NANCHANG, China, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump and Chinese rising star Wu Yize advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Snooker Open on Thursday, while reigning world champion Zhao Xintong suffered a 5-2 defeat to Gary Wilson.
Fan favorite O'Sullivan edged out Shaun Murphy 5-3 in a tightly contested last-16 tie. He came out firing with a 96 break to take the opening frame, but lost his touch to drop the next two, with Murphy notching a magnificent 139 total clearance in the second frame. The seven-time world champion quickly regrouped, dominating the fourth and fifth frames with runs of 77 and a 125 total clearance to retake the lead, before sealing the 5-3 victory in the eighth frame after a gritty battle with Murphy.
"Before coming to Yushan, I spent three weeks breaking down my technique, starting right from my cue action," O'Sullivan told a post-match press conference. "Fortunately, I've been able to put together some good performances here."
World No. 1 Trump continued his fine form, securing a convincing 5-2 win over Robbie Williams. After a hard-fought first session saw the pair locked at 2-2 at the mid-session interval, Trump unleashed his trademark relentless attacking play to take control of the match, firing in breaks of 117 and 94 in the fifth and seventh frames respectively to cruise into the last eight.
Chinese youngster Wu produced the most impressive comeback of the day, showing remarkable composure and consistency to fight back from 2-0 down, reeling off five consecutive frames to secure a 5-2 upset victory over Kyren Wilson and advance to the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, local favorite Zhao's tournament run came to an end against Wilson. Zhao took the opening frame but dropped the next two, before levelling the match at 2-2 ahead of the mid-session interval. Unable to recapture his best form in the second half, Zhao lost three straight frames to suffer a 5-2 defeat and exit the competition.
O'Sullivan will next face Ryan Day, while Wu Yize takes on Mark Allen for a place in the semifinals. ■
