moment.
“I’m enjoying just having time to myself, not having to practice, not having to be away. Maybe I’ll play in the next one in November (International Championship in Nanjing, China]. I’ll see – if I’m still enjoying not playing, then I won’t play. I’ll delay it until I feel like it.”
O’Sullivan is a seven-time world champion but has often been fed up with snooker (PA Wire)
Even a Ronnie O’Sullivan at 70 per cent could still compete at the top end of the snooker tour and he’s worked closely with renowned sports psychologist Dr Steve Peters over the years to help him through previous dips.
“I can always work with Steve – it’s whether I want to do that,” he adds. “Do I want to engage, invest that amount of time and energy into it? At the moment it’s definitely not something I want to do. Maybe in another three or six months but at the moment I’m enjoying doing whatever I want.
“I’ve won most of my tournaments not playing great. I know you don’t have to play well to win. I think I need to play better than I am now, though. I used to be able to play not great and win but I don’t think I can do that anymore. I think I’ve got to play well to have a chance of winning a tournament. The margins are a lot less for me, I suppose.
“At least I’m not sitting here saying that having not won a world title or not won a tournament. I’ve got plenty in the trophy cabinet. I’ve got no regrets.”
O’Sullivan is speaking as his third autobiography, Unbreakable, is released in paperback and insists that after those books, plus his documentary, he’s now finished producing memoirs.
He also dismisses a suggestion that he could follow in Hendry’s footsteps and start his own YouTube channel, a la the Scot’s popular Cue Tips where interviews a variety of guests while playing a frame of snooker against them.
“Nah. I don’t like meeting people,” laughs O’Sullivan. “I like people, I just don’t like meeting them… I see some of the people he interviews and I think ‘If you told me I had to go and talk to that guy…’ I don’t know them, I’d just be dreading it, so nah, I’m a more behind the scenes sort of person. That’s why you don’t hear much about me…”
O’Sullivan won his seventh world title in 2022 and shared a nice moment with beaten rival Judd Trump after the final (AFP via Getty Images)O’Sullivan is widely regarded as the greatest snooker player of all time (AFP via Getty Images)
The debate over where the next generation of snooker superstars are coming from has raged for years. With the sport’s biggest names almost all in their forties, there is an eagerness for the sport to find a younger crossover star.
With the decline of the previously thriving amateur snooker scene of the 1980s and 1990s that helped create the likes of O’Sullivan, John Higgins and Mark Williams, it is now harder for a British player to really hone their craft before entering the professional ranks.
The popularity of snooker in China has grown hugely over the past two decades. With multiple ranking events hosted there, 12 of the world’s top 50 players hail from the country. And although the long-promised Chinese revolution is yet to lead to their first world champion, O’Sullivan remains convinced that is where snooker’s centre of power will shift.
“They just put more into their academies and their youngsters and create an environment where they can become brilliant players,” he explains. “It’s a bit like the Kenyans with running – they all train together and then pick the three or four best to go to the Olympics. That’s what they do with snooker in China.
“That academy set-up is similar to the amateur snooker scene back in the Eighties and Nineties. Just being in that type of environment, you learned a lot from the other players. There was always healthy competition and rivalries – you see someone doing well and it drove you on to think ‘I’ll work harder’. They have that with the academy system, which I think is a great, great idea.
“It’s kind of impossible for the young players in the UK without that. Maybe one can come through? But it’s so much easier if you can surround yourself with other fantastic players. Watch, learn and pick up stuff. It’s being in that environment, it’s such a huge help.”
And if anyone knows what it takes to reach the very top, it’s the greatest snooker player of all time.
Or ay least it’s not been officially announced… yet ↩︎
We will have an all Chinese final tomorrow in Wuhan. It will be Xiao Guodong vs Si Jiahui. Both finalist came out the winners of rather extraordinary matches.
Xiao Guodong won five straight frames to come from behind and beat Long Zehuang 6-4 in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open.
