Wuhan Open 2026 keeps delivering dramatic storylines. The headline result of the day was Latvian Artemijs Zizins’ win over reigning world champion Wu Yize, while on the other table Zhao Xintong, Judd Trump, Neil Robertson, and Ronnie O’Sullivan all showed their class.
Main Upset: Zizins Beats the World Champion
Latvia’s first professional snooker player, Artemijs Zizins, scored the biggest win of his career, edging out reigning world champion Wu Yize 5-4 in a hard-fought battle in front of a packed crowd on the main table.
A quick look at Zizins:
- Turned professional in 2024, successfully coming through Q School on his first attempt;
- Last season, reached the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in his career — at the World Open;
- Will face Stephen Maguire in the next round here in Wuhan.
Match Progress
| Stage | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Mid-session interval | Zizins leads 3-1 thanks to breaks of 58, 85, and 85 |
| Second half of the session | Yize responds with breaks of 129 and 87, moves ahead 4-3 |
| Fightback | Zizins takes a frame with a break of 80, level at 4-4 |
| Deciding frame | Yize misses the black, Zizins clears to the pink and wins |
Zizins admitted it was hard to put his emotions into words, noting that just two years after starting his journey on the tour, he had now beaten the world champion on the main table in front of a full arena.
Zhao Xintong Cruises Through
2025 world champion Zhao Xintong played on the second table the same day, with more than 3,000 fans in attendance. Unlike his compatriot Yize, Zhao gave his opponent no chance, thrashing Gao Yang 5-0.
Zhao’s breaks in the match: 107, 118, 75, 82, 67.
Zhao’s next opponent is Crucible finalist Jak Jones. The player noted that becoming world number one was his dream as a child, but these days he tries not to force things and simply focus on playing well and trusting the process.
This also matters for the race for the world number one spot: if Zhao matches or betters Neil Robertson’s result at this tournament, he’ll move closer to top-ranking status. Robertson, for his part, kept his own hopes alive, defeating Ben Mertens 5-1.
Other Results of the Day
| Player | Score | Opponent | Next Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artemijs Zizins | 5-4 | Wu Yize (world champion) | Stephen Maguire |
| Zhao Xintong | 5-0 | Gao Yang | Jak Jones |
| Neil Robertson | 5-1 | Ben Mertens | — |
| Judd Trump (world number one) | 5-0 | Yuan Sijun | Si Jiahui / Dylan Emery |
| Ronnie O’Sullivan | 5-2 | Ashley Carty | Yao Pengchen |
Judd Trump, who tops the world rankings, knows that only winning the title will let him hold on to first place — today he cruised to a 5-0 win over Yuan Sijun.
Ronnie O’Sullivan: A Hard-Fought Win and Honesty About His Form
Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan battled his way to a 5-2 win over Ashley Carty, but openly admitted that he’s been missing his top form lately.
Season Context
- The 50-year-old previously said the 2028 World Championship could be his last;
- His main remaining goal is a record-breaking eighth Crucible title;
- Both of his appearances this season have ended at the second round: losses to Kyren Wilson at the Shanghai Masters and Noppon Saengkham at the China Open.
Match Progress vs Carty
| Stage | Score/Details |
|---|---|
| First two frames | Shared evenly |
| Frame 3 | O’Sullivan wins with a break of 59 |
| Interval | O’Sullivan leads 3-1 |
| After the break | Carty pulls one back |
| Finish | O’Sullivan wins the next two frames in a row — 5-2 |
O’Sullivan said he doesn’t want to fool himself and admits he hasn’t shown his best level of play in a long time; he also added that, for his own sake, he misses the feeling of dominating the table, even though those around him keep telling him he has nothing left to prove.
O’Sullivan will next face Chinese player Yao Pengchen.
Day’s Summary
- Main upset: Zizins beats Wu Yize, 5-4;
- Most convincing wins: Zhao Xintong and Judd Trump — both won 5-0;
- Race for world number one: the battle between Zhao Xintong and Neil Robertson continues;
- Experience over form: O’Sullivan advances despite an admitted dissatisfaction with his own game.
Wuhan Open 2026 continues, and the coming rounds promise more tense clashes — the Zizins vs Maguire match is especially anticipated, along with the ongoing battle for the top of the world rankings.
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