On November 5th, Beijing time, the Snooker International Championship continued, and the third day of competition saw the 1/16 matches take place. The early matches were filled with upsets, as 41-time ranking event champion Ronnie O'Sullivan and 80s standout Shaun Murphy were surprisingly eliminated. The evening session of this match will continue with the remaining 1/16 matches to determine the final 16 spots, with an 11-frame, 6-win format.
The International Championship is a top-ranking event, part of the WST World Snooker Tour, with a total prize pool of £825,000, and the champion can take home £175,000. Players can convert their winnings into points for the world rankings, making it second only to the three major snooker events in terms of prestige. Last year, Chinese player Zhang Anda defeated Tom Ford in the final to become the defending champion. This year marks the ninth edition of the event, held in Nanjing, China, over an eight-day period (November 3rd to November 10th).
In the early 1/16 matches that concluded today, Chinese players Pang Junxu and Si Jiahui took the lead. Pang Junxu faced off against 41-time ranking event champion Ronnie O'Sullivan. The match started with Pang Junxu taking the initiative, and the first four frames ended in a 2:2 tie. After the break, Pang Junxu made consecutive breaks of 85 and 73 to win, while O'Sullivan steadily fought back to level the score at 4:4. At a critical moment, Pang Junxu did not hold back, making breaks of 120 and 123 to win 6:4 and upset O'Sullivan to advance to the last 16. Si Jiahui faced Jack Lisowski, known as the "eternal runner-up," and after trailing 1:3 in the first four frames, he caught up to 5:5, with both players entering the deciding frame. Ultimately, Jack Lisowski proved superior and won the match.
Other results from the early 1/16 matches: 80s standout Shaun Murphy was in poor form, losing 3:6 to Chris Wakelin in an upset. Three-time ranking event winner Gary Wilson fought back from a 1:4 deficit to narrowly defeat Robbie Williams 6:5. Judd Trump started slowly, once trailing 2:4, but then scored four consecutive wins to reverse the situation and win 6:4. Mark Selby made four breaks over 60 to win 6:3 against Thai player Noppon Saengkham. The 75 trio's John Higgins easily advanced 6:1, and Jackson Page performed excellently, upsetting Ali Carter 6:4.
The specific results of the evening session's 1/16 matches are as follows:
Ding Junhui 6-0 Hossein Vafaei
Ding Junhui is ranked 9th in the world, while Vafaei is ranked 24th. From the rankings, Ding Junhui has a slight advantage. Ding Junhui is a leading figure in Chinese snooker and a top-level player worldwide. Since turning professional, he has won three prestigious UK Championships and a total of 14 ranking event titles, with 670 century breaks, ranking 8th in history. However, his form has been inconsistent in recent years, with a nearly five-year championship drought. We hope he can win a title this season to regain confidence. Vafaei is an outstanding 90s player from Iran, with one ranking event title to his name.
In the first frame, Ding Junhui missed a long shot on the opening ball, and Vafaei accurately potted it to start with 30 points before interrupting. Both sides entered a safety battle to seek opportunities to get in. Subsequently, Ding Junhui repeatedly got in to chip away at the lead, eventually winning the first frame 68-31. In the second frame, Vafaei took the lead with 13 points before interrupting, and Ding Junhui seized the opportunity to make a break of 67 to win. In the third frame, Vafaei still took the lead but had poor single-strike scoring ability and made consecutive mistakes. Ding Junhui demonstrated solid defensive skills, causing Vafaei to make errors several times and won the frame 73-46. In the fourth frame, Ding Junhui's momentum was like a rainbow as he potted a long shot to start with a break of 62 points before a positional error led to defense. Ultimately, Ding Junhui consolidated his advantage to win another frame 111-0, starting the match with a dreamy 4-0 lead.
In the fifth frame, Ding Junhui capitalized on Vafaei's mistake to pot a century break of 107 points for a frame-winning shot, taking a 5-0 lead and securing match point. In the sixth frame, Vafaei's mentality fluctuated, making consecutive mistakes, while Ding Junhui grew bolder with each fight, potting several times with a break of 56 points to win the match 73-41. With a 6-0 victory, Ding Junhui eliminated Vafaei and advanced to the last 16. In the next round, he will face the winner between Jiang Jun and Yuan Sijun!
Xiao Guodong 6-2 Mark Allen
Allen is an outstanding 80s player, with personal honors second only to the Big Five of the 80s, ranked 3rd in the world. Last season's outstanding performance brought him three titles, with a total of 11 ranking event titles in his career. He is just one World Championship title away from completing the Grand Slam of the three major events. This season, he has been impressive, notably making his fourth maximum break of 147 at the English Open, and is one of the favorites for the title at this International Championship, seeded 4th.
At the start of the match, Xiao Guodong was in good form, making a break of 77 to take the lead and deliver a warning shot. Then, in the second frame, Xiao Guodong continued his hot hand from the previous frame, making a break of 87 to win another frame. In the third frame, the two alternated shots with attack and defense transitions, with Xiao Guodong edging out a 77-29 victory, leading 3-0. In the fourth frame, the two went back and forth in a messy, closely contested game, with Allen eventually winning the tussle 72-69. In the fifth frame
Allen pressed on to win another frame 66-46. In the sixth frame, Allen made more mistakes, and Xiao Guodong seized the opportunity with a break of 56, winning 72-27. In the seventh frame, Xiao Guodong capitalized on his momentum, potting several times with a break of 50 to win the frame and reach match point at 5-2. In the eighth frame, Allen missed a long red ball, leaving it in the pocket, and Xiao Guodong potted with full firepower, making a break of 73 to win the frame and the match 6-2, advancing to the last 16. Congratulations to Xiao Guodong!
During the same time, other players' matches were also underway: Zhang Anda lost 1-6 to Lyu Haotian, failing to reach the last 16 and was eliminated. Young player Xu Si was in explosive form, making three century breaks and three breaks over 50 to win 6-2 against reigning champion Ryan Day. It is worth mentioning that Xu Si made his second career maximum break of 147 in the sixth frame. Mark Williams won 6:1 against Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.