Snooker China Open! The newly crowned world champion suffered a 2-6 crushing defeat, while Zhou Yuelong advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-4 victory.

On August 12, Beijing time, the round of 16 of the Snooker China Open got underway, with two matches already finished. Gilbert maintained his fierce attacking momentum, routing the newly crowned world champion Wu Yize 6-2. Zhou Yuelong also emerged victorious from a Chinese derby, beating Liu Hongyu 6-4. Thus, Gilbert and Zhou Yuelong became the first two players to reach the quarterfinals.

Wu Yize took on Gilbert, who had thrashed Ding Junhui 6-1. Just like Ding, Wu Yize lacked rhythm in this match and was dismantled by Gilbert's all-around play. He fell behind 0-3 early on, failed to recover, and soon found himself in a 1-5 hole. In the eighth frame, Gilbert showed no mercy, sealing the match with a clean single-frame victory, winning 6-2 once again. He eliminated two Chinese stars—Ding Junhui and Wu Yize—in succession to reach the quarterfinals. It's clear that old dogs know tricks best; Gilbert's form is scorching hot, and he could become a dark horse and disrupt the tournament.

Zhou Yuelong faced Liu Hongyu in a highly anticipated all-Chinese clash, with one guaranteed to claim a quarterfinal spot. The two delivered a thrilling offensive battle, with high quality and entertainment value—every frame featured a 50+ break. Zhou Yuelong struck first, displaying explosive form from the start. He stormed to a 3-1 lead with three century breaks at lightning speed. Liu Hongyu, undeterred, fought back with three 50+ breaks, delivering a 3-0 run to take a 4-3 lead. However, Zhou Yuelong's offense was too fierce. He quickly regained his touch, hitting a century and two 60+ breaks to respond with a 3-0 run, eliminating Liu Hongyu 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinals.

Thanks to this, Zhou Yuelong temporarily secured a quarterfinal spot for the Chinese team. However, the losses were heavy: Ding Junhui, Wu Yize, and Zhao Xintong—all capable of winning the title—were eliminated. The only hope now lies in a major outburst from the remaining Chinese players. Let's wait and see!

Text/Sports Novel