World champion and world number one advance in contrasting fashions at Players Championship

Six of the world’s top eight will be in the last eight programme over the next couple of days - as the venue changes to a one-table set-up - with world numbers nine and 15 also featuring at the party.

All four world champions who played on day two of the £500,000 world ranking event progressed.

Still on course for the £150,000 top prize this Sunday evening is world number one Judd Trump who made breaks of 61, 69, 63, 117 and 75 as he swept Zhou Yuelong, 6-0.

Trump certainly has Zhou’s number having defeated him in all eight of their ranking event encounters, and with a total frame aggregate of 40-9. This is the third time he has whitewashed him in a match of either the best of 9 or 11 frames.

Earlier this month, Trump ended a 14-month wait for a ranking title at the German Masters, and he is going for a hat-trick of crowns in this tournament having been victorious in 2017 and 2020.

Next up for 'The Ace in the Pack' is three-time world champion Mark Williams who top scored with a 101 in a 6-2 victory over Barry Hawkins.

Big comeback win for Crucible king Zhao

Reigning world champion and newly-minted World Grand Prix champion Zhao Xintong recovered from three frames down with four to play as he denied Elliot Slessor in the first deciding frame finish of this year’s event.

Fresh from his triumph in Hong Kong earlier this month - his first ranking success whilst wearing the Crucible crown - Zhao responded to his opponent’s brilliant opening frame effort of 119 with breaks of 68 and 60 to nudge 2-1 in front.

However, world number 22 Slessor went on a four-frame winning streak along with runs of 79, 50 and 64 to turn the tables and sit on the hill at 5-2 up.

But aided by some good fortune on his side, and his peer not being able to put away the match, Zhao produced a four-frame sequence of his own, fashioning breaks of 117, 62, 59 and 65 in the process as he completed an impressive comeback.

The turnaround was the same deficit that Zhao usurped against Mark Selby in the last 16 of the World Grand Prix less than a fortnight ago. The Chinese cueman will be hoping it leads to the same outcome of raising the trophy at the end of the week’s action.

In another blockbuster quarter-final to look forward to, Zhao will meet one of this season’s standout performers, Shaun Murphy, who dispatched Zhang Anda, 6-1.

The reigning British Open champion - winner this Players Championship title three years ago - took the opening frame before sinking 15 reds with blacks in frame two but then snookering himself on the yellow on 120 after a ridiculous pot on the previous black.

Murphy (88 break, frame three) went into the mid-session interval 4-0 up. On resumption, recent World Grand Prix runner-up Zhang - a finalist here in Telford in 2024 - got on the board courtesy of a 90, but 'The Magician' reached the hill after an effort of 81, and then got over the line in the next.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 Players Championship, visit here.