Ding Junhui Earns First Three-Match Winning Streak of the Season, Reaches English Open Quarterfinals

In the early hours of September 11 Beijing time, the 2026 Snooker English Open in Brentwood concluded three last-16 matches involving Chinese players. Ding Junhui recorded his first three-match winning streak of the season by defeating English player Joe O'Connor 4-1 and reaching the quarterfinals, where he will face World Championship winner Kyren Wilson. Zhou Yuelong maintained his strong form since the start of the new season, beating Yuan Sijun 4-2 in an all-Chinese matchup. Wu Yize still could not return to the form he showed when winning the World Championship this year, losing 1-4 to the younger Liam Davies and exiting in the last 16.

Ding Junhui's opponent in this round, Joe O'Connor, was ranked only 31st but had previously caused problems for Ding. The two had met twice before, with Ding losing on both occasions. This time Ding continued the good form he showed in his first two matches. After O'Connor levelled the score at 1-1, Ding won three consecutive frames to claim a 4-1 victory, ending his two-match losing streak against the opponent and also achieving his first three-match winning streak in the four ranking events he has played this season. Although he did not make a century break, the match showed that the veteran, who is approaching 40, still has ambition, desire to win and confidence. In the quarterfinals, Ding will face a tough opponent in Kyren Wilson. Since the start of the season, Wilson has defeated Chinese players several times, including Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize in key matches.

Zhou Yuelong, the only Chinese player to reach the semifinals at the China Open, also performed well this time. He reached the quarterfinals after winning three straight matches and defeated Yuan Sijun 4-2 in the last 16. Zhou often becomes the last remaining Chinese player in ranking events when other Chinese players struggle, but he has always fallen just short of winning the title.

It was disappointing for Wu Yize. After beating two Chinese players, Gao Yang and Xu Si, he reached the last 16, but he lost 1-4 to Welsh youngster Liam Davies, who is more than three years younger than him. It was their first meeting. Davies has climbed from outside the top 100 to around 90th in the world rankings this season, and his victory over Wu will further improve his ranking. Born in 2006, Liam Davies could become one of the few young players from the British Isles capable of competing with China's younger generation of players in the future. Meanwhile, Wu Yize still has not found the form he showed at the World Championship, suffering consecutive defeats to professional newcomers ranked around 90th or even outside the top 100, first against Latvia's Cikins and now against Liam Davies.

Source: related reports