Snooker Report! Quarterfinals Set, China Suffers Four Consecutive Defeats, Three Disasters in One Night, Zhao Xintong's Dramatic Comeback

On February 19th Beijing time, the last 16 of the Snooker Players Championship continued. In the four latest matches, three disasters unfolded overnight: Zhou Yuelong was soundly defeated 0-6 by the in-form world number one Trump; Zhang Anda fell 1-6 to the steady Murphy among the 80s five tigers; in a strong confrontation, Mark Williams dominated Hawkins 6-2; and Chinese ace Zhao Xintong overturned a 2-5 deficit to win 6-5 against Slessor. With this, the tournament’s quarterfinal lineup is set, with the Chinese team enduring four straight losses, leaving only Zhao Xintong to advance.

Facing world number one Trump, Zhou Yuelong was immediately out of form, suppressed on both offense and defense, quickly overwhelmed by his opponent. The match became one-sided as Trump played effortlessly without pressure, delivering a century break and four 60+ breaks, dominating with a 6-0 whitewash over Zhou Yuelong, creating a disaster. This was the first shutout of the tournament, and Trump’s performance was brutally impressive!

Zhang Anda faced Grand Slam champion Murphy. In the first four frames, Zhang had chances but faltered on key shots, resulting in two frames being snatched back by Murphy, leading to a 0-4 deficit and a dire situation. Zhang scored a 90 break in the fifth to stop the bleeding, but Murphy’s overall steady play quickly secured two more frames, crushing Zhang 6-1 and causing a disaster, decisively advancing to the quarterfinals!

Mark Williams, still sharp as ever, took on the formidable Hawkins and quickly gained the upper hand with a 3-0 lead. Riding the momentum, he grew stronger as the match progressed, ultimately demolishing his opponent 6-2, creating another disaster and smoothly moving into the quarterfinals without much resistance!

Zhao Xintong’s match against Slessor was a thrilling rollercoaster full of twists. Due to inaccurate long shots, after a 2-2 tie, Zhao lost three frames in a row, falling into a 2-5 crisis. Fortunately, he didn’t give up and showed great composure, gradually clawing back the score. In the deciding frame, he found his precision and won four consecutive frames to complete a stunning 6-5 comeback, narrowly advancing to the quarterfinals in a nail-biting finish!

With that, the quarterfinals lineup is complete: Higgins, Wakelin, Selby, Mark Allen, Trump, Murphy, Mark Williams, and Zhao Xintong. The 80s five tigers hold three spots including the fierce Mark Allen; the 75s trio has one, and the post-90s Zhao Xintong and Wakelin fill the rest. The quarterfinal matchups promise to be exciting — let’s look forward to it!

Written by / Sports Fiction