Kyren Wilson
Kyren Wilson battled past home hero Ding Junhui 6-4 to make the semi-finals of the International Snooker Championship in Nanjing.
The Warrior captured the Alex Higgins Trophy for a second time at the recent Northern Ireland Open, thrashing Jak Jones 9-2 in the final. It means he is now two wins away from claiming back-to-back ranking titles for the first time in his career.
Junhui also knew victory was required to remain in the hunt for automatic UK Championship qualification. Defeat means the three-time UK Champion must now head to qualifying to earn his place in York. That means his compatriot Chang Bingyu will grace the top 16 for the first time and secure his slot in the Triple Crown event.
They came into today with Junhui holding the upper hand in recent clashes, having won their last three meetings, including a 6-2 victory at this season’s English Open.
When play began this afternoon, Junhui appeared to still have the upper hand after a fine 99 break gave him the opener. However, world number nine Wilson hit straight back and made breaks of 94 and 59 en route to taking the next three frames and leading 3-1 at the mid-session.
Junhui again started quickly when play resumed and a stunning 137 cut his arrears in half at 3-2. The next two frames were traded, before Wilson made 54 in the eighth to move 5-3 ahead. Junhui clawed one back but a 56 break helped Wilson over the line to secure another important win.
“It would be amazing to win back-to-back ranking events. It is important to keep a run of confidence going as long as you can. I’ve won a couple of really tough matches this week. I’ve played a few deciders and beat some great players. To be in a semi-final off the back of winning one is a nice confidence boost and hopefully it continues,” said 34-year-old Wilson.
“It is like (playing Ronnie O’Sullivan in London), but times a billion. He’s an absolute legend out there. We owe it to Ding Junhui as the reason we have a lot of snooker out here. I believe he is coming into form. He’s beaten some very good players this week. He still wants it and is very hungry. It’s always a blockbuster when you play him out here.
“I’m looking forward to the semi-finals. It will almost be a World Championship round one type feel with it being over two sessions. There are some great players left in and I’m glad to be one of them.”
Wilson will now face China’s Fan Zhengyi, who overcame Iranian number one Hossein Vafaei 6-3 to make the last four.
Zhengyiwill contest just his second ranking semi-final and first since his memorable triumph at the 2022 European Masters, where he defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.
He top scored with 111 today and is relishing crossing cues with Wilson in the semis.
Zhengyi said: “I actually prefer playing in longer-format matches because I feel that, at some point, I can produce the same level of aggressive play that I show in practice. When that happens, I really enjoy it. In shorter matches, such as best-of-seven frames, I sometimes feel that I haven’t quite found my rhythm before the match is already over.
“I think Kyren (Wilson) is also a very different player from when we last played at that stage of our careers (2022 European Open). He’s improved enormously. I don’t think it makes a huge difference who I’m playing against. The most important thing is that I can produce my own game and perform to the best of my ability.”
Scotland’s four-time World Champion John Higgins beat three-time ranking event winner Marco Fu 6-3 to make the 95th ranking semi-final of his career.
Higgins and Fu have shared the table on a number of prominent occasions throughout their careers. Fu beat Higgins 9-4 in the 2016 Scottish Open and won 6-5 in the semis of the Hong Kong Masters in 2022, when he made a 147 in the decider.
Higgins has struggled to find his best this season, but a 6-5 win over old foe Mark Williams in the last 16 appears to have sparked his game to life. He made seven breaks over 50 in today’s victory, with a top score of 78. He now plays Chang for a place in the final.
Higgins said: “He’s given me a few heavy defeats. Probably one of my worst ever defeats in front of my home fans at the Scottish Open. Listen, I don’t think anybody on the tour can believe Marco is down by the relegation zone because he is one of the best break builders I’ve ever seen. He makes it look ridiculously easy. The 147 in the decider in Hong Kong is one of the best experiences I’ve been involved in. When he did it in front of his fans the place just went mental.
“Chang is an incredible talent. I was sitting over on the other table and it looked like it was just century after century coming from the other table. It frees my mind up as I know I will have to go and play some of my best stuff. He plays like the bags are bin lids. He will be tough to stop, but I’m happy with how I’m playing and I’m confident with my game.”
Bingyu secured his place in the last four with a stunning 6-3 win over world number one Zhao Xintong in a repeat of this season’s Wuhan Open final.
It was Bingyu who prevailed in Wuhan to secure his maiden ranking crown, and he continued that form here with a break-building blitz. Contributions of 100, 102, 115, 58 and 107 saw him run out the victor.
Bingyu said: “I’m not too concerned about the victory. What’s most pleasing is that I managed to play to my ability today, and that makes me really happy. My form has been getting better and better throughout this trip to Nanjing, from the first round up to now. I hope I can maintain this momentum in the matches ahead.”
QUARTER-FINAL RESULTS
Fan Zhengyi (Chn) bt Hossein Vafaei (Egy) 6-3
Kyren Wislon (Eng) bt Ding Jinhui (Chn) 6-4
John Higgins (Sco) bt Marco Fu (Hkg) 6-3
Chang Bingyu (Chn) bt Zhao Xingtong 6-3
