The 2025 British Open started yesterday and I must confess that I struggled to feel involved and interested. Also, I expected this event to have a “random draw” after each round. I doesn’t appear to be the case this year.
Addendum/corrigendum… according to the commentators it will be random from round 3 on.
The only match I watches was Zhao Xintong v Ashleigh Hugill. Ashleigh is never an easy opponent and when you watch him play you wonder how he hasn’t done better in the game. It was no different yesterday.
Top seeds thrived on day one of the Unibet British Open in Cheltenham as all eight current or former World Champions in action scored victories to reach the last 64.
Judd Trump produced the best performance of the day, beating Aaron Hill 4-0 in just 53 minutes with top breaks of 103, 101 and 60. “I felt it was a tough draw, I knew I had to raise my game,” said the world number one, chasing his first title of 2025. “I have felt good this season, the results just haven’t quite come. Games like the one tonight give you a boost. I have scored well in most matches, my opponents have just potted some brilliant balls at the winning line and not given me a chance.”
Looking ahead to his next fixture against tour rookie Leone Crowley on Wednesday, Trump added: “There are a few new players coming through, from Ireland, China and mainland Europe. Snooker is in a good place in terms of talent coming through, it’s exciting.”
Defending champion Mark Selby eased to a 4-1 win over David Grace, while Neil Robertson top scored with 104 in a 4-0 defeat of Alfie Davies.
Last year’s runner-up John Higgins came from 3-1 down to beat his bogey player Mark Davis 4-3. He now faces Jack Lisowski on Tuesday afternoon in arguably the pick of the second round ties.
Current World Champion Zhao Xintong was pushed all the way by amateur Ashley Hugill but eventually came through 4-3, top scoring with 88 and 101. Shaun Murphy saw off Ross Muir 4-1 with a top break of 71.
Kyren Wilson made a 141, an early target for the £5,000 high break prize, during a 4-1 win over Chris Wakelin. Mark Williams closed with a 127 as he enjoyed a 4-2 success against Si Jiahui.
The action at the Centaur Arena runs until Sunday.
Mark Allen scored his first ranking event victory for 19 months, beating Zhou Yuelong 9-8 to claim the title at the BetVictor English Open in Brentwood.
In a week of fightback victories for Allen, the shoe was on the other foot this evening. The Northern Irishman led 7-3, before being pegged back to trail 8-7. However, he showed his typical tenacity and grit to claim the final two frames and emerge victorious.
Allen’s heroics in previous rounds saw him defeat Ding Junhui 4-3 from 3-0 down in the last 16, Elliot Slessor 5-4 from 4-0 down in the quarters and Jak Jones 6-5 from 5-3 down in the semis.
It’s the 12th ranking event victory in Allen’s career, in what was his 20th appearance in a ranking final. He now draws level with Shaun Murphy in 10th position on the all-time event winner’s list.
The Pistol had failed to register since the 2024 Players Championship last February. That saw him slip down the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings to tenth spot, having briefly occupied the summit last year. However, the £100,000 top prize now moves him up to seventh position.
It immediately puts Allen top of the BetVictor Home Nations Bonus standings. Whoever accumulates the most prize money across the four events will scoop a bumper £150,000 payout.
Defeat will come as a bitter pill to swallow for Zhou, after his huge efforts to regain the lead this evening. The Chinese cueman will have to wait for that elusive first ranking crown.
Zhou has now lost all four of his ranking final appearances, having suffered previous defeats at the 2020 European Masters and the 2020 Shoot Out. He was also runner-up to Allen at the 2023 Northern Ireland Open.
The first session ended with Allen holding a hefty 6-2 cushion. When play got underway in the evening, it was clear both players realised the importance of a strong start. A cagey 45-minute opener eventually went the way of Zhou, who reduced his arrears.
Allen then extended his advantage, but consecutive frames from Zhou ensured he trailed by just two frames at 7-5 heading into the mid-session interval.