Victory for 35-year-old Xiao sees him reach the third ranking final of his career, where he will be chasing his first title triumph. China’s Xiao will face either compatriot Si Jiahui or world number one Judd Trump in tomorrow’s final.
The world number 29 reached a maiden title match back in 2013, when he and Ding Junhui made history at the Shanghai Masters and contested the first ever ranking final between two Chinese players. The match went Ding’s way by a 10-6 scoreline. He was also runner-up to Anthony McGill at the 2017 Shoot Out.
Defeat for Long ends what has been the most significant week of his fledgling career, which is only in its second season. The 27-year-old picked an appropriate event to reach his maiden ranking semi-final, as he comes from Wuhan.
Long beat Mark Selby to qualify and has defeated the likes of Jackson Page and Jack Lisowski out in China this week. Those results delighted his fans and family looking on from the stands, but today proved to be a bridge too far.
When the match got underway it was Long who came flying out of the traps. He registered the highest break of the tournament so far with a run of 141, as well as a contribution of 104, on his way to leading 4-1.
However, from there it was the more experienced Xiao who took charge of proceedings. Five frames on the bounce, including breaks of 130, 112 and 91, were enough to see him blitz from behind to secure the win.
Xiao said: “I’m really happy to make it to the final. Long Zehuang played well today too. Before 4-1 down, he put me under a lot of pressure. Long has only been a professional for two years and I think he has a lot of potential. This tournament in particular will give him a significant boost to his career. His family was here supporting him, and that definitely helped him.
“I remember when myself and Ding became the first players to face each other in a ranking final back in 2013. It attracted a lot of attention. Now that I’ve reached another final here, I hope to see more Chinese players making it this far in home tournaments. This would show that snooker in China has a very bright future. For the younger players, every improvement is an inspiration. Now, Ding doesn’t have as much pressure as before, when he was carrying it all by himself back then.“
We will see more of Long I’m sure. He will be disappointed today, but hopefully in a few days he will be able to take stock of all the positives this week brought him. He should be proud of himself, despite today’s defeat.
The evening match produced an unexpected but totally deserved result. Si Jiahui defeated Judd Trump by 6-2, in a very high quality match and he scored a 147, his first, in the process.
Si Jiahui produced the performance of his career so far with a 6-2 victory over world number one Judd Trump in the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open.
An incredible display saw the Chinese 22-year-old rack up 672 points, including three centuries and the first ever 147 break of his career.
The landmark result has seen Si score a first ever victory over Trump. Coming into today Si had lost their previous six meetings, including this year’s German Masters final.
He now faces the prospect of the third all-Chinese ranking final in the history of snooker against Xiao Guodong. The pair will do battle over the best of 19 frames in tomorrow’s title match, where a top prize of £140,000 will be on the line. Both players are gunning for a maiden ranking title.
Trump departs having continued his relentless consistency, which has seen him surge clear at the top of the world rankings. The Ace in the Pack has reached at least the quarter-finals in every single ranking event in 2024 and has already won the Shanghai Masters and the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters this season.
It was Trump who started this evening’s match at an electric pace, with a century run of 109 to take the opener. However, Si responded in devastating fashion with 144 and 61 to move 2-1 ahead. He then produced a moment of pure magic, with a 147 maximum break to send his home fans into raptures and head into the mid-session 3-1 ahead.
When play resumed, Trump had the first opportunity, but could only muster 59. That wasn’t enough, as Si ruthlessly punished with a frame winning run of 81.
Trump showed some resistance with a break of 89 in the sixth to make it 4-2. However, further contributions of 108 and 71 helped Si complete a remarkable victory.
“This time I kept a calm mindset playing against Judd. I’ve lost a lot of matches whilst making 60+ breaks against him before, so I didn’t think too much about beating him. I just focused on learning from him and playing my own game. Today, I didn’t feel much pressure, so I played very smoothly,” said world number 13 Si.
“I’d give myself nine out of ten for the performance, with one point off for my safeties. My safety play was still pretty poor and I feel like that’s the area I need to focus on improving the most. In terms of potting and other aspects, I’ve been getting better with each match.
