Si Jiahui came from 2-0 down in the final to defeat Leicester’s Joe O’Connor 3-2 on his home turf and win Group 3 at the BetVictor Championship League Invitational.
The afternoon saw the round robin phase of the group conclude, with Wuhan Open champion Xiao Guodong finishing top ahead of Yuan Sijun in second, O’Connor in third and Si in fourth. Si had to beat O’Connor his last match to edge into the semis and he did just that by a 3-1 scoreline.
A break of 73 in the deciding frame from Si was enough for him to beat Xiao 3-2, while O’Connor top scored with 125 in a 3-1 defeat of Yuan.
The final saw O’Connor charge to the verge of victory, but breaks of 65 and 97 helped Si take the last three frames and earn his progression. He will return to Leicester in February for the next phase.
Xiao will join Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, Zhao Xintong, Gary Wilson, Ben Woollaston and Matthew Selt in a star studded group 4, which begins tomorrow.
I can’t comment on this leg of the 2025/26 CLS, my attention yesterday being mainly on the ongoing 2026 German Masters qualifiers. Maybe my memory is failing me but I can’t remember such a strong presence of the Chinese players in this event in the previous years.
Group 4 starts today with, amongst others, Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson, Zhao Xintong in the field. It’s probably not by chance that those three enter the competition at this stage. Whatever the outcome for them tomorrow, it’s very valuable practice ahead of the 2026 Masters.
The pair were competing alongside five other players seeking to prevail and earn a spot in the next phase, but it is 31-year-old Slessor who earned his place to return in February.
The group phase concluded this afternoon, with the top four players progressing to the semi-finals. Slessor scored wins over Wilson and Chris Wakelin and lost out against Jackson Page to finish third. Meanwhile Wilson beat Joe O’Connor 3-2 to finish top.
The semis saw Wilson beat O’Connor 3-1 and Slessor prevail 3-0 against Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham.
Wilson one the opening frame of the title match, but a spectacular three frame blitz saw Slessor swoop. Breaks of 108, 57 and 138 gave him three on the bounce and the win.
Group 3 will start today, with Si Jiahui, Xiao Guodong and Antoni Kowalski joining Gary Wilson, Chris Wakelin, Yuan Sijun and Joe O’Connor in Groyp 3.
Meanwhile, the 2026 German Masters qualifiers got underway yesterday, with the lowest ranked players needing to win three best of 9 matches to get to the venue. The results for that competition can be found here on snooker.org.
The two women involved yesterday, Mink and Reanne, were beaten heavily, both lost by 5-0!
The more this goes on, the less I’m convinced that it’s promoting snooker for women and that it will possibly attract young girls to the sport, or convince their parents to support them if they want to embrace the sport. From comments I see on social media, it only feeds the already existing prejudices against women in snooker. It certainly doesn’t help their confidence either.
The usual discourse from WPBSA is that there is “no reason” why girls wouldn’t be as good at snooker as boys, and, of course, Bai Yulu was nominated by the CBSA on merit, not because of her gender. But statistically boys/men do have a better eye-hand coordination than women/girls, and they are taller and stronger. Every mother or teacher who deals with young kids of both genders sees it, right from the early months in life. These differences are almost certainly inherited from millennia of slow evolution in primitive societies where men were the providers/hunters and women the ones caring for the young and elderly. A good eye-hand coordination is an essential attribute needed to succeed as an efficient hunter, it’s not that important to be a good carer1. Of course “statistically” is saying nothing about any particular individual but it is meaningful at the scale of an entire population.
Other qualities are more prevalent in women – patience, resilience, empathy, linguistic skills – and they are just as valuable than the more “male” attributes. ↩︎
Tom Ford made the perfect start to the 2026 BetVictor Championship League Invitational, beating Jackson Page 3-1 in the final to book his place in the Winners’ Group.
Leicester’s Ford, playing on home ground at the Mattioli Arena, will return in February alongside six other players to compete for the title.
The group phase saw Page, Joe O’Connor and Chris Wakelin all finish with four wins out of six, with Ford snatching fourth place with three wins.
In the semi-finals, Page came from 2-1 down to edge out Wakelin 3-2, making vital clearances of 86 and 54 in the last two frames. Ford enjoyed a 3-1 victory over O’Connor.
A break of 77 gave Page the opening frame of the final, but world number 28 Ford then took control with runs of 108, 76 and 97 to take the next three.
Group two gets underway on Sunday as Page, O’Connor, Wakelin and Elliot Slessor are joined by Gary Wilson, David Gilbert and Noppon Saengkham.