When they returned Allen looked set to be moving one frame for victory before missing a red to the left middle on 60. Zhou stepped up with a gutsy 72 to steal on the black and make it 7-6.
Breaks of 60 and 53 then helped Zhou make it five on the bounce and move one away from a momentous victory at 8-7.
A remarkable 16th frame looked to be going to Allen when he compiled a run of 71, but an in off gave Zhou an opportunity. He got the required foul points to stand a chance of winning on the green, but Allen eventually forced a decider.
It was Allen who fired in a crucial break of 61 and he emerged victorious. Following final frame wins for Neil Robertson at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters and Xiao Guodong at the Wuhan Open, it is the first time ever that three consecutive ranking events have come down to deciders.
“It means a lot. To win any tournament these days is good. To do it the way I’ve done this week too, coming from behind a lot,” said 39-year-old Allen.
“I was absolutely shattered. I think adrenaline got me through that first session and tonight I was really tired. It is no excuse for some of the balls I missed, but I was feeling it. At 8-7 I felt something and realised it was my chance to find a bit of form. I’m going to sleep well tonight.
“I think the least you can ask for from any player is application. So many guys would have given up in some of the positions I was in this week. I think other people know now that I am never beat. That is worth a frame itself sometimes.
“I want to win as many different tournaments as I can. The Welsh Open is the only Home Nations event I haven’t won. Then the World Championship. Those are the two that stand out for me that are missing on my CV.”
Zhou said: “Of course it will give me confidence. Mark was very good in the first session. He was 6-2 up and I think I just wanted to give him some trouble this evening. I’m very happy I managed to get 8-7 up. It is a good experience and I will learn from it.”
We have to admire both finalists. Zhou showed tremendous courage. Many would have been dispirited after that first session that left him trailing by 6-2. Not him. He fought, he gave it his all and not only did he come back, he even got ahead. And then Mark showed similar courage and willpower. It took “character” to fight and win those last two frames, after losing five on the bounce. Had Zhou won, he would have totally deserved it just as Mark totally deserves his victory. You often read “It’s a shame there had to be a loser” and it’s not always meaningful, but it certainly is true about this final. Zhou’s positive words in defeat say a lot about him as a person. I hope he wins a “proper” full ranking final soon. He deserves it.
Zhou Yuelong is through to the fourth ranking final of his career, where he will be seeking a breakthrough title, after defeating Mark Selby 6-3 in the last four of the BetVictor English Open in Brentwood.
Zhou’s first ranking final came at the 2020 European Masters, where he was whitewashed 9-0 by Neil Robertson. He then lost out against Michael Holt in the Shoot Out final and last competed in a title match three years ago at the 2022 Northern Ireland Open. On that occasion Zhou lost 9-4 at the hands of Mark Allen.
The Chinese cueman could have an opportunity for revenge tomorrow, with Allen contesting the second semi-final against Jak Jones. The title match will be played over the best of 17 frames, with a top prize of £100,000 and the Steve Davis Trophy on the line.
A disappointing campaign last season, where Zhou failed to go beyond the last 16 of any event, saw him drop to 32nd in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. However, after teaming up with coach Steve Feeney earlier this year, he appears to be trending towards regaining his best form. Victory tomorrow would propel Zhou to 24th position in the rankings.
Defeat for 24-time ranking event winner Selby means he will have to continue his wait for a 25th title triumph. He now heads for Cheltenham for next week’s British Open, where he will be the defending champion.
The first two frames this afternoon went the way of Zhou, before he claimed a 59-minute third to lead 3-0. A tight last frame before the mid-session went to Selby, who potted a tricky cut back black from the jaws to complete a clearance of 71 to steal and make it 3-1.
When play resumed Selby had the chance to close the gap further, but left a tricky final red over the pocket and Zhou pounced to make it 4-1.
The sixth went the way of four-time World Champion Selby, but 60 in the seventh from Zhou put him one away from victory. Although Selby pulled back within two, it was to be in vain with Zhou running out a 6-3 victor.