“Luck was on my side and I’m really happy to have made a 147. I’ve seen a lot of professional players make their first and second maximum breaks, but I hadn’t even made one. I’ve been eager to score one and today I finally did it.”
Afterwards, Trump was philosophical about the result, but waxed lyrical about the potential of his counterpart.
Trump said: “This is the best performance there has been against me, by quite far. Apart from maybe John Higgins and the odd Ronnie performance, this is as well as you can play. He wasn’t even touching the knuckles, everything was going in clean. It was like an exhibition game for him at the end. He was enjoying it so much and would have wanted to stay out there all night.
“From what I’ve seen he is an absolute mile clear of anyone his age or within five years of him. It is difficult to keep playing like that, but it shows he has got it in there. Now people have seen that, there will be a lot more pressure on him to win the World Championship and win events.”
SI MAKES STUNNING MAXIMUM
There isn’t much to add. Si Jiahui played close to perfection in large spells in this match, as Judd Trump duly acknowledged. If he can play that way tomorrow, he should win the tournament.
But, of course, tomorrow is another day and Xiao Guodong is the more experienced of the two. Both will feel pressure for sure, playing in a final in their own country, China. Xiao Guodong has already experienced such pressure as mentioned in the WST report above. He was involved in the first ever all Chinese ranking final and it was on home soil too, in Shanghai. For Si Jiahui it’s an entirely new territory but this young man seems to have a solid head on his young shoulders. It will be fascinating.
The EBSA Seniors and Women Championships started yesterday in Algarve, Portugal. You will find everything you want/need to know here. There are competitions for senior men, women (all age) as well as team competitions, and a shoot-out competition. There is also a disability event on the calendar.
There are 77 players involved in the seniors competition, with mainland Europe countries strongly represented1. There are 22 women players competing in Algarve … with Belgium being the country with the bigger representation: they have 4 players in the draw, including Wendy Jans.
Proof once again that the argument to justify the “historical” UK centric organisation of WST – that allegedly snooker in the past was essentially a UK/Ireland thing – is simply untrue. ↩︎
The outcome of the quarter-finals at the 2024 Wuhan Open yesterday guaranties that there will be a Chinese player in the final. Here are the reports by WST on what happened at the table.
China’s Xiao Guodong produced a devastating display to thrash 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy 5-1 and reach the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open.
Victory for Xiao sees him reach the semis of a ranking event on Chinese soil. The 35-year-old was runner-up to Ding Junhui in the 2013 Shanghai Masters. However, despite making the title match at the 2017 Shoot Out, he hasn’t made a full format final since 2013. Tomorrow he has the opportunity to reach a second ranking final when he faces compatriot Long Zehuang.
Today’s result acts as revenge for 35-year-old Xiao after a quarter-final loss at the hands of Murphy in the recent inaugural running of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, where Murphy prevailed 6-2.
Xiao came firing out of the traps this afternoon with three back-to-back century runs of 139, 113 and 125 to immediately pull clear at 3-0. A run of 75 in the next moved him just a frame away from victory at 4-0 heading into the mid-session.
When play resumed Murphy showed his class with a 112 to respond to the barrage of breaks from Xiao and reduce his arrears. However, there was to be no comeback, with Xiao clinching the tie in the sixth to emerge a 5-1 victor.
“I got into my rhythm faster than Shaun and I capitalized on the opportunities he gave me. In the first four frames, I made hardly any mistakes. That helped me build a solid lead and lay a good foundation for the rest of the match,” said world number 29 Xiao.
“To be honest, I wasn’t favored in this draw, going up against Kyren Wilson, Barry Hawkins, and Shaun Murphy. They are all tough opponents, so I’m just glad I was able to showcase my game.
“It’s great that two Chinese players have reached the semi-finals in a Chinese event, guaranteeing a spot in the final for one of us. Congratulations to Long Zehuang. We’re very close and we play together every day at Ding’s Academy and often eat together. I’m really happy to be facing him on such a big stage.”