Recently crowned BetVictor Scottish Open champion Chris Wakelin made the first 147 of his career at the BetVictor Championship League Invitational.
The perfect break came during his 3-2 win over Pang Junxu. It is a record extending 17th of this season and the 234th in snooker history.
The previous record for 147s in a single season came last term, when 15 were made. That tally looks set to be smashed in the current campaign, with the season just passing the halfway point.
Mark Selby held off a fightback from defending champion Judd Trump to triumph in a nerve-shredding final 10-8 and win the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship for a third time.
Victory sees Selby reach the quarter-century mark in ranking silverware, with this being his 25th title.
The Jester from Leicester also captured UK crowns in 2012 and 2016, when he won respective finals against Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Selby has ended a nine year wait to conquer York again and the signs were there in the lead up to the event. He won last month’s invitational Champion of Champions, where he defeated Trump 10-5 in the title match.
42-year-old Selby moves to ten Triple Crown titles in all, edging ahead of John Higgins (9) in the all-time list. Only Steve Davis (15), Stephen Hendry (18) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (23) have won more than Selby.
Defeat for world number one Trump means he ends 2025 without having added to his trophy collection. It is the first time the Bristolian has failed to win an event in a calendar year since 2013.
Selby claims the £250,000 winner’s cheque and as a result rises from 11th position to sixth in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings. Trump remains unmoved at the summit.
They came into tonight with Selby holding a commanding 6-2 lead. The opening frame went the way of the four-time World Champion, who crafted a run of 59 to extend his advantage to 7-2.
Trump seized the initiative in the next with a break of 63, but spurned a black off the spot. Selby couldn’t punish him and a safety battle ensued. Trump eventually trapped his opponent and won the exchange to make it 7-3.
A fragmented 11th saw both players miss balls unexpectedly, but after 38 minutes of play, it was 2019 Crucible king Trump who prevailed to go three behind at 7-4. The Juddernaut rode the wave of momentum into the interval, hammering in a century run of 105 to trail 7-5.
When play resumed, Selby produced a 91 break to move two away from the finishing line. However, the Ace in the Pack refused to fold and made a sublime 125 to pull within two at 8-6.
A nervy 15th saw Selby miss two routine blacks off the spot, allowing Trump to reduce his arrears further and crank up the heat, making it 8-7.
Despite the huge tension, Selby summoned the steel to make 77 and move to the verge of victory and lead 9-7.
The balls appeared to be at Selby’s mercy in the 17th, but a missed red to the top left allowed Trump back to the table and he clawed back to 9-8. In typical Selby fashion, he recomposed himself and made 69 to cap off a landmark win.
“I missed a dolly red when I was in win 10-7 and I was sitting in my chair thinking that if I lose 10-9 that will haunt me forever. It would have been worse than the Willie Thorne blue! To make the break in the last, it is probably one of the best breaks of my career. Under those circumstances, to hold myself together,” said an elated and relieved Selby.
“To win any tournament nowadays is so difficult. I put so much emphasis on these Triple Crown events. I always try that little bit harder and the pressure is greater. These are the events I judge my CV on. It is nice to get to double figures.
“It is incredible to go above John Higgins in Triple Crown wins. I’ve looked up to him for years. When I was a young lad, he was at the top of his game and he is still top of his game now. To know I’m in front of him by one is incredible. He is still capable of winning Triple Crown events himself and it wouldn’t surprise me if he did it this season. I get on with him really well, so I can have a bit of banter about that.”
Trump said: “I had a lot of chances this evening. It is my own fault and I missed too many easy balls. It isn’t easy to get over the line in these big events and I was in a similar situation last year. I hoped that I would find my best but it didn’t happen.
“Mark was much the better player and I was just trying to hang in. There was the odd frame when I was coming back and I was starting to pot a few. I will be trying to find that at the start of the game in the Masters. I will work hard between now and the Masters.”
Congratulations Mark Selby!
Finals can sometimes being a bit disappointing as tension mounts and both players feel the pressure, but this was a quality match where both players scored heavily: between them them compiled 17 breaks over 50.
Only two frames failed to “provide” a 50+ break. Considering the pressure they were under because this was the final of a “Triple Crown” event, the feat is truly remarkable.
Neil Robertson thrashed Wu Yize 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York, as he continues his quest to return to the business end of one of snooker’s biggest events.