“It is a huge confidence boost for me. I’ve gone three years without getting to a final and I played very badly last season. This season is just getting underway and it is a fantastic start. I just want to stay calm tomorrow and enjoy the game,” said 27-year-old Zhou.
“Until you shake hands you never know who will win. When you play Mark Selby you know he is very dangerous and has a strong mind and heart. You need to play with 100% focus to win.
“In this sport you need to be very strong mentally. When you are in the chair after missing a ball you need positive thoughts. This is a very big change for me this season.
“If I win tomorrow I will be very proud of myself. The first time, going from zero to one is tough. It isn’t easy, but I will give my best and hopefully I can do it.”
Mark Allen came back from the brink once more, recovering from 5-3 down to beak Jak Jones 6-5 and make the final of the BetVictor English Open in Brentwood.
The typically tenacious Northern Irishman has enjoyed a week of comeback victories. He rallied from 3-0 down to beat Ding 4-3 in the last 16 and 4-0 down to defeat Elliot Slessor 5-4 in the quarters.
Victory sees Allen progress to a ranking final for the 20th time in his career. The Pistol will be aiming for his 12th ranking crown tomorrow when he goes up against Zhou Yuelong, who is bidding for his first.
They will do battle over 17 frames with a top prize of £100,000 on the line, as well as the Steve Davis trophy. It is a repeat of the 2022 Northern Ireland Open final, when Allen prevailed 9-4.
This evening’s defeat for Jones means he will have to wait a little longer for his first ever ranking title. His only previous appearance in a final came at the 2024 World Championship, where he lost out to Kyren Wilson in snooker’s biggest match.
The opening stages this evening were dominated by Jones, who crafted breaks of 92, 84 and 61 on his way to leading 3-1 at the mid-session interval.
When play resumed, Allen rallied with contributions of 102 and 62 to restore parity at 3-3. Jones refused to wilt and claimed two on the bounce to move 5-3 ahead and one frame from a second ranking final.
However, it was at that moment Allen turned on the style. Consecutive runs of 68, 67 and 82 saw him take three on the bounce and earn a 6-5 triumph. For the second consecutive evening Allen left the arena with the clock beyond midnight, but generously stopped to sign autographs and take selfies with the fans who remained inside the Brentwood Centre to witness his dramatic late night victory.
Allen said: “It was a strange one because trailing 3-1 at the interval I hadn’t done much wrong. I actually joked to Chris Henry that I was in a great position at the break because I’d actually won a frame this time!
“I scored a lot better there and that was the best I’ve played all week. I will obviously need to improve in the final because Zhou has been playing some really good stuff himself.
“I felt for a long time that he was the next big thing from China after Ding, but it never really materialised. It is good to see him back because I think he is the most complete Chinese player after Ding. He’s got a good safety game and he is very measured. I’d like to see him do well, just not tomorrow!
“There’s a few events in my career I still want to win and the English Open is one of them, the Welsh Open is another and obviously the World Championship. I’d love to win tomorrow and make it three out of the four Home Nations events.”
I don’t have much to add …
I was just past 3 am this morning here in Greece when the second semi-final finished. I was fast asleep. I saw nothing from the Allen v Jones match.
The Zhou v Selby match had only finished around 8 pm “local time” for me, and had lasted for nearly five hours “elapse time” … for just 9 frames. Even taking the interval into account, that’s more than half an hour per frame on average. Every frame except the fifth had a break over 50, so it’s not like it was “ultra scrappy” either. It was a strange match actually. Despite losing the match by 6-3, Mark Selby scored more points than Zhou, 524 to 511, and with an average shot time of 28.6 seconds he was the fastest player … Zhou’s average shot time was 33.8 seconds.