Long earned his place in a maiden semi-final with a 5-1 demolition of six-time ranking event finalist Jack Lisowski.
Former World Junior 9-ball Champion Long is competing in front of his home fans this week in Wuhan, having grown up in the region. It was an emotional moment for his family, who were looking on from the stands as he got over the line.
“I didn’t expect this scoreline, or to make it to the semi-finals. I feel like I had a bit of luck. My performance was normal, but in snooker, sometimes you need that bit of luck. This is my first time reaching the semi-finals and I hadn’t expected it,” said 27-year-old Long.
“Playing at home helps a bit because I’m familiar with the environment. I felt quite relaxed during the match. I heard just now that Xiao Guodong won his match, so I’ll prepare to learn from him. I don’t have any particular expectations—just a mindset of learning and focusing on playing every shot well.“
World number one Judd Trump claimed his 14th win in 14 matches against Chris Wakelin, with a dramatic 5-4 victory to reach the semi-finals of the Wuhan Open.
Trump’s narrow triumph is also a continuation of his incredible record in Chinese events so far this season, where he has won 14 of 15 matches played. The only defeat on Chinese soil for Trump this term came against Kyren Wilson in the Xi’an Grand Prix final. He picked up the title at the Shanghai Masters.
The Ace in the Pack is gunning for a 30th piece of ranking silverware with victory this weekend and a third title of the season, having won the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Wakelin bows out after yet another heartbreaking defeat at the hands of Trump. He’s also suffered losses in the final at the Northern Ireland Open last year, as well as a deciding frame 10-9 reverse at the 2018 World Championship.
A dramatic final frame had looked to be going the way of Trump when he built a 51-0 advantage. Wakelin had a chance to steal, but could only muster 36 before clipping a baulk colour and missing out on ideal position on the second last red.
Eventually the frame came down to the colours, with Wakelin spurning a chance on the brown. Trump came to the table, developed the pink from a safe position and cleared to secure a nerve shredding win.
Earlier in the tie Wakelin had led 3-1 before being reeled back to 3-3. He claimed the seventh, but a break of 63 from Trump forced the decider, where he sealed yet another win over his fellow Englishman. He now faces China’s Si Jiahui in the last four.
“It was frustrating at times and especially in that last frame, where it looked like he was going to fluke a couple of balls and end up winning. In the end, I took my chance and played a really good shot on the brown to knock the pink out,” said 35-year-old Trump.
“You are just relying on your opponent to miss (in those situations). He did that in the last frame. There was a bit of pressure out there and he took his eye off the brown looking for an angle to get the pink out.
“I’m very impressed with Si Jiahui. He is very young in snooker terms and he has shot up the rankings in the last two years. For me he is possibly the best of all the young players. He is going to be around for a long time.”
Si earned a place in the fourth ranking semi-final of his career, after battling past Chinese compatriot Zhang Anda 5-3.
The talented 22-year-old now faces a repeat of this year’s German Masters final, where he went down 10-5.
Si has also appeared in semi-finals at this season’s Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and the 2023 World Championship.
He crafted breaks of 83, 85 and 50 this evening to dispatch International Champion Zhang and make the last four.
Si said: “Both of us were a bit nervous for the whole game. We both really wanted to win. I’ve played him a few times before and have lost every time. When I face players with strong safety games, I often struggle. I pushed myself to play my own game today.
“I’m not worried about how strong my opponent is. If I play well, I can beat anyone. But if I don’t, I could lose even to lower ranked opponents. So the key is focusing on my own game.”
I didn’t watch the Xiao v Murphy game, instead I followed the Long v Lisowski match. Jack I’m afraid was his frustrating/infuriating self once again. After a brilliant performance the day before, he was poor yesterday. But to be fair to Long, he was solid, he went for his shots without being reckless and got most of them. He’s a very good “single ball potter”. He put pressure on Jack and it paid off. I really liked what he showed at the table yesterday. The joy of his wife when he won was heartwarming. She was sitting in the audience with a friend and looked tense all match … more so than her husband at the table!