The Thunder from Down Under is a three-time UK Champion, having lifted the famous trophy in 2013, 2014 and 2020. However, he arrived in York having not won a match in the event since he last captured the title. Victory over Belgian qualifier Julien Leclercq in round one ended that run and today’s dominant display establishes Robertson as a key contender for silverware this time around.
Robertson has enjoyed a fine season so far, having beaten Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-9 in the final of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters. He was also runner-up to Zhao Xintong at the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship.
Wu came into this week off the back of a superb triumph at the recent International Championship, where he beat John Higgins in the final to secure a maiden ranking title. However, Australia’s Robertson proved to be too strong today.
It was 22-year-old Wu who took the opener today, before Robertson ran rampant. Breaks of 51, 65, 75, 56 and 68 helped him to six frames on the bounce and a routine victory. That sets up a last eight meeting with Pang Junxu.
43-year-old Robertson said: “I thought after losing the first frame, which I should have won, I mentally recovered very quickly. I pounced on a couple of mistakes from him. After the interval I thought I was quite strong.
“I’m expecting tougher challenges ahead. There are a lot of great players still in the event and a lot of previous winners. I’m really pleased with the progress so far.
“I haven’t won a match since winning this event, so getting through the first match was good. I love coming up to York and all of the Triple Crown events. There is great production. It is great just looking up at the commentary box and seeing Dennis Taylor and things like that.”
On the other table, Pang defeated three-time World Champion Mark Williams 6-3 to make the UK Championship quarter-finals for the first time in his career.
With the tie in the balance at 4-3, Pang pounced on moment of bad luck for Williams when he inadvertantly fouled a red into the middle pocket. A break of 53 moved the Chinese cueman one from victory at 5-3. He then hammered home the highest break of the match, a run of 116, to get over the line and book his last eight clash with Robertson.
25-year-old Pang said: “It feels unbelievable right now. I’ve managed to beat two great players in a row, Xiao Guodong in the first round and now Mark Williams. I’m honestly exhausted, but very happy.
“The Triple Crown events are very different. It all feels much bigger than regular tournaments. For professional players, these events hold a special meaning, so the emotions are definitely different.
“A lot of Chinese players have achieved very good results this season, including Xiao Guodong winning a ranking title. We practise together often, and seeing them lift trophies is very motivating for me. That inspires us to improve and hopefully win titles ourselves.
“Neil Robertson has been playing well this season. I’ve played him many times before, with wins and losses. Facing him always excites me — his style of play brings the best out of me. I hope our match will be a great one.”
Defending champion Judd Trump battled to a 6-3 win over Si Jiahui to make the quarter-finals of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship in York.
World number one Trump captured the title 12 months ago after a fiercely contested final, in which he beat Barry Hawkins 10-8. His dominance of the sport at the time has ensured that he has spent the last year at the top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings.
However, he hasn’t lifted silverware since last year’s win in York. If Trump fails to win this week, he will have gone the calendar year of 2025 without a tournament win. The last time that happened to him was 2013.
Having tried changing cues recently, Trump has returned to the cue he won the 2019 World Championship with, alongside many other events. It appears to be paying dividends so far this week.
Last time the pair met, Si put on a stunning display to make a 147 en route to beating Trump 6-2 in semi-finals of the 2024 Wuhan Open. That performance was described by Trump as one of the best he has ever been pitted against.
The opening two frames this evening were split, before Trump made 117 in the third to lead 2-1. He then trailed 65-1 in the fourth and summoned a sensational clearance of 65 to steal by a point and move 3-1 up at the mid-session.
Trump appeared to be cruising to the line when a 37-minute fifth went his way. However, two on the bounce from Si made it 4-3 and left the tie in the balance.
The Ace in the Pack edged to the verge of victory and then forced himself over the line with a match winning break of 50 in the ninth. Awaiting Trump is either Ding Junhui or Scott Donaldson.
“I think it was pretty good, especially at the start up until 4-1. There was a little wobble in the middle of the game but in the end it was a slight improvement on round one,” said 36-year-old Trump.
“If he gets back to 4-4 it is game on again. Those are the crucial times and moments you have to be potting key balls. He is still very young and quite inexperienced when it comes to this kind of tournament. He will learn from it.
“It is nice to just be playing snooker. I don’t know what will happen after this tournament but for now I’m very comfortable with this cue. Everything is good. The venue is great, conditions are perfect and this is somewhere I enjoy coming.”
On the other table, four-time World Champion Mark Selby scored a 6-2 win over Zhou Yuelong to book his quarter-final slot.