I must admit that after that match, I wasn’t feeling like watching more snooker in the evening. Instead I went out with the hubby for a glass of wine … or two … at “Alisachni” the “open air” bar on the main square in my village. 😊
Zhou Yuelong staged a superb fightback to overcome 2023 World Champion Luca Brecel 5-4 and earn his place in the last four of the BetVictor English Open in Brentwood.
The three-time ranking event runner-up hasn’t made it this far in an event since the 2023 Scottish Open. However, having recently started working with coach Steve Feeney, Zhou appears to be back to his best.
Zhou’s struggles in recent times have seen him drop to 32nd in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. He failed to go beyond the last 16 in a ranking event last season. In a welcome return to the business end of a tournament, the Chinese cueist will now play either Mark Selby for a place in the final.
Brecel was competing in the final stages of a ranking event for the first time this season. The Belgian revealed earlier this week that he has been struggling with an undiagnosed illness this season, which was his reason for missing the first few events.
He will need time to hit top gear, but despite this he looked to be in command this afternoon when he raced 4-2 ahead.
Breaks of 81 and 75 helped Brecel to the verge of victory, before Zhao fired in runs of 94 and 113 to force a decider. The final frame lasted 52 minutes, before Brecel eventually left Zhou a routine black to the yellow pocket and handed him a place in the last four.
Zhou said: “I know Luca is a very aggressive player, so I had prepared myself with more patience, focusing on tactical exchanges and waiting for his mistakes. When I was 4-2 down, I managed to make the most of my chances and force a decider.
“It’s been almost two years since I last reached this stage of a ranking event. When you win matches, your confidence grows. However, last season my performance was very poor and I never really found my game. The season has just started, so I’m very happy to have found some form early.
“Working with Steve Feeney has helped me a lot, especially mentally. Sometimes I don’t believe in myself enough, or I’m not sure about my decisions. Having someone with so much experience and success by my side makes a big difference. He sees my weaknesses, both in personality and in how I think about the game. He gives me positive ideas.”
Selby earned his progression with a stunning 131 in the decider to overcome Welshman Jackson Page 5-4.
Victory for the Jester from Leicester sees him earn a 67th ranking event semi-final slot. He’s just two games away from capturing a 25th career ranking crown.
Jak Jones admitted that the birth of his son Harry earlier this year has provided a renewed source of inspiration, after he ended the fairytale run of Aaron Hill with a 5-2 victory.
Jones now progresses to the semi-finals for the first time since making the World Championship final in 2024, when he was denied the sport’s biggest prize by Kyren Wilson. Although Hill’s week has come to an end, he can reflect on making the first ever 147 of his career en route to a third quarter-final.
Jones said: “Last season I wasn’t in a good place mentally at all. This season I feel like a completely different person and my life is good. I feel happier when I’m playing and I’m more focussed. I feel that I’m playing well and I’m confident.
“My son was born seven months ago. That has had a massive impact on me. I feel a different person and it has changed my life. Me, my wife and my son are really happy now. It gives you a different perspective on life and I’m practising happier and feel more motivated.“
Next up for Jones is a showdown with Mark Allen, who once again came back from the brink, this time beating Elliot Slessor 5-4 from 4-0 down. That follows yesterday’s win over Ding Junhui, where he trailed 3-0 before winning 4-3.
With only four matches played yesterday, the report by WST covers them all. I only watched in the afternoon, and followed Zhou v Luca. It was a good, hard fought match that featured five breaks over 751. There were no “Luca antics” and even if there had been, I doubt that it would have affected Zhou2. The crowd in Brentwood seemed to duly enjoy it. They have been very good all week, both in numbers and in the way they have supported all players no matter their nationality.
Zhou had three breaks over 95 including the only century of the match, a 113. ↩︎
Luca probably knew that too which may well be the reason there weren’t any… ↩︎
Elliot Slessor extended his 100% win rate in deciders this season, prevailing in a final frame for the sixth time and beating world number one Judd Trump 4-3 at the BetVictor English Open in Brentwood.