In the second session of the day, I watched Judd Trump v Chris Wakelin and, frankly, Chris should have won this match. He was 3-1 up at the MSI and, at that point, the better player at the table without a shadow of a doubt. The interval did him no good. Judd on the contrary played better after the MSI. All the same, that brown that Chris missed will haunt him. He had the match at his mercy. Judd said that he missed the brown because he was trying to promote the pink at the same time. Possibly. But if he had potted brown and blue, Judd could only tie. Why not leave that pink alone until he reached that point?1 Chris, by the way, came on FB afterwards, admitting that this was a tough loss to take but also honestly saying that he really felt the pressure at the end.
This is a genuine question. I can’t play snooker to any level worth mentioning, I don’t know what I’m doing at the table… so, those of you who do play, what would you have done in Chris situation, and why? ↩︎
The round of 16 in Wuhan delivered some stunning performances and unexpected results, including some that aren’t what the promoters wished for. Here are the reports by WST:
Judd Trump scored the latest in a string of recent victories over John Higgins by winning 5-2 in their last 16 showdown at the Wuhan Open.
Defending champion Trump has now triumphed in 11 of his last 12 meetings with Higgins. However, that is a reversal from earlier in his career when Higgins had the upper hand. The Ace in the Pack only leads the head-to-head standings 18-14.
Clashes between the two include two world finals, which Higgins won in 2011 and Trump in 2019. Today’s match didn’t quite live up to those encounters in terms of standard, but the win for Trump sees him continue a streak of having made at least the quarter-finals of every ranking event he has entered in 2024. The 29-time ranking event winner now faces either Chris Wakelin or China’s home hero Ding Junhui.
The opening two frames this afternoon were shared, before runs of 49 and 48 helped Trump to take the third. Further contributions of 74 and 56 then saw Trump to move a frame from victory at 4-1. Higgins rallied with a fine 126 to stay in contention, but there was to be no comeback with Trump claiming the seventh to get over the line and secure his 50th match win of the calendar year.
Trump said: “It was tough early on in my career against John. He was at his peak and I wasn’t quite the player that I am now. It is turning a bit the other way and when you are in form and have a great record against someone, it definitely helps when you go out there. That little bit of extra self belief just helped me to get over the line.
“Games against Ding in China don’t come around often so you have to enjoy that kind of match. It is a special atmosphere and one I really look forward to. Chris is also in great form and it is going to be a battle between them first.”
Jack Lisowski produced a phenomenal display to blow away China’s Wu Yize 5-0. The six-time ranking event finalist needed just one hour and 26 minutes to compile runs of 68, 81, 51, 65 and 117 on his way to victory. He now plays Long Zehuang, who beat Ben Woollaston 5-3. When asked about his prospects for the weekend ahead, Englishman Lisowski was confident but keen not to overplay talks of a maiden ranking title.
Lisowski said: “If you are asking me if I can win it, yeah if I play really well I have a chance. Just because you have played three or four good games you aren’t entitled to do well. Everyone is really tough and you just have to keep plugging away. I could play garbage, but hopefully I’m here giving another cringe interview after winning!“
Shaun Murphy progressed after a thrilling 5-4 victory against Ali Carter. The high quality encounter saw both players trade blows with big breaks, before a crucial run of 68 in the last gave Murphy the win. He awaits the winner between Barry Hawkins and Xiao Guodong.
Chris Wakelin described beating Ding Junhui in China as what dreams are made of, after defeating the home hero 5-3 in front of a vocal crowd at the Wuhan Open.
Wakelin was competing against Ding on Chinese soil for the first time in his career. However, recent times have seen the Rugby cueman become more accustomed to performing on snooker’s grandest stages.
Last year Wakelin secured maiden ranking silverware at the Shoot Out and was runner-up to Judd Trump at the Northern Ireland Open. He also made it to the semi-finals of the recent English Open, where he again lost to Trump. Awaiting in tomorrow’s quarter-finals is another meeting with the Ace in the Pack.
Defeat for 14-time ranking event winner Ding means he will have to continue his wait for a first full format title since the 2019 UK Championship.
After Ding took the opening frame with a break of 69, Wakelin blitzed clear with back-to-back century runs of 128, 139 and 132. That left the Englishman 3-1 ahead at the mid-session.
When play resumed, Ding hit back with a break of 87, but it was Wakelin who made 92 in the sixth to lead 4-2. It had looked as if Wakelin had got himself over the line in the seventh when he left Ding needing snookers, but a critical in-off allowed his opponent an opportunity to steal by a point on the black and he obliged. Wakelin didn’t linger on that moment and recovered to win the next and secure a famous 5-3 win.
“It was my first time playing Ding out here and that was some atmosphere. Obviously the crowd really wanted him to win and when it went close they got behind him. I thrived on it out there. When I first walked out, I thought I would have crumbled and a couple of years back that is what would have happened. To play like I did, on such a big stage, against the God of snooker here in China, is what dreams are made of.”
Chris Wakelin
World Number 22
Wakelin added: “I just believe in myself now. The results over the last couple of years have given me the confidence to go into these sorts of situations and have belief that the game is there. The biggest thing for me wasn’t the three centuries on the trot, it was the last frame. He missed a red in the middle and given what happened before, I came to the table unsure about how I was feeling. When I got motoring through the balls I was confident I was going to get over the line.
“Every single player on tour is capable of playing like that, but to do it on the big stage is something that I’ve not been capable of. I’ve not had the temperament and the belief to stand there and knock in three centuries on the trot in front of Ding and a home crowd in China. That is a massive moment for me and it will give me a lot of confidence going forward.“
Zhang Anda came through a nerve shredding clash with Mark Joyce 5-4, by the barest of margins. The final frame came down to a re-spotted black, where Joyce first missed his chance before Zhang deposited the black to the left middle to seal victory. He now plays Si Jiahui, who defeated Duane Jones 5-2.
Xiao Guodong emerged a 5-2 victor against Barry Hawkins. That sets up a quarter-final clash with 2005 World Champion Shaun Murphy.
Chris Wakelin played indeed very well, and to be fair to the Chinese crowd, they appreciated what he was doing and applauded him enthusiastically. Of course, they wanted Ding to win but there was no sign of hostility nor resentment towards Chris. He deserved the win and they knew and accepted it. I have put some of his quotes in bold. I think they are important. I don’t believe that “every single player on tour” is as capable as Chris is, but I do believe that there are many more who are. Players that the fans don’t appreciate enough, often because they don’t even watch them.1
Maybe worth mentioning, Si Jiahui actually won five of the last six frames in defeating Duane Jones, and had three centuries in the process (100,107, 114).
Partly because they are not shown on TV and promoted enough. ↩︎
Xiao Guodong scored a stunning 5-4 win over world number two and World Champion Kyren Wilson to make the last 16 of the Wuhan Open.
The Chinese cueman has already shown positive signs this season after a run to the quarter-finals of the inaugural Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, which included a 5-1 demolition of Mark Allen.
Wilson enjoyed a significant first victory as Crucible king earlier in the season when he triumphed at the Xi’an Grand Prix, beating Judd Trump 10-8 in the final. However, since then he has failed to make any further quarter-finals.
It was Wilson who appeared to be in the ascendency in the early stages this afternoon, making two breaks of 63 to earn an early 2-0 lead. Xiao responded by coming from requiring snookers to take the third on the black and then adding the fourth to head into the mid-session level at 2-2.
When play resumed, Xiao took the next two frames to make it four on the bounce and move one from victory at 4-2. However, Wilson summoned century runs of 118 and 108 to force a decider.
The final frame came down to the pink, which Xiao eventually deposited to the yellow pocket to emerge victorious. He now faces Barry Hawkins, who beat Stan Moody 5-3.
“Kyren is ranked number two in the world and became World Champion this year so I kept a clear head and reminded myself to be patient for my chances. Whether I was leading or trailing, I couldn’t let my guard down,” said two-time ranking finalist Xiao.
