Snooker Schedule for Sept. 11: Ding Junhui and Zhou Yuelong Face Key Quarterfinal Tests at 8 PM, Chinese Players Fight for Semifinal Spots

Ding Junhui has just partially removed the label of a losing streak against the top 16 at this event. He has faced Kyren Wilson 18 times, with 8 wins and 10 losses overall; however, in their last two long-format matches, Ding won 6-4 at the 2024 International Championship and 10-5 at the 2025 Tour Championship. In the previous round against Joe O'Connor, Ding won 4-1 with breaks of 59, 51 and 80, recording three 50+ breaks, reaching the ranking-event quarterfinals for the first time this season and earning his first three-match winning streak. Wilson had a tougher previous round, overturning Selby 4-3, winning the deciding frame 71-38 after also playing a full deciding frame against Chang Bingyu earlier. With the overall head-to-head disadvantage, two recent long-format wins and Wilson coming off a seven-frame decider, nobody can directly say Ding has no chance.

The quarterfinals starting at 20:00 on Sept. 11 feature Ding Junhui vs Wilson and Zhou Yuelong vs Carter on simultaneous tables; at 02:00 on Sept. 12, Trump vs Murphy and Mark Williams vs Liam Davies will follow. Some broadcasts list the format as best of 11 frames, while some schedules use best of 9 frames; the official announcement on site will decide. China has only Ding and Zhou remaining in the last eight, while Yuan Sijun, Pang Junxu, Gong Chenzhi and Wu Yize all stopped in the last 16.

For Ding Junhui vs Wilson, physical condition comes first. Ding's previous 4-1 win lasted just over five frames and featured fewer mistakes than his first two rounds; in Wilson's match against Selby, Selby made breaks of 112, 64 and 60, while Wilson replied with 84 and 52 before surviving with key balls in the decider. Wilson has beaten Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize this season and is not intimidated by Chinese opponents; Ding had suffered an 11-match losing streak against top-16 players over the past year-plus, yet has won his last two long matches against Wilson. That contrast is the biggest talking point.

Looking deeper into the history, Ding lost 5-10 to Wilson in the 2023 Tour Championship semifinal and lost again 8-10 in the last 32 of the 2022 World Championship; but he recovered with wins at the 2024 International Championship and 2025 Tour Championship. In other words, short formats, long formats and different season conditions have produced completely different results. Ding has gradually improved through the first three rounds, beating O'Connor 86-0 in the first frame, building leads with consecutive 50+ breaks in the third and fourth frames, and winning the fifth 69-7. If he tightens his safety play and avoids simple errors, a long-format match gives him more room to fight back.

Zhou Yuelong vs Carter is a different type of battle. Zhou trailed Yuan Sijun 1-2 in the previous round, then won three straight frames for a 4-2 victory, making a 141 break in the fourth frame. He also produced 72 and 54 breaks, taking the event's highest break. This is already his third consecutive comeback win in the event, following victories over Moody and Wakelin before overturning Yuan in the last 16. Carter beat Gong Chenzhi 4-2 in the previous round with a 75 break, relying on safety play, tactical exchanges and patience in key frames.

Full report continues.

The historical record between them is complicated. The commonly used professional record counts nine meetings, with Zhou winning four and losing five; some databases list it as 4-4 depending on event categories. In the 2026 World Grand Prix quarterfinals, Zhou beat Carter 5-4, with the first three frames going 75-49, 68-37 and 36-78, followed by a 71-61 fourth frame. Carter hit three consecutive 88 breaks to move ahead, but Zhou closed with 66-41 in the eighth frame and 66-29 in the ninth. In the 2023 English Open last 16, Zhou won 4-1 with breaks of 85, 79, 77 and 55, while Carter only managed occasional scoring. The numbers show that if Zhou gets his long pots early, Carter will be forced to chase; if Zhou starts slowly, Carter can use safety play to gradually recover.

Carter is a six-time ranking-event winner and a two-time World Championship runner-up, so his experience is unquestionable. Zhou's issue is not potting ability but avoiding hesitation on key balls. The 141 break shows he can build big runs once at the table, but against an experienced player like Carter, simply chasing centuries is not enough; reducing mistakes in the early and middle stages will decide whether the match goes to a nine-frame or eleven-frame format. Another comeback would be Zhou's fourth turnaround victory of this event; even if he starts 1-2 or 2-3 down, his recovery against Yuan shows he has a chance, though Carter is better than Yuan at slowing the pace.

Trump vs Murphy starts at 02:00. They have met 47 times, with Trump leading 33-14, a winning rate of about 70%; in 11 quarterfinal meetings, Trump leads 9-2, and in four finals, Trump leads 3-1. Recently, Trump beat Murphy 10-9 in the 2026 Tour Championship quarterfinals and 10-4 in the 2026 German final, while Murphy defeated Trump 4-3 in the 2025 English Open last 16.

Murphy reached the last eight by beating Pang Junxu 4-3, making breaks of 103, 56 and 72, while Pang produced 58 and 59. Murphy held firm through the decider. Trump beat McGill 4-3 in the previous round, with his cue speed and positional changes looking sharp; for Murphy to win, his long-pot success rate must hold up first, otherwise Trump could control the rhythm in the later stages.

Looking separately at the Triple Crown events, Trump and Murphy have met seven times, with Murphy leading 4-3. Murphy won 10-6 at the 2007 World Championship, 13-11 at the 2021 World Championship and 6-5 at the 2022 UK Championship, while Trump won 13-12 at the 2013 World Championship and 13-10 at the 2025 World Championship, with their Masters meetings split. The English Open carries less weight than the World Championship, but Trump leads both their overall record and quarterfinal record. For Murphy to cause an upset, he should avoid matching Trump's fast cue action, instead creating battles, reducing simple errors and improving his century conversion to earn a 15th win in their 47 meetings.

Mark Williams vs Davies is also scheduled for 02:00. Williams beat Hawkins 4-1 in the last 16, showing the control, tactical skill and composure of a veteran; 20-year-old Davies beat Wu Yize 4-1 with a 105 break, and defeating Wu, a highly ranked player and reigning world champion, was a major upset. They have officially met only once before, when Williams won 5-3 at the 2025 Wuhan Open. Williams made centuries of 125, 100 and 137 in the first half to lead 4-0, before Davies won three straight frames and Williams secured the match with 77 and 35. Davies has also competed closely with Ding Junhui, Hawkins and Gary Wilson this season, so he is not simply an inexperienced player; however, against three-time world champion Williams, the experience gap is significant.

Davies' key weapon is his feel on medium and long pots. Against Wu, besides the four-frame performance and 105 century, he also produced continuous scoring, showing he is not relying on one lucky long pot. Williams' concern is a slow start; if he allows Davies to steal two early frames, a best-of-nine format will be harder to control than best-of-eleven. Williams' 4-1 win over Hawkins featured few mistakes, and the veteran remains stronger in handling tight safety situations and endgame battles. The data favors Williams in this Welsh generation clash, but if Davies repeats the long-pot accuracy that eliminated Wu, an upset such as 5-1 or 5-2 is not impossible.

After breaking down the four matches, these are the key numbers. Ding vs Wilson: 18 meetings, Ding 8-10 overall, but two recent long-format wins; Zhou vs Carter: around 4-5 overall, 5-4 at the Grand Prix, 4-1 at the 2023 English Open; Trump vs Murphy: 47 meetings, Trump 33-14, 9-2 in quarterfinals; Williams vs Davies: one meeting, Williams won 5-3, while Davies recently beat Wu 4-1 with a 105 break. The two 20:00 matches focus on China and top-16 battles, while the two 02:00 matches feature veteran clashes and a possible continuation of underdog runs. In terms of breaks, Zhou's 141 is currently the event's highest, with Murphy's 103, Davies' 105 and Ding's three 50+ breaks against O'Connor providing the century-break benchmarks.

If the format is best of 11, Ding and Zhou both benefit from being able to withstand slow starts more than in shorter matches; if it is best of 9, the deciding-frame ability of experienced players like Carter and Wilson becomes more valuable. The broadcast times do not overlap, with two tables at 20:00 and two at 02:00, meaning the semifinalists will all be decided in one night. If Ding beats Wilson, he will completely turn the page on the top-16 losing streak; if Zhou beats Carter, his comeback run will extend from three rounds to four; whoever advances between Trump and Murphy will provide another high-century-production player in the lower half; if Davies beats Williams, the list of giant-killing results will expand from Wu's elimination to a three-time world champion.