English 18-year-old Stan Moody followed yesterday’s huge win over Ding Junhui with a fine 5-1 defeat of Zhou Yuelong, ending the much talked about “Ding Curse” at the Wuhan Open.
A freak sequence of results has seen the player who has beaten Ding in a tournament then lose in their following match for the last year and half, in a run extending back to the 2024 Welsh Open when Robbie Williams beat him. Moody’s game today was the 23rd attempt at breaking the curse and he obliged, ending the run at 22.
The former WSF Junior Champion crafted contributions of 66, 95, 54 and 81 during today’s victory. His prize for stopping the curse is a last 16 clash with Barry Hawkins or Jack Jones. If he wins, it will earn him a maiden ranking quarter-final appearance.
“When I was 3-1 up I was sat in the player’s lounge and thought I could be the one to break it. I got over the line so I’m happy with that,” said Moody. “I thought it would be good to do it and get a little record. It was definitely playing on my mind, so I had to just focus and get on with it.”
Mark Selby and Mark Williams scored comfortable respective wins to book a mouth watering last 16 showdown against each other.
Selby had runs of 56, 66 and 56 in a 5-2 defeat of David Gilbert this afternoon. After the match he admitted he is relishing the prospect of facing Williams, who beat Joe O’Connor 5-1.
Selby said: “When you are playing somebody of that level, one shot here or there can be the difference between winning and losing. Because he is such a clever player he sees the shots so fast. He will play a shot quickly and you will come to the table thinking you have an ordinary snooker shot and the next minute you don’t have a shot on. I’ll enjoy the game, I’m sure Mark will and we will see what happens.”
Recent Championship League winner Stephen Maguire held his nerve to win a thrilling deciding frame and beat World Champion Zhao Xintong 5-4 and make the last 16.
The Scot’s victory in Leicester last month saw him win ranking silverware for the first time in five years. He appears to have carried that form over to Wuhan, where a fine display this evening saw him string together breaks of 58, 71, 92 and 119 en route to forcing a final frame.
The decider looked to be going Zhao’s way in front of an expectant crowd, who were getting behind Asia’s first ever Crucible king. However, after potting frame ball he inadvertently cannoned the brown in, keeping the match alive.
With three reds left on the table, Maguire deposited a fine shot to the middle to get his chance. A couple of nerveless long range pots kept the break going, with Maguire making 45 to get over the line on the black. His reward is a meeting with Si Jiahui, who beat Jackson Page 5-3.
Maguire said: “I just had a funny feeling because he had that massive bit of bad luck I’d get a chance. I was getting myself up for it if I got a chance, thinking please clear up. Thankfully I managed to do it.
“The crowd was obviously for him. I expect that and I love him to bits. He is a great player and I think he will be an unbelievable World Champion. I love the way he plays. He has a lot to carry though. Ding has been doing it for years. Pressure-wise he is carrying a whole country. I hope he deals with it and he looks as if he is.”
World number one Judd Trump scored a 5-3 win over close friend Jack Lisowski to enhance his winning run against his fellow Englishman, which now stands at nine wins in a row.
Trump said: “It was a little bit scrappy. We both knew we would play each other if I won two games. There was a little bit of anticipation and it is never an enjoyable win against him.
“We’ve had quite a few finals against each other. We had one season where we were both at the top of our game and kept competing. Unfortunately for him, he was just coming out on the wrong side. I really feel if he was able to win one of them it would have been a different path. It has been a bit of a struggle the last couple of seasons, with some terrible luck off the table. I just hope he can turn it around.”
Next up for 2023 Wuhan Open winner Trump is a last 16 tie against Gary Wilson, who defeated Masters champion Shaun Murphy 5-3.
I always liked Maguire as a person. He says it as he sees it. He’s a bit rough, he’s a big bear, but his heart is in the right place and he’s extremely honest. He’s also very “down to earth”. What you see, or hear, is what you get with him. He could probably have won more titles in his 27 years as a pro and many thought he would when he turned pro 27 years ago but I would be surprised if he is losing any sleep over it. All the same, I’m sorry for Zhao who I also like. He could have won this match, he had some bad luck. But Stephen, when coming to the table at 61-12 behind , wasn’t left with anything easy or straightforward. He “earned” that win.
I watched the Trump v Lisowski game. It was a mistake. I should have known … and actually I did know but I still watched. I like Jack, as a player and as a person. Maybe he should only play exhibitions1 . When “relaxed” he’s absolutely magic. When playing under pressure the mistakes creep in and he can’t help himself, he will always take those risky shots and miss quite a few. He used to have the upper hand over Judd many years ago … 😞
Ronnie O'Sullivan 