“When I compete in China, I really want to win. Having fans and my family in the audience makes me want to show my best. Thankfully I managed to get the result today.”
Ali Carter was a 5-3 victor in a fiercely contested encounter with Hong Kong’s Marco Fu.
The pair traded the opening two frames, before the high quality encounter sprung into life. Carter made 107 in the third to take the lead, but a stunning 139 from Fu restored parity at 2-2.
After the mid-session a break of 66 saw Carter come from behind to steal the fifth and he then moved one from victory at 4-2. Fu fired in a 108 to pull within one, but Carter got over the line a 5-3 victor. That sets up a mouth watering clash with Shaun Murphy, who beat Noppon Saengkham 5-3.
Carter said: “Marco always scores really heavily. I’m delighted to get through that game. Wins have been a bit dry of late. I’ve come here with not a lot of expectation or confidence. It is nice to get a couple of wins.
“Shaun is a top player and I’ve known him forever. I need to keep reminding myself I’m a top player as well. It is good to be competing against the top boys, that is where I want to be, it is my job and I’m thoroughly looking forward to it tomorrow.”
Local player Long Zehuang scored a huge 5-0 win over Jackson Page to delight his home fans in Wuhan. He now plays Ben Woollaston, who edged out Elliot Slessor 5-3.
Long said: “I felt particularly nervous today because my family was watching. I’m from Wuhan and my wife and child were also here too. Maybe that brought me good luck today, as it is very rare for my family to watch me play.
“My child was born this year and is now eight months old. My wife has been taking care of everything at home. She is incredibly supportive of me and my entire family is behind me. Without their support, I might have already given up.”
Judd Trump fought hard for a 5-2 defeat of Anthony McGill to set up a blockbuster last 16 showdown with John Higgins at the Wuhan Open.
Trump and Higgins have battled it out over the years, in what has become one of snooker’s greatest rivalries. They’ve met in two world finals, in 2011 and 2019, with Higgins winning the former and Trump the latter.
It is 29-time ranking event winner Trump who leads the head to head standings between the pair, having won ten of their last 11 meetings.
The Ace in the Pack wasn’t at his brilliant best in this evening’s clash with McGill and knows he will have to up his game against 31-time ranking event winner Higgins, who emerged a 5-3 victor against Zak Surety.
“I find it easier playing John because I know I have to play at my absolute best to stand a chance. John is in good form and I will have to play well and improve if I am going to win,” said 35-year-old Trump.
“I think, at this moment in time, we have had the best games against each other of anyone. He has been one of the best rivalries I’ve had in snooker. If you look at the top five or ten games I’ve been involved in then at least two or three are with him. There have been some great memories in the games between us.”
China’s 14-time ranking event winner Ding Junhui continued his strong form with a 5-2 defeat of compatriot Yuan Sijun.
Ding fired in breaks of 58, 95, 110 and 77 on his way to this evening’s win and now faces Chris Wakelin, who whitewashed David Lilley 5-0. After this evening’s match Ding stated that he feels the standard of snooker in China is improving all of the time.
Ding said: “Chinese players are improving their technical skills and gaining more experience, they are getting better. They have become familiar with the different styles of players and Chinese competitors stand out in various events now.”
Jack Lisowski put on a brilliant display to brush aside world finalist Jak Jones 5-1. The Englishman made century runs of 136 and 130 during the win. He now faces Wu Yize.
As always there are some surprising omissions, or unsurprising as WST reports mainly focus on the British players results.
Wu Yize’s name is in the report, but what isn’t is how he booked his place in the round of 16. Well, here goes: He beat Jamie Clarke by 5-4 . The match was close but Wu’s scoring was impressive: he had three centuries, a 135 and two 115, plus a 69 break for good measure.
From 0-2 down, Zhang Anda beat Hossein Vafaei by 5-3. He will now play Mark Joyce
Mark Joyce is competing as an amateur. He replaces Ronnie in the draw. He’s not doing badly! He whitewashed Robbie Williams yesterday.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 