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Slessor’s exploits at the recent Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters saw him beat three World Champions, all by a single frame, en route to the semi-finals. The Tyneside cueman defeated John Higgins 5-4 before consecutive 6-5 wins over Stuart Bingham and Mark Williams. He then went out in the last four at the hands of Neil Robertson. Across two seasons, Slessor has now won 13 of his last 18 deciding frames.
The 31-year-old will now face Mark Allen in the semi-finals. Slessor has reached five ranking semis without tasting success and making a maiden ranking final. Victory tomorrow will earn him a sixth crack at achieving the feat.
Slessor took the opening two frames this afternoon and then led the third 68-0, before a break of 69 saw Trump claw his way back into contention at 2-1 down. That appeared to be a crucial turning point, with Trump taking the following two frames to lead 3-2. However, runs of 79 and 64 were enough to see Slessor claim two on the bounce and get over the line. Afterwards he admitted his strong desire to capture silverware adds pressure.
“It is tough because my Grandad comes everywhere with me. He’s 74 years old and I know he won’t be here forever. Hopefully he’s here for a long time to come, but he’s more deserving. He has driven me around since I was nine. I would love to be in the position to give him a trophy. The money means nothing compared to what a trophy would mean. I’ll keep knocking on the door, keep trying my best and see what happens,” said world number 23 Slessor.
“They are all tough games. You never get to this stage and find someone here by fluke. I will give it my all and see how far it takes me.”
Allen came from 3-0 down to overhaul China’s Ding Junhui 4-3. The Pistol rallied with breaks of 52 and 52 en route to his comeback win. Afterwards he admitted that he’s taking nothing for granted in his quest for a return to the winner’s circle, following over a year without a ranking title.
Allen said: “I had a few years of winning quite a lot. I fancied winning all the time but this game has a way of biting you on the backside sometimes. It isn’t that easy. The serial winners like Ronnie, Hendry, Trump and Selby make it look easy. It isn’t. You have to enjoy every time you can get a victory and not get too down on yourself. I’m a perfectionist and I always will be. I won’t stop trying to find ways of improving.”
Aaron Hill continued his impressive week with a 4-1 win over Jack Lisowski, who conquered World Champion Zhao Xintong yesterday evening.
Hill has displayed fine form so far this season, which includes a win over Kyren Wilson at the recent Wuhan Open. He made the first maximum break of his career earlier in the tournament here in Brentwood and this evening’s result sees him reach the quarter-finals of a ranking event for the third time in his career. He faces former Crucible finalist Jak Jones, who defeated Ricky Walden 4-3.
Jackson Page came through a final frame against Shaun Murphy to win 4-3 and make the quarter-finals. He can now look forward to a quarter-final meeting with Mark Selby, who was a 4-2 winner over Wu Yize.
Luca Brecel beat Robbie Williams 4-3 and that earns the Belgian a quarter-final clash with China’s Zhou Yuelong, who overcame Barry Hawkins 4-2.
Again this report is quite exhaustive, unlike the ones WST published earlier in the week.
I watched the Trump v Slessor match. There is not doubt that Judd is going through a “lesser form” period. It’s entirely normal. The players are human beings and none of us is at the top of their form all the time, be it physically, intellectually or emotionally. I must admit that I struggled for a long time to appreciate Elliot. As a younger player he was quite prone to angry reactions, not exactly tantrums but not that far from that either. This can be off-putting for the opponent and often was when he played fellow juniors back in the days. I never knew that his grand father was the one going everywhere with him, what I know though is that his grand mother is his biggest fan on social media and a very charming lady 😊.
Ding once again lost a match from a strong winning position. I didn’t watch his yesterday match, so can’t comment on this occurence. But, in recent years, it happens far too often to be “statistically” normal. What’s behind this, I’m not sure. Maybe carrying all the hopes of his country for years has taken its toll, maybe having done so much to grow snooker in China, he now aspires to more family time and his motivation isn’t what it used to be, or maybe it’s a psychological thing. Maybe, because it’s been happening so often in recent years, negative thoughts creep in as soon as he loses a couple of frames, and those thoughts about losing again from the brink of victory induce a kind of “self fulfilling prophecy” mental process… if that makes sense.