Selby looks to be in fine form this week, having already comfortably beaten Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan 6-2 in round one. Defeat for qualifier Zhou means he fails to cash in on a landmark 6-4 defeat of Ronnie O’Sullivan in his opening match.
The pair were level at 2-2 heading into the interval this evening. When play resumed they contested a marathon 53-minute frame. Selby ironically tapped his watch after claiming it to move 3-2 ahead.
The following frames saw him hammer home breaks of 71, 75 and 56 to secure victory. He awaits either Barry Hawkins or Elliot Slessor in the quarters.
Selby said: “If you can’t get confidence from beating Ronnie O’Sullivan in a big match you never will do. It looked like he had that at the start of the match. He’s had a good season as well. I knew it was going to be a tough game.
“It is getting harder to win Triple Crown titles. It was hard anyway, but it is even harder now with the standard. I feel like I’m happy with my game. I’m giving myself a chance in the tournament and that is all you can ask for.”
Again, with just four matches to report on, WST’s post are comprehensive enough and I have not much to add. Wu’s performance was disappointing, but that happens. Nobody can play at their best all the time and once Neil gets on top of an opponent, he’s ruthless. The other matches went the way I expected. Willo did well to get thus far, but at 50, he’s no more the force he used to be and Pang is very solid.
Four-time World Champion Selby booked his last 16 slot with an dominant 6-2 win over Scottish Open champion Lei Peifan.
The Jester from Leicester is a two-time UK Champion, but hasn’t triumphed in York since 2016.
A 51 break in the opener this afternoon gave Selby a 1-0 lead on the black and a platform to build from. Further contributions of 82, 75 and 133 helped him charge into a 5-0 lead.
Lei pegged him back to 5-2, but recent Champion of Champions winner Selby took the eighth to get himself over the line.
Selby said: “I thought Lei battled well to 5-2 and it looked like he still fancied the job, which is a great mindset for him. I still felt calm but I was happy to get over the line. I didn’t want it to get too close.
“I feel like I’m somewhere close to my best. It would be nice to have a good run here. It has been a few years since I’ve had a good run in a Triple Crown event. I’d swap winning the Champion of Champions for winning this, that is for sure. I’m playing well so lets see what happens.”
Elliot Slessor won his first ever match at the York Barbican, defeating world number two Kyren Wilson 6-4 to make the last 16 of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
The Tyneside cueman first appeared in York back in 2013, but it has taken him 12 years to finally win a match at the venue. He won final stage matches to reach the last 32 in 2020, but the event was displaced to Milton Keynes due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, this season has seen world number 21 Slessor make a major breakthrough. He beat the likes of Stuart Bingham, Mark Williams and John Higgins en route to the semis of the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters, where he lost to Neil Robertson. The £100,000 pocketed that week was the biggest payday of his career.
Wilson was visibly frustrated and emotional in the arena. The 2024 World Champion has spent his week in York trying to find solutions with his cue, which was recently damaged.
Slessor now turns his attentions to a last 16 tie with Londoner Barry Hawkins, while Wilson will next appear in Edinburgh at the Scottish Open.
After this evening’s first two frames were traded, Slessor won the third on the black to edge ahead. However, Wilson won the fourth to ensure parity at the mid-session, with the two players locked level at 2-2.
When play resumed, Slessor claimed two on the bounce to move 4-2 ahead. Wilson then appeared to click into gear with runs of 104 and 91 to make it 4-4.
The rally from the Warrior was to be short lived, as Slessor moved one from the win at 5-4. He then made 66 to get over the line and book his meeting with Hawkins.
“I just battled. That was all I had. I just battled as hard as I could and stayed in there. I knew it was a miracle that I was 4-2 up as he was the better player. He found a gear to go 4-4 and I knew I needed to find something myself,” said 31-year-old Slessor
“It is great to win against a player of Kyren’s class. He is a phenomenal player and a former World Champion. However, I know I can beat these players if I play my game. I’d have taken a lot more from that if I’d played better, but I’m still in the tournament and I can still improve.
“Barry is another phenomenal player. I can’t believe he hasn’t won a Triple Crown event, I think he is that good. He is a tremendous match player.”
On the other table, Hawkins emerged victorious after a hard fought 6-4 victory over 50-year-old qualifier David Lilley.
Hawkins was runner-up last year here in York. He beat the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Shaun Murphy to make the title match, but fell short 10-8 against world number one Judd Trump.
Victory today means the four-time ranking event winner remains in the hunt for that elusive first Triple Crown triumph.
