Last 16 finalized! Snooker China Championship: Upsets for World No. 2 and No. 5, Si Jiahui and Zhao Xintong meet

On November 4th Beijing time, the Snooker China Championship Round of 32 is underway with eight matches completed, determining the last 16 players. Notably, World No. 2 Kyren Wilson and World No. 5 Ronnie O’Sullivan both lost unexpectedly. The Chinese contingent has five participants, with three—Si Jiahui, Wu Yize, and Zhao Xintong—advancing to the last 16. The other five qualifiers are Lisowski, McGill, Maguire, Hawkins, and Higgins!

World No. 2 Kyren Wilson faced stiff resistance from Maguire. Against an opponent who posted two centuries and four breaks over 50, Wilson struggled and ultimately lost 4-6 in an upset. Although it was a disappointing loss, Maguire is a tough competitor, so his victory is understandable!

World No. 5 Ronnie O’Sullivan played against Lisowski, who recently won his first ranking event, the Northern Ireland Open. The first four frames were evenly matched at 2-2. Then Lisowski’s precision surged, winning three consecutive frames to reach a 5-3 match point. O’Sullivan fought back resiliently, clawing back two frames to tie 5-5. The deciding frame was dramatic with several chances for both players. O’Sullivan failed to capitalize, while Lisowski remained steadier and clinched a 6-5 upset victory to advance!

Among the Chinese team’s five competitors, two derby matches took place. New World Champion Zhao Xintong faced tough resistance from Lei Peifan. Zhao started strong with a 3-1 lead, but Lei suddenly found his rhythm, scoring four consecutive breaks over 50 and a 4-1 run to reach 5-4. At the critical moment, Zhao showed great composure, winning two consecutive deciding frames to seal a 6-5 victory. Zhang Anda faced Wu Yize. Zhang started aggressively with two centuries to lead 3-2, but Wu unleashed relentless offense, hitting three centuries and a 50+ break, winning four straight frames to triumph 6-3. Si Jiahui played against the strong Gary Wilson and delivered a spectacular performance, excelling in both attack and defense with two centuries and a 70 break, crushing his opponent 6-0 in a dominant display. Si will now face Zhao Xintong for a spot in the quarterfinals!

Written by / Sports Novel