Ding Junhui Beats Hugill 4-2, Zhou Yuelong Completes 4-3 Comeback Over Wakelin as Two English Open Last-32 Matches End

Ding Junhui defeated Ashley Hugill 4-2 and Zhou Yuelong completed a 4-3 comeback against Chris Wakelin as two English Open last-32 matches concluded on the same evening. One was a steady win and the other a comeback victory, with both players reaching the last 16 and producing details including breaks of 88 and 101.

At 17:00 Beijing time on September 9, the 2026 World Snooker English Open continued with the last-32 stage. Ding Junhui faced Ashley Hugill and advanced 4-2 after six frames. Hugill won the first frame 78-45, Ding leveled with an 88 break in the second, then moved ahead by winning the third 61-16. Hugill responded with a 65 break and a 103-0 frame win in the fourth to make it 2-2. Ding then produced a 61 break in the fifth to reach match point and closed out the sixth frame 61-19.

According to WST statistics, Ding scored 343 total points compared with Hugill's 229, with average shot times of 24.7 seconds and 29.8 seconds, pot success rates of 55% and 48%, two 50+ breaks versus one, and highest breaks of 88 and 65. The numbers reflected not just one explosive frame, but Ding making fewer mistakes during extended exchanges. After losing the opening frame, he did not change his approach, using long-pot opportunities in the second frame to build sequences around reds and colors while returning the cue ball to familiar positions.

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Hugill's 103-point clearance in the fourth frame came after a successful long pot and gave Ding no second chance at the table. In other frames, once his attack was interrupted, Hugill took noticeably longer to rebuild. After the score reached 2-2, Ding controlled the table through smaller scoring phases in the fifth frame, then made multiple visits to reach 61 points in the sixth, while Hugill scored only 19.

Ding had only narrowly beaten Holt 4-3 in the opening round, but this match was completed in six frames with a more proactive pace. His next opponent will be the winner between Sam Craigie and Joe O'Connor. Neither is a top seed, but Craigie has shown strong long-pot ability in recent years, while O'Connor is more precise in defensive returns. For Ding, the key variable remains the start of the match; if he again gets drawn into a battle lasting more than 40 minutes in the opening frame, the later energy cost could carry into the quarterfinal stage.

In the same 17:00 session, Zhou Yuelong faced No. 12 seed Chris Wakelin. Wakelin made a 101 break to win the first frame, took the second 58-46, and won the fourth 65-25 to lead 3-1 and reach match point. Zhou answered with a 78 break and a 119-40 third frame win, then made a 71 break to win the fifth frame, followed with a 55-40 sixth frame win, and took the seventh 64-44 to complete a 4-3 turnaround.

Wakelin's 101 break came in the first frame, where he potted a long red and continued his break without interruption, leaving Zhou no chance to come to the table. In the second frame, Wakelin scored 58 through multiple visits, while Zhou responded with 46 but could not continue after key shots, allowing Wakelin to take the frame on small margins. At 1-2, Zhou's 78 break in the third frame reduced the gap, with the frame ending 119-40. After that, Zhou stopped trying to rush his shots and instead waited for Wakelin to make the first move.

At the 1-3 turning point, Wakelin stopped after reaching 49 in the fourth frame, and Zhou could only score 25. Wakelin later returned to the table through another long pot and reached 65, with the frame largely following his rhythm. Zhou then won the fifth frame with a 71-point shutout, bringing the match back into a multi-frame, small-margin battle that suited him. The sixth frame ended 55-40, with Wakelin's 40 points coming from scattered visits rather than a century-level sequence. In the final frame, Zhou scored 35 before a mistake, Wakelin reached 44 through two visits and moved into safety play, then left a long-pot chance after a safety exchange. Zhou returned to the table, reached 64, and finished the colors phase at 64-44.

Apart from the 101 break, Wakelin's other key scores were 58 in the second frame and 65 in the fourth, both around the 50-point range. After leading 3-1, he scored fewer than 120 points combined over the final three frames, with scoring runs repeatedly interrupted in long pots and middle-pocket transitions. Zhou's two 50+ breaks were 78 and 71; although he did not reach 50 in the final frame, 64 was enough for the win. Against a higher-ranked opponent, he did not rely on single-frame clearances but instead broke the match into smaller scoring stages, making every lead harder for his opponent to protect.

Zhou Yuelong's next opponent will be the winner between Oliver Lines and Yuan Sijun. Lines eliminated Zhao Xintong in the opening round and is strong in defensive exchanges and slower tactical matches; Yuan defeated Tom Ford 4-2 in the opening round and has a more direct attacking transition style. Against Lines, Zhou will need to avoid falling behind 1-3 again because Lines may not give away repeated scoring chances after a lead as Wakelin did; against Yuan, it would become an all-Chinese matchup with a faster rhythm.

Chinese players had 12 entrants reach the last 32 at this event. Ding and Zhou completed their last-32 matches first on September 9, while other matches were held in different time slots. Zhang Anda versus Selby and Chang Bingyu versus Kyren Wilson were difficult draws, while Wu Yize versus Xu Si and Gong Chenzhi versus Luo Zetao were all-Chinese matchups. Having 12 players in the last 32 only reflects the depth of the entry list and does not mean there will be the same number in the quarterfinals or semifinals, as opponent quality will rise in later rounds.

Ding's two 50+ breaks came in the second and fifth frames, with a shutout loss in the fourth, showing that his form still had fluctuations. Zhou's two 50+ breaks came in the third and fifth frames, while the real turning points were the fifth-frame shutout and the final-frame chance created through renewed table access. Viewed together, the two matches showed Ding using shot timing and cue-ball control to push his opponent into mistakes, while Zhou erased a seeded player's advantage through segmented scoring and a decisive-frame safety opportunity.

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