English Open 2026 Snooker: Day 4 Results — Davies Shocks the World Champion (September 10)
Day four of the 2026 English Open in Brentwood delivered one of the biggest stories of the season. Twenty-year-old Welshman Liam Davies, who only entered the draw after Ronnie O’Sullivan’s withdrawal, dismantled reigning world champion Wu Yize 4-1 to reach the quarter-finals of a ranking event for the very first time. In another landmark result, Kyren Wilson beat Mark Selby for the first time in nine career meetings.
The round of 16 was played in best-of-7 format. From the quarter-finals onwards (September 11), matches switch to best-of-11.
Round of 16 Results (September 10)
| Match | Score |
|---|---|
| Selby M. — Wilson K. | 3-4 |
| Yuan S. — Zhou Yu | 2-4 |
| O’Connor J. — Ding Junhui | 1-4 |
| Davies L. J. — Wu Yize | 4-1 |
| Carter A. — Gong C. | 4-2 |
| Trump J. — McGill A. | 4-3 |
| Pang J. — Murphy S. | 3-4 |
| Williams M. — Hawkins B. | 4-1 |
Key Match Highlights
Davies shocks the world champion. The story of the tournament so far. Liam Davies, ranked 86th in the world and fighting for his professional survival at Q School just months ago, demolished world champion Wu Yize 4-1 in a stunning upset.
The Welshman crafted a break of 105 on his way to a commanding 3-0 lead. He had a chance to complete a whitewash but missed the black, allowing Wu to pull one back at 3-1. In the fifth frame, the world champion embarked on a potentially match-saving clearance but unexpectedly missed the green, and Davies sealed a famous victory.
Speaking afterwards, an emotional Davies said that just a couple of months ago he was at Q School wondering whether he could really make it in professional snooker. Now, off the back of his victory over Ding Junhui at the Wuhan Open and a strong run at the British Open, the 20-year-old finds himself in a ranking quarter-final after knocking out the world champion.
Wilson ends the Selby curse. Kyren Wilson, the 2024 world champion, finally snapped his miserable record against Mark Selby. Wilson had lost all eight of his previous encounters with the three-time Crucible king, but breaks of 84 and 52 powered him to a 4-3 victory in the decider.
Selby, who arrived at the English Open straight from the British Open final and had already ground through several tough matches this week, ultimately ran out of steam. Wilson acknowledged after the match that beating Selby in his current form was a brilliant result regardless of the head-to-head record.
Trump survives McGill scare. Judd Trump faced his toughest test of the tournament as Scotland’s Anthony McGill pushed him all the way to a decider. Trump prevailed 4-3, but after two earlier demolitions (4-0 and 4-1) this was a genuine battle for the two-time English Open champion.
Murphy edges through. Shaun Murphy also needed a deciding frame to see off China’s Pang Junxu 4-3. He now faces Trump in what promises to be one of the most attacking quarter-finals in recent memory — few lengthy safety exchanges are expected.
Carter keeps home hopes alive. Ali Carter, playing on home turf in Essex, dispatched Gong Chenzhi 4-2 to set up a quarter-final date with Zhou Yuelong.
Williams rolls on. The 49-year-old Mark Williams continued his impressive run with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Barry Hawkins. The three-time world champion looks in ominous form as the tournament enters its decisive stages.
English Open 2026 Quarter-Final Draw (September 11)
The last-16 results have produced the following quarter-final line-up. All matches from this stage are best-of-11 (first to 6):
- Afternoon session: Ding Junhui v Kyren Wilson Zhou Yuelong v Ali Carter;
- Evening session: Liam Davies v Mark Williams Judd Trump v Shaun Murphy.
Two ties stand out above the rest. The all-Welsh clash between Davies and Williams pits a 20-year-old fairytale against a 49-year-old legend — the two are friends and practice partners, adding an extra layer to the narrative. And Trump v Murphy promises to be an exhibition of attacking snooker at its finest.
The Bigger Picture
The quarter-final field at the 2026 English Open offers a snapshot of where the sport stands right now. Five of the eight survivors sit inside the world’s top 16, but the presence of Davies (ranked 86th) alongside Zhou Yuelong (22nd) and Carter (21st) underlines a point that pundits have been making all season: the gap in quality between the elite and the rest of the tour has narrowed significantly. Very few results can be labelled as genuine shocks any more — upsets, yes, but not shocks.
The quarter-finals will be played on September 11, the semi-finals on September 12, and the final on September 13 (best-of-17, first to 9 across two sessions). Coverage is available on TNT Sports, Eurosport, HBO Max, and WST Play.
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