Refreshed and focused Gilbert eliminates World Champion Wu from China Open

Gilbert defeated reigning World Champion Wu Yize, 6-2, to reach the last eight of the £1.2 million ranking event where he will face Zhou Yuelong on Friday.

Their first meeting on the World Snooker Tour in a 'full' ranking event, Englishman Gilbert pinched the opening frame with a counter clearance of 56 before doubling his lead in a close second frame.

The 45-year-old - who had to win two qualifying matches earlier this summer in order to reach the televised stages in the Far East - then compiled a 132 for 3-0 before Wu got on the scoreboard just before the mid-session interval with an 88.

However, on resumption, runs of 54 and 122 helped Gilbert move one away at 5-1, and although Crucible King Wu prolonged the tie with an 80 in the seventh, an effort of 89 from Gilbert in the eighth saw him complete a very impressive victory.

Having knocked out Xu Si in the final qