Following Yuan Sijun’s 5-2 victory over Trump, the first round of the Snooker Grand Prix concludes: 9 Chinese players in the last 16 & Ding Junhui’s awkward exit.

On February 5th Beijing time, the first round of the Snooker Grand Prix ended last night. In the final match, Chinese rising star Yuan Sijun exploded with full force, defeating world number one Trump 5-2 in a huge upset and barely making it into the last 16. With the final 16 now set, 9 of the 10 Chinese participants have advanced past the first round, leaving only the renowned Ding Junhui to suffer an embarrassing defeat!

Yuan Sijun versus Trump. Yuan Sijun is a promising Chinese post-2000s talent, currently ranked 31st globally, yet without notable achievements in ranking events. In this Hong Kong tournament, he drew a tough first-round opponent — the world number one Trump, who is at his peak and recently won the German Masters, marking his 31st ranking title. Before the match, few expected Yuan to win, but the outcome was surprising!

The match began with Yuan Sijun stunning Trump by scoring a century break right away. In the second frame, after fierce battles, Yuan won 71-45, taking a surprising 2-0 lead. Trump responded in the third frame with a 62-point break. In the fourth, Trump reached 65 points, but Yuan completed an incredible comeback with 67 points, extending his lead to 3-1. Trump then fought back in the fifth frame with a 61-16 win, narrowing the gap to 2-3. Yuan responded in the sixth with a 65-point break to take the frame 4-2. In the seventh and final frame, Yuan clinched a dramatic 57-56 victory, sealing a 5-2 upset over Trump and advancing to the last 16!

This result was truly unexpected. Trump had just finished the German Masters and seemed physically and mentally drained, leading to diminished performance and multiple mistakes. Yuan Sijun played exceptionally well, with several comebacks proving his strong form!

With Yuan Sijun securing the last spot in the last 16, 9 of the 10 Chinese players in this tournament have advanced, setting a new record for the highest number of Chinese players in the last 16. This is truly exciting news. Only Ding Junhui’s loss stands out awkwardly. The round of 16 matchups will begin soon — see the chart below!

Written by / Sports Novel