2026 International Championship: Wilson continues winning streak as Ding loses top 16 ranking

In-form Wilson defeated Ding Junhui, 6-4, on Wednesday at the SNC National Fitness Centre to reach the last four of the £825,000 world ranking tournament where he will face Fan Zhengyi.

Ding took the opening frame of the tie with a 99 but Wilson levelled and then went in front after efforts of 94 and 59.

The world number nine headed to the mid-session interval 3-1 up, but on resumption Ding compiled what would be the biggest break of the match with a 137 to half his deficit.

The players then traded frames across the next four - Wilson made a 54 in the eighth, Ding kept his hopes alive in the ninth aided by a 60 - but Wilson got the job done in frame ten following a run of 56.

The result for him ended a three-match losing streak against his opponent, and it's now the furthest he has ever been in the International Championship with a quarter-final finish in 2024 eclipsed.

Newly-minted Northern Ireland Open champion Wilson is now on a ten-match winning streak on the World Snooker Tour after six victories in Belfast last month, and four, so far, in Nanjing.

Before his title triumph at the Waterfront Hall, 'The Warrior' hadn't featured in the last four of a ranking event in over 18 months - now he's made back-to-back semi-finals.

Having collected £100,000 in Northern Ireland, Wilson is guaranteed at least £33,000 here - two chunks of prize-money that have significantly helped his cause when it comes to preserving his top 16 status later this season.

As for Ding, his elimination will see him slip outside of the elite top 16 bracket when the world rankings are revised on Monday.

Chinese snooker's original superstar Ding has shown great heart this week, battling back to pip Zhang Anda on the final black in the last 32, and Stephen Maguire on the final pink in the last 16, but he couldn't manage to muster up another recovery today.

The 15-time ranking event winner came into this competition positioned 15th, but was projected a drop down the global standings as he was defending the £175,000 he collected for winning this title two years ago.

At minimum, he needed to reach the final, but with compatriot Chang Bingyu's run this week, only the trophy would have done.

At best, Ding will be 23rd in the world rankings when they are updated, meaning he will have to navigate two qualifying matches later this month in order to feature in the main draw, televised phases of the 2026 UK Championship in York - a Triple Crown accolade he has won three times before.

The UK Championship is also the final event before the 16-player field for January’s Masters invitational is set, meaning Ding would likely have to appear in another York final to earn a spot at the Alexandra Palace.

Fan Zhengyi into second semi-final

World number 51 Fan is into the second ranking event semi-final of his career after dispatching Hossein Vafaei, 6-3, elsewhere on Wednesday afternoon in the Far East.

After depositing the opening frame, Vafaei compiled a 118 to go back in front at 2-1, but Fan - who struck a 111 in frame two - secured five of the next six frames to set up a date with Wilson.

It is the first time that 25-year-old Chinese cueist Fan has been this far in a ranking event since his memorable title glory at the 2022 European Masters where he pipped Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final.

Wilson and Fan will meet in the opening semi-final on Thursday with that encounter being the best of 17 frames held across two sessions.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 International Championship, visit our tournament information centre here.