Snooker International Championship Report: Ding Junhui Crushes 6-1, Zhao Xintong Wins 6-3, 14-Year-Old Youngster Nearly Causes Upset

On November 4th Beijing time, the Snooker International Championship started. In the recently finished matches, the Chinese contingent had mixed fortunes, losing more than winning. Ding Junhui, one of the "80s Five Tigers," powered through Holt with a dominant 6-1 victory. New World Champion Zhao Xintong found his rhythm and, in a derby clash, came from behind to beat Fan Zhengyi 6-3. The 14-year-old prodigy Wang Xinzhong almost caused a major upset but ultimately fell 5-6 to Murphy in a nail-biting finish!

Ding Junhui faced Holt. In this match, Ding continued his excellent form from the first round, attacking relentlessly like a tidal wave. Against Holt, he played with smooth precision and strong pressure, quickly winning five consecutive frames to reach match point. Holt managed to claw back one frame with some scattered points in the sixth to avoid a whitewash. However, Ding sealed the seventh frame with a winning break, finishing the match 6-1. He compiled two centuries and three 50+ breaks, overpowering the Celt to advance to the last 32 with a commanding victory after a long-awaited dominant performance!

Xiao Guodong struggled badly against Schurtie, starting the match in a very poor state as if sleepwalking, allowing his opponent to win three frames in a row and leave him stunned. Xiao showed some improvement in the fourth frame by scoring a 50+ break to take a frame. But the following part of the match was truly bizarre—Xiao took the initiative first in three frames, reaching 50+ points, yet made costly mistakes at crucial moments, gifting Schurtie opportunities. As a result, Schurtie overturned three consecutive frames, and Xiao was ultimately defeated 1-6 in a rather inexplicable loss!

Zhao Xintong and Fan Zhengyi staged a derby battle. As the new World Champion, Zhao’s season had been disappointing with early exits, drawing criticism from fans. In this round, Fan Zhengyi put up a fierce fight in this intense domestic clash. The first four frames were evenly matched, tied at 2-2. Zhao then raised his game, winning two frames in a row to extend his lead. Fan responded with a winning break to narrow the gap to 3-4. Seeing this, Zhao quickly struck back, maintaining steady form to deliver another two consecutive frames, ultimately defeating his teammate 6-3 to reach the last 32!

14-year-old Wang Xinzhong took on one of the "80s Five Tigers," the Grand Slam champion Murphy. Wang played boldly and fiercely, exchanging blows with Murphy. Despite falling behind 0-3 early on, Wang’s accuracy exploded as he produced two centuries and three 50+ breaks, mounting a 5-1 scoring run and later reaching match point at 5-4. However, in the crucial tenth frame, Wang had a chance to win but got a bit anxious and left an opening, allowing Murphy to clinch the frame with a winning break to tie 5-5. In the deciding frame, Murphy showed superior skill and sealed the match with another winning break, narrowly defeating Wang 6-5 and avoiding an upset. It’s a pity for Wang, but performing so well against Murphy is an honor despite the loss!

Written by / Sports Fiction