Live now! Snooker Wuhan Open: Zhao Xintong vs. Stevens, Ding Junhui suffers a shocking 3-5 defeat

On August 25th Beijing time, the first round of the Snooker Wuhan Open main event is ongoing, with several matches in play. A highlight match between Zhao Xintong and Stevens is currently tied at 2-2 after four frames. Ding Junhui, however, was upset 3-5 by the 18-year-old newcomer Moody and has been knocked out, much to everyone’s disappointment!

Zhao Xintong versus Stevens. Zhao Xintong is the newly crowned World Champion, but this season he hasn’t shown dominance, struggling in the early tournaments and revealing weaknesses in his defense due to a somewhat casual playing style. At this Wuhan event, hopes are high for a strong performance. He qualified for the main draw by defeating Boyko 5-3 in the delayed qualifiers, narrowly missing a maximum 147 break. In the first round, he faces Stevens, a moderately strong opponent. We favor Zhao to win, but after the first half, Zhao’s performance has been underwhelming, tied 2-2 with Stevens. To secure victory, he must step up dramatically in the second half!

Earlier, in another key match, Chinese star Ding Junhui faced the 18-year-old Moody. Ding started hot, scoring a century break of 117 in the first frame to take the lead. Moody responded quickly with a 64-point break in the second to even the score. The third frame slowed down, and Ding took it by scoring steadily, leading 2-1. Moody then found his rhythm, delivering a century and two 50+ breaks to win three frames in a row, reaching a 4-2 match point. Ding was in deep trouble. In the seventh frame, Ding fought hard to save a match point. But in the eighth, Moody sealed the match with a decisive 77-point break, winning 5-3 and causing a major upset to advance to the last 32!

It must be said that Ding Junhui has once again disappointed. He seems to have lost his fighting spirit, and his level has declined rapidly. With Zhao Xintong having already claimed the World Championship for China, Ding faces even less pressure. Generally, snooker players improve with age — look at the ‘75 trio’, who remain at the top level. With Ding eliminated, the next focus is whether the ‘Ding Junhui curse’ will continue. Let’s wait and see!

Written by / Sports Fiction