Snooker World Grand Prix! Two semifinalists emerge, Xiao Guodong beats Si Jiahui 5-2, Zhang Anda defeats Wu Yize 5-2.

On February 6th Beijing time, the quarterfinals of the Snooker Hong Kong Grand Prix wrapped up two matches, where Xiao Guodong convincingly defeated Si Jiahui 5-2, and Zhang Anda won 5-2 against Wu Yize. Both encounters were very interesting, as balanced play outperformed attacking players. Thus, the tournament’s semifinal lineup includes Xiao Guodong and Zhang Anda!

Xiao Guodong versus Si Jiahui. Over the past two years, Xiao Guodong’s skill and consistency have greatly improved, maintaining a top-16 ranking. In this event, he defeated two world champions, Kyren Wilson and Ronnie O’Sullivan, to reach the quarterfinals. Although Si Jiahui is also ranked in the top 16, his weaknesses lie in positioning and defense. He advanced by eliminating Gary Wilson and Pang Junxu, who were not strong opponents. The match started with Si Jiahui taking the lead by scoring a 70+ break. Then Xiao Guodong became unstoppable, making a century break and consecutive 70+ breaks to win four frames straight, leading 4-1 and reaching match point. In the sixth frame, Xiao Guodong missed a chance despite scoring 67 points, and Si Jiahui fought back with a 73-67 comeback. However, in the decisive seventh frame, Xiao Guodong seized the opportunity with a winning break to secure a strong 5-2 victory, advancing to the semifinals!

Zhang Anda faced Wu Yize. Zhang Anda dropped out of the top 16 this season, while Wu Yize made a major breakthrough by winning his first career title at the National Championship and remains firmly in the top 16. In this event, Zhang Anda caused two major upsets by eliminating top players Mark Williams and Barry Hawkins to reach the quarterfinals. Wu Yize had a favorable draw, defeating opponents McGill and Chang Bingyu, who were less challenging. The match began with Zhang Anda quickly scoring a 97 break to take the lead. In the second frame, Wu Yize scored 50 points and leveled at 1-1. Then Zhang Anda’s accuracy surged, delivering two consecutive winning breaks to extend his lead to 3-1. Wu Yize responded with a century break of 101 points in the fifth frame to narrow the gap to 2-3. At the critical moment, Zhang Anda’s offensive momentum returned, producing a 50+ break and a century to win two more frames, finishing with a clean 5-2 win to advance to the semifinals!

Tonight at 7 PM, two more high-profile matches will take place: the new World Championship winner Zhao Xintong will face Wakelin, and Zhou Yuelong will challenge veteran Carter. These matches are crucial for us to secure all four semifinal spots and potentially clinch the title early. Let’s stay tuned and cheer them on!

Written by / Sports Novel