Huge upset! The last 16 of the Snooker Grand Prix are decided! China has 9 players, while the legendary '75 Trio and '80s Five Tigers have been reduced to a single survivor each.

On February 4th Beijing time, the Snooker Hong Kong Grand Prix kept intensifying. After eight more matches today, the last 16 were finalized. Among 10 Chinese entrants, 9 advanced, showcasing numerous underdog victories. This outstanding performance is impressive. Even more unexpectedly, the legendary '75 Trio and '80s Five Tigers are left with only one survivor each—O'Sullivan and Selby. The Chinese team holds more than half the spots in the last 16 and has a strong chance of winning the championship, with great hopes ahead!

Among the '75 Trio, Mark Williams struggled in the later stages, losing three consecutive frames to fall 2-5 against Chinese player Zhang Anda, exiting early. The ever-resilient Higgins started well with strong accuracy but couldn't maintain it. Zhao Xintong staged a powerful comeback, relentlessly scoring to overturn the deficit. In the eighth frame, Higgins fought back to 65-all but left an opening on the black ball, which Zhao seized to secure a 5-3 comeback victory, avoiding a decider. Meanwhile, O'Sullivan, who has rarely competed recently, exploded onto the scene. Against the modestly skilled O'Connor, he started slowly, trailing 0-2, but then found his rhythm, applying pressure with solid offense and defense, quickly winning five straight frames to overturn a 3-5 deficit and avoid a shock defeat!

All five of the '80s Tigers participated. Ding Junhui showed no resistance, losing 3-5 to four-time finalist Hawkins. Defending champion and Australian powerhouse Robertson performed poorly, suffering a 1-5 thrashing by the post-90s World Championship runner-up Jack Jones. Murphy also collapsed, losing 1-5 to Chinese player Pang Junxu. Newly crowned German Masters champion Trump failed to escape defeat, showing no form and being dominated throughout, falling 2-5 to rising Chinese talent Yuan Sijun. Only Selby managed to break through, sweeping Aaron Hill 5-0 in straight frames, causing a major upset!

The Chinese team shone brightly in the first round. Out of 10 participants, only Ding Junhui lost, while the other 9 all advanced to the last 16. Zhang Anda, Zhao Xintong, Chang Bingyu, and Yuan Sijun all pulled off shocking upsets against world champions. This rare momentum truly points toward the championship, as there are few players left who can seriously challenge our title hopes!

Written by / Sports Fiction