Hawkins said: “It was a very difficult game. There was a spell mid-match where it looked like it would be a good standard, but it went scrappy again. I didn’t really feel match sharp.
“Elliot is playing really well. For the last three or four seasons I felt like he’d make a breakthrough. I’ve always rated him. He’s knocked out Kyren and you don’t do that unless you are playing well. I’ve got a difficult game and I need to up my game that is for sure.”
Mark Selby speaks out on a snooker future without Ronnie O’Sullivan
Mark Selby says snooker will survive a future without Ronnie O’Sullivan but admits the Rocket brings a unique atmosphere to tournaments.
O’Sullivan was beaten 6-4 by Zhou Yuelong in his UK Championship opener on Tuesday, losing in the first round for the second year on the bounce.
The seven-time world champion turns 50 this week and is playing a reduced schedule of mainly events in China and the Middle East.
This week’s visit to the Barbican in York was the first time he has played in the UK since his World Championship semi-final defeat to Zhao Xintong in May.
There is no real sign that O’Sullivan is set to hang up his cue at the moment, ranked five in the world and saying that he is still enjoying the game.
However, there will come a time at which the Rocket heads into retirement and Selby says that something will be lost from events.
‘For me, it’s always great when Ronnie is in a tournament,’ he said after beating Lei Peifan 6-2 on Tuesday in the same session as O’Sullivan’s loss. ‘It has that extra vibe.
‘Even just playing there, being in the same session, with the crowd you get that atmosphere which you don’t really get with any other player.
‘No disrespect to any other players on the tour, even myself, we’re all top players, but you don’t get that atmosphere with anyone else. If I’d have been playing with [John] Higgins on the next table or [Mark] Williams or Judd [Trump] or [Zhao] Xintong, even them guys, as good as they are, you still don’t get that atmosphere.’
The 42-year-old is backing the younger players on tour to bring in the crowds in future, though, naming a string of stars who play exciting snooker.
‘Hopefully he just carries on playing, he seems like he still enjoys it, or else he wouldn’t be playing. As long as he stays healthy I’m sure he’ll carry on.’
Selby would have met O’Sullivan in the last 16 if the Rocket had progressed, but instead he takes on Zhou for a place in the quarter-finals.
‘If you play Ronnie it would have been a great occasion and a tough game,’ he said. ‘Zhou’s obviously playing some decent stuff to beat Ronnie as well, he’s a great player himself.
‘Whoever I play it’s going to be a tough game. It would’ve been great to play Ronnie here in York, but not to be.’
Selby looks in very good form at the moment, after winning the Champion of Champions last month, and says he feels as good as he has done for a long time.
‘I feel like I’m somewhere close,’ he said on how near he is to his best. ‘It would be nice to have a run in these big ones because it’s been a few years since I’ve had a run in these Triple Crown events.
‘I’m playing some decent stuff and I’m fancying the big shots when I’m under it, which is key, because that’s been a little while before I’ve been in that position. I’m playing alright so let’s see what happens.’
It was another well attended day of snooker yesterday in York and with only four matches on the menu WST was able to produce decent comprehensive reports and I don’t have much to add to them.
The crowd is always good in York, and fair as well. Still, I was surprised by the reception Zhao Xintong got. Here is a player from China who has been involved in a match fixing affair and, despite not having actually fixed any match himself, he faced some harsh lasting hostility from some corners on the Internet. There was nothing of that on show yesterday.
China’s first World Champion Zhao Xintong and his iconic compatriot Ding Junhui scored respective wins on Monday at the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
It was a historic afternoon in York, with the first ever all-Chinese lineup in a two-table session of a Triple Crown event.
Crucible king Zhao put on a superb display to see off Long Zehuang 6-1 in his first Triple Crown appearance since winning a maiden world title back in May.
Zhao climbed to the top of the snooker world with stunning wins over Ronnie O’Sullivan in the semi-finals and Mark Williams in the final.
He’s gunning for a second UK Championship title this week, having lifted the famous trophy in 2021 with a win over Luca Brecel in the final.
Zhao stepped out to a tremendous reception this afternoon and he thrilled the packed Barbican crowd from the off. A break of 107 gave him the opener, before a further three on the bounce meant the 28-year-old led 4-0 at the mid-session interval.
A break of 51 helped make it five, before a dramatic sixth frame. Long looked set to come from behind and steal before missing a tricky final pink on 60 for the frame. A safety battle ensued, with a fluke from Long eventually making it 5-1.
