2024 International Championship Snooker: Xu Si makes 147 break during busy evening session in Nanjing

Greg Baker AFP via Getty Images
The last 16 line-up at the 2024 International Championship is now complete following Tuesday's hectic evening session in Nanjing.

Earlier in the day in the afternoon programme, there were mixed fortunes for several of the sport's top ranked stars with world number one Judd Trump going through, but seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan going out. A full report on that session is here.

It was an eventful few hours in the Far East with another star cast on display across eight tables at the Nanjing Qinhuai District South New City National Fitness Centre.

One of the lower key matches, though, produced the biggest story, as world number 49 Xu Si compiled a maximum 147 break during his 6-2 victory over Ryan Day.

The feat of perfection was Xu's second 147 of his professional career, the fifth of the 2024/25 professional season, the fifth in International Championship history, and the 207th in professional competition overall.

A quarter-finalist at the Xi'an Grand Prix earlier this season, 26-year-old Xu also registered runs of 101 and 112 during the tie as he set up a round four date with Trump.

Reigning International Championship winner Zhang Anda's title defence is over after he went out 6-1 to Chinese compatriot Lyu Haotian. Lyu - who made several breaks over 50 in the match - meets John Higgins, next.

Current World Champion and new Northern Ireland Open Champion Kyren Wilson made it nine consecutive match wins on the World Snooker Tour as he compiled a hat-trick of tons in a 6-4 victory against English Open runner-up Wu Yize.

Having claimed the opening frame before being pegged back, Wilson crafted a 109 and 121 in successive frames and went into the mid-session interval 3-1 up. Wilson never relinquished the lead, and made a 105 in frame eight en route to progression.

Whilst world number two Wilson advanced, world number three Mark Allen did not, as he was dismissed by Wuhan Open Champion Xiao Guodong, 6-2.

World number 18 Xiao is now on the cusp of joining the world's top 16 for the first time in his career, and being a seed for the televised stages of the upcoming 2024 UK Championship in York. At the time of writing, Xiao is now provisionally 17th in the standings, but needs more prize money from this event to break into the sport's elite bracket.

In contrast, Neil Robertson's position as a seed at the Barbican is now in real threat after he exited this competition following a 6-1 defeat to Barry Hawkins.

Robertson was in sizzling form on Monday - making four century breaks in a whitewash win - but he now faces an anxious wait in 16th place on the provisional standings as to whether he will have to go to Leicester later this month for the UK Championship qualifying rounds.

Hawkins - who is now 19th on that particular list - really puts himself in the picture for the top 16 and automatic UK qualification.

Mark Williams struck a 121 in a 6-1 success over Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, while Ding Junhui also contributed with three figures (107) during a 6-0 clean sweep of Hossein Vafaei.

Ding has not won a ranking event since the 2019 UK Championship, and has not tasted success in his home country since the 2017 World Open.

The final round three verdict of the day went to China's Jiang Jun, who at number 77 in the world is comfortably the lowest ranked player left in the tournament.

An example of the strength and depth of the World Snooker Tour at present, Jiang compiled breaks of 107, 52, 118, 134, 55 and 83 in his 6-4 victory against fellow countryman Yuan Sijun.

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