As expected, Ronnie withdrew from the tournament

O’SULLIVAN WITHDRAWS FROM BETVICTOR NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN

Ronnie O’Sullivan has pulled out of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open for medical reasons.

O’Sullivan was due to face Long Zehuang in the last 64 in Belfast on Monday afternoon, but he withdrew from the event on Sunday evening. China’s Long receives a bye to the last 32.

The tournament at the Waterfront Hall runs until October 27th. 

Here are the reports by WST about the first day of the tournament, plus some personal thoughts about what I was able to watch.

I was watching with a friend who is visiting me on my island… She is a former female snooker player from Germany. She is a multiple German Women’s Champion, so she can play a bit… She wasn’t at all impressed by the way the tables were playing.

Afternoon Session

BETVICTOR NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN DAY ONE AFTERNOON

Relishing the life of a globe-trotting snooker player, Judd Trump is in one of his favourite locations this week and started the defence of his BetVictor Northern Ireland Open title with a 4-0 win over Ishpreet Singh Chadha. 

The Waterfront Hall in Belfast has been a particularly happy hunting ground for the world number one – he has lifted the trophy four times in the last six years. He needed just 49 minutes to whitewash today’s opponent with top breaks of 72, 65 and 112.

More than any other player, Trump has embraced the opportunities presented by snooker’s global circuit. Originally from Bristol, he now lives in Hong Kong and was delighted to hear the recent announcement that the World Grand Prix will be staged there in March. He also has a practice base in Dubai where he spent last week working on his game.

“It’s an exciting time to be playing,” said Trump, who has already banked over £840,000 in prize money this season. “Basing myself more in Dubai and Hong Kong, I can play to a high standard when we have events in those time zones. It’s more inspiring than living back in the UK and I love travelling, going to new places and playing in front of different audiences.

“The announcement about Hong Kong was one of the best we have had for a long time and hopefully there are more on the horizon. It will be my first home tournament as we’ve never had one in Bristol! I have never been recognised as much as I am in Hong Kong. People there love snooker, they proved that at the tournament in 2022 when there was an incredible atmosphere. It’s such a nice place to be, it has some of the best skylines in the world, the best food, the friendliest people and they are very knowledgeable about snooker. Everyone will be trying even harder than usual to get in top 32.“

Looking ahead to the rest of this week, Trump added: “It was easy to get up for this event. Certain venues seem to be made for snooker. Anyone who has played in the semis or final at the Waterfront knows how special it is. It’s similar to Alexandra Palace or the Tempodrom in terms of the size of the crowd and the way people react. I thrive on that atmosphere with people enjoying themselves. It helps me show off and play my best shots, hopefully I can channel my inner Alex Higgins with a few specials!” 

His opponent in the last 32 will be friend Matthew Selt, who top scored with 78 in a 4-1 win over Lyu Haotian. Stan Moody came from 2-0 down to beat Ryan Day 4-3, knocking in breaks of 108, 105 and 67. 

Crucible runner-up Jak Jones saw off Alexander Ursenbacher 4-0 while Zhou Yuelong came from 3-1 down to beat Dominic Dale 4-3, making a 111 in the decider. Home favourite Jordan Brown suffered a 4-2 reverse against Robert Milkins.

As usual there are some puzzling omissions in this report. There is no mention of former World Champion Luca Brecel 4-3 win over He Guoqiang. Neither played well and both appeared to struggle with the conditions. No mention either of Lei Peifan’s 4-2 mildly surprising win over a much higher ranked opponent, David Gilbert. Nothing either about Stan Moody’s 4-3 win over Ryan Day. Stan was 0-2 down in that match.

Also missing from this report is Oliver Lines 4-2 win over Joshua Cooper. This match was in fact a round 1, qualifying match that hab been held-over because of Oli’s run to the semi-finals at the British Open. WST had apparently not considered that a low ranked player could possibly get that far in a tournament and had organised the NI Open qualifiers “overlapping” with British Open main venue phase.

Evening Session

BETVICTOR NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN DAY ONE EVENING

World number 71 Louis Heathcote sprang the biggest surprise of the opening day of the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open as he beat Mark Selby 4-3 to reach the last 32.

Heathcote clearly wasn’t expecting a long stay in Belfast as he only brought enough underpants to last two days, but with a guaranteed £5,400 he can afford a trip to the shops ahead of his next match with Jimmy Robertson or Xiao Guodong. While British Open champion Selby was far from his best, it’s still a fine win for Heathcote which boosts his hopes of keeping his tour card at the end of the season.

Leading 3-2, Heathcote had a chance to seal victory in frame six but missed a tricky pot on the final yellow to a centre pocket and Leicester rival Selby punished him for 3-3. In the decider, Heathcote had two clear scoring chances and built a 49-1 lead, then four-time Crucible king Selby had an opportunity to counter but potted just one red before missing a routine green to a baulk corner and that proved the key moment.

“I’m delighted, neither of us played great but I’m glad I finished on the right side,” said 27-year-old Heathcote. “I felt as if I got stronger as the game went on and it is rewarding to get through that kind of match. I only brought enough pants to last until tomorrow so I’ll be in Primark in the morning to buy more. 

“I have only had one run to a last 16 (in ranking events other than the Shoot Out) in five and a half years and that’s just not good enough to stay on tour. I want to be in the deep end of tournaments and I know how difficult that is. I have been scoring heavily and I felt as if a big win was coming. There is a lot of pressure to stay on tour and earn money but I am trying not to think about that, I’m just trying to enjoy the process.“

Shaun Murphy avoided another shock as he came from 2-0 down to beat Jiang Jun 4-2 with a top break of 118. Pang Junxu top scored with 129 in a 4-3 win over Yuan Sijun, while veteran Mark Davis impressed in a 4-1 win over a three-time winner of BetVictor Home Nations events – Gary Wilson. Stuart Bingham eased to a 4-1 success against Scott Donaldson. 

Jian Jun has started brilliantly with breaks of 78 and 60 but as soon as Shaun Murphy won a frame Jian appeared to somehow “fade away”. Shaun didn’t play at his best, far from it.

All the detailed results are available on snooker.org.

After seventeen years being a professional, Xiao Guodong finally became a tournament winner yesterday in Wuhan.

Congratulations Xiao Guodong!

Here is the report by WST:

XIAO CLAIMS MAIDEN TITLE GLORY

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 12^th 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 17^th, 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 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.

First session

SENSATIONAL XIAO FIRES PAST MAGICIAN

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.“

Second session

TRUMP PIPS WAKELIN IN THRILLER

World number one Judd Trump claimed his 14^th 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 30^th 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.

1. 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:

First session

TRUMP ENHANCES RECENT DOMINANCE OVER HIGGINS

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. 

Second session

WAKELIN SCORES DREAM WIN OVER DING

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.

All the detailed results are on snooker.org

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).

1. Partly because they are not shown on TV and promoted enough. ↩︎

Here are the reports by WST on the action in Wuhan yesterday:

First session

WUHAN OPEN DAY THREE AFTERNOON UPDATE

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.”

Second session

WUHAN OPEN DAY THREE EVENING ROUNDUP

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.

All the detailed scores are available on snooker.org

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.