Snooker UK Championship: World No. 2 and No. 5 Upset, Slesser Defeats Wilson, China Secures 7 Spots in Last 16

On December 2nd Beijing time, the last 16 of the Snooker UK Championship concluded. In two key headline clashes, top seeds O'Sullivan and Kyren Wilson were unexpectedly knocked out. World No. 5 O'Sullivan was surprisingly beaten 4-6 by Chinese player Zhou Yuelong for the first time, and world No. 2 Kyren Wilson was upset 4-6 by the underdog Slesser. This means the last 16 is finalized, with China claiming 7 spots, marking a huge success!

The tournament also saw early upsets in the first round, with five top seeds exiting immediately, including world No. 2 Kyren Wilson and title favorite O'Sullivan ranked fifth. China had 12 players in the main event, achieving 7 wins and 5 losses, and 7 players advanced to the last 16. One derby match guaranteed a quarterfinal spot in advance!

Kyren Wilson, the strongest player born in the 1990s, is a former World Champion. Last season, he won multiple ranking titles, surpassing Trump and firmly holding the world No. 2 spot. This season, his form has been average without standout achievements. At the UK Championship, Wilson qualified directly for the main draw and faced underdog Slesser in the first round. The match began with both players winning one frame each, tied 1-1. They then exchanged single frame wins to reach 2-2. After trading two-frame streaks, the score was tied at 4-4 in a tense battle. In the decisive moments, Slesser surged ahead, winning two consecutive frames to eliminate Wilson 6-4 and advance to the last 16 in a major upset!

O'Sullivan faced Zhou Yuelong. As one of the greatest players ever, O'Sullivan has recently declined and hasn't won a ranking title for a long time. Ranked fifth in the world, he met Chinese player Zhou Yuelong in the first round. O'Sullivan had previously won seven straight matches against Zhou, so he was widely expected to win. However, the outcome was shocking: O'Sullivan collapsed in the latter stages, making repeated unforced errors, and ultimately lost 4-6 to Zhou for the first time in his career. This result was very surprising and shows O'Sullivan has clearly declined, no longer the unstoppable "Rocket"!

With all last 16 spots decided, the Chinese contingent has made a huge breakthrough by securing 7 places in the main draw, marking significant progress. Meanwhile, Ding Junhui faces great pressure against Donaldson, who has won three consecutive matches against him. Zhao Xintong and Zhang Anda will contest a derby battle, Zhou Yuelong challenges the seasoned Selby, Si Jiahui faces world No. 1 Trump in an attacking showdown, Wu Yize takes on Australian powerhouse Robertson, and Pang Junxu meets veteran Mark Williams from the "Class of '75." We have every reason to believe they will contend for the title. Let's go!

Written by / Sports Novel

Written by / Sports Novel