The resistance was to be short lived. A break of 72 helping three-time ranking event winner over the line to book a second round meeting with either Zhang Anda or Gary Wilson.
Zhao said: “I felt really good about my game from the start. After the break I started to make some mistakes. I think it’s alright though. I was able to play at a good level in my first match. It will get better and better. I have greater confidence in myself now.
“We will see more and more afternoons like this in the future. The Chinese players are getting stronger. Another all-Chinese lineup will happen soon, for sure.
“I have been aware of how much people expect me to do well since winning the world title, but I’m trying to keep a composed mindset. If I set my expectations too high for myself then I feel more pressure. I have been learning to deal with it and handle the stress. I’m trying to enjoy matches.”
On the other table, three-time UK Champion Ding overcame former International Championship semi-finalist Xu Si 6-4 in a hard fought encounter.
York is a happy hunting ground for Ding. He last lifted the famous trophy here back in 2019 and was runner-up in both 2022 and 2023.
Breaks of 103 and 66 helped the 38-year-old into a 3-1 advantage at the mid-session. When play resumed, a potentially momentum changing fifth went the way of Xu on a re-spotted black.
Xu then levelled, but Ding stopped the fightback with runs of 92 and 109 to move one from victory at 5-3. Xu pulled one back with 96 in the ninth, before Ding hammered home a match winning 64. He awaits the winner between Mark Allen and Scott Donaldson.
“I was a bit lucky to get the win today. He was struggling when play started but came back in the end. I am happy to win any match, but to have four players from China in a Triple Crown was fantastic,” said world number eight Ding.
“There are many young Chinese players now winning a lot. They are playing much better. I am trying to win as much as I can for the rest of my career. If I don’t, then I won’t get too disappointed looking back. I think I have done a lot for snooker in my career. I think I can be happy that I’m playing the way I want to play.”
An emotional Scott Donaldson scored a superb 6-1 defeat of world number seven Mark Allen to make the last 16 of the Victorian Plumbing UK Championship.
Donaldson’s father Hector sadly passed away last month and the Perth cueman was in tears as he made his entrance to the arena this evening, walking out to the David Gray song Babylon. Gray was one of his father’s favourite artists.
Tonight’s result is a continuation of a remarkable run for the world number 52. He summoned a sensational comeback in the last round of qualifying to reach York. Donaldson overturned a 5-0 deficit against 2015 World Champion Stuart Bingham to win 6-5.
Despite the one-sided scoreline this evening, the fragmented nature of the frames meant it was still a keenly contested clash. With Donaldson leading 2-0, the third frame lasted 59 minutes before the Scot eventually took it to lead 3-0. A break of 57 from Allen then gave him the fourth frame to trail 3-1 at the mid-session.
When play resumed Donaldson won two consecutive frames lasting over 45-minutes and then took the seventh on the black to get over the line. He clenched his fist after deposting the final ball. Donaldson will now face Chinese legend Ding Junhui.
“It is a game at the end of the day. It isn’t life or death. After what I’ve been through I can tell you what is important. When the pressure comes on, I tell myself, this is a game of snooker, get on with it,” said 31-year-old Donaldson.
“I was fine until I got to the top of the stairs – and the last time I was in this venue was with my dad. It was good emotion though. Tough to go through but once I got the first frame, after that I was all right.
“Every game is different. With my technique, I’ve got a lot of movement on different shots but if I can keep that under control I can play half decent. It isn’t just about me though. It is how my opponent plays as well. I’m looking forward to playing Ding.”
On the other table, Zhang Anda staged a superb fightback to defeat Gary Wilson 6-5 and set up a meeting with World Champion Zhao Xintong.
York is a happy hunting ground for Zhang, who made a 147 in last year’s event. He came through qualifying to reach this year’s edition, beating Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the final round.
With the scores locked at 3-3, breaks of 65 and 91 helped Wilson to the verge of victory at 5-3.
Zhang won a tight ninth and then crafted a gutsy 77 to force a decider at 5-5. He controlled the last to get over the line and seal victory.
Zhang said: “Throughout the match, I felt mentally steady and didn’t worry too much about the result. Even when I was 5-3 down, I was just waiting him to give me a chance and I was ready to take it. That’s how I managed to come back.
“I don’t have high expectations for the next round. Since it is two Chinese players facing each other, we’ve already secured a spot in the quarter-finals, which is great. I just hope we can put on a good show and it isn’t one-sided, especially not on my end!”
During one of the sessions – I can’t remember which – Ronnie could be seen practicing in the background.
Ronnie O'Sullivan 