World number one Judd Trump admitted his 2019 World Championship winning cue was beginning to wane in power, after he overcame Yuan Sijun 4-1 with new equipment at the BetVictor English Open in Brentwood.
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The Ace in the Pack is using a different cue this week, having decided to hang up his old one, which served him for over seven years. Trump is hoping this tournament marks the moment when his season clicks into gear.
His deepest run so far saw him make the quarters of the Shanghai Masters, but this time last season he’d already won two trophies in Shanghai and at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters.
Trump lost the opener today, but from then he assumed control of proceedings. Breaks of 101, 69 and 61 helped the 36-year-old to a comfortable win and ensured he progressed to face Elliot Slessor, who defeated North East of England rival Gary Wilson 4-0.
Trump said: “The old one lost some of its power. There are some great new cue makers which are making powerful cues. I feel these days you need as much power as you can get. This cue is a different ferrule and feels very good in the balls. Once I get used to it hopefully I won’t miss.
“I’m not someone that really shines a light on a cue as much as the other players. My last cue was very important in my career though. Every single major title pretty much apart from the 2011 UK Championship I won with that cue. I must have won 20 to 25 tournaments in a short space of time. I’m not looking to sell it, I will keep it and treasure it. Who knows, one day I might go back to it. For this moment it is rested up though.”
Aaron Hill recovered from 3-1 down to score a tremendous 4-3 win over Ali Carter and earn his last 16 slot.
The Irishman was dealt with a double blow in the fourth frame when Carter hammered home the fourth 147 of his career. That took £2,500 away from Hill, who is now set to share the high break prize having made the first 147 of his career earlier in the week.
Hill showed great character to claim three on the bounce and keep his hopes of lifting the Steve Davis Trophy alive. Having beaten Stephen Maguire already this week and Kyren Wilson in the recent Wuhan Open, the 23-year-old is growing in belief that a big breakthrough could be around the corner. He now faces another stern test against Jack Lisowski, who beat World Champion Zhao Xintong 4-1.
Hill said: “I feel like my game is as good as anyone else’s when I’m on it. I just have to do it more often. I’m getting stronger and growing in experience. I really feel like I can mix it with these boys week in and week out. It doesn’t surprise me to get wins like this but I’m absolutely over the moon with how I did that there.
“When he made the maximum I thought he would be full of adrenaline, so I said to myself this could be my chance to nick it. I managed to steal a frame to get 3-2 and made a good break to force a decider. I played a solid enough last frame as well.”
Jackson Page produced a fine display to oust defending champion Neil Robertson 4-1 and set up a last 16 clash with Shaun Murphy.
They were locked together at 1-1 when Page made his move. Breaks of 65, 51 and 70 gave him three frames on the bounce and sealed a significant triumph.
Four-time World Champion Mark Selby produced a dominant display to beat Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan 4-0. Contributions of 119, 75, 55 and 87 saw the Jester from Leicester sweep to victory in just an hour and 15 minutes. He now plays Wu Yize, who defeated Chris Wakelin 4-2.
Zhou Yuelong stunned three-time Crucible king Mark Williams 4-1 and earned his last 16 slot. Zhou top scored with 136 and now faces Barry Hawkins, who was a 4-0 victor against Tom Ford.
Once again there is nothing about the “late matches” … despite yet another 147, this time by Ali Carter
This is Ali’s fourth max and it’s the 227th in professional snooker but it didn’t win him the match as he lost by 4-3 to Aaron Hill.
Luca Brecel’s resurgence continued as he beat Si Jiahui by 4-2.
Jack Lisowski got the better of the reigning World Champion, he beat him by 4-1. Jack scored breaks of 92, 84 and 86 during that match, Zhao made a 54 in the only frame he won.
Mark Allen also progressed with a 4-3 victory over Stuart Bingham. This was a “high scoring” affair: 59, 56, 65 and 118 by Allen, 75 and 54 by Bingham.
Stuart Bingham emphatically ended a four-year BetVictor English Open losing streak, thrashing Dylan Emery 4-0 in Brentwood.
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Bingham lives just 25 minutes along the road in Basildon, but since the English Open moved to the Brentwood Centre in 2022, he hasn’t won a game in the event.
The 2015 World Champion recently opted to shelve plans for lens replacement surgery, for fears it could be detrimental to his game. However, Bingham appeared to have his eye in from the get go this afternoon.
Breaks of 116, 86, 103 and 61 saw the Ball run blitz to four straight frames and set up an intriguing clash with Mark Allen, who beat Scott Donaldson 4-1. Bingham will be hoping to rectify a poor record against the Northern Irishman, who he hasn’t beaten since 2015.
“I’ve broken the duck here in Brentwood. The first win in four years on my doorstep. I’m over the moon. I kept my concentration and made four good breaks,” said 49-year-old Bingham.
“Playing any top 16 player will be a battle and you find out where your game is as well. A top opponent like Mark is a real test and I’m looking forward to it.”
Defending champion Neil Robertson got his campaign underway with a 4-1 defeat of Thailand’s Sunny Akani.
The Melbourne cueman is riding the crest of a wave currently, having scooped the £500,000 top prize jackpot at the recent Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. He also travelled home last week to be honoured with the Medal of the Order of Australia.
Robertson crafted contributions of 105 and 136 en route to this evening’s win. He now faces Welshman Jackson Page, who beat Zhao Hanyang 4-1.
Robertson said: “It was the first time I’d practised since being in Australia. With the jet lag and everything, I’ve been asleep by this time the last couple of days. I played really well and I couldn’t have expected to play any better than that. I’m delighted.
“The fact that the match was open and with good scoring meant I was able to sustain my concentration. I was worried that if the match went on I would lose focus, but there was a really good crowd and that helped.”
World Champion Zhao Xintong set up a blockbuster showdown with Jack Lisowski by whitewashing India’s Ishpreet Singh Chadha 4-0.
Zhao was in sparkling form this evening, cruising to victory in just 46 minutes with century runs of 105, 134 and 110. Lisowski top scored with 128 in a 4-2 defeat of Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, where both players averaged under 15 seconds a shot.
World number one Judd Trump crafted his 1,100th and 1,101st career centuries during a 4-0 whitewash win over Michael Holt.
The 2019 Crucible king’s season is yet to catch fire, with one solitary quarter-final at the Shanghai Masters his best showing so far. He will be hoping to capture his 31st ranking title this week though and faces Yuan Sijun up next.
Trump said: “It was a decent performance. If he won the first frame it could have been different, but I got a bit of confidence and played well after that.
“It is so nice when you are able to win tournaments early in the season. It takes the pressure off immediately and you are able to relax. When you don’t do that you feel you are chasing. Until you get that big prize, you are always a little bit on edge as the tournaments seem to fly by. You don’t want to leave it too long.”
Gary Wilson progressed courtesy of a 4-2 win over Sanderson Lam. That sets up a North East of England derby with Elliot Slessor, who beat Jimmy Robertson 4-2.
I don’t have much to add … for once WST report was pretty comprehensive.
That said, the match I watched in the afternoon isn’t reported on: Ricky Walden beat Joe O’Connor by 4-1 with breaks of 50, 63, 52 and 99. When on form Ricky is a very fluent player and very good to watch as well. He’s very tall and, because of that, his stance and cue action look peculiar but they are effective. He could, and probably would have a brighter prize list if it wasn’t for back pain, something he suffered from for most of his career and that is certainly caused by his very tall stature forcing him to adopt a rather awkward and uncomfortable stance at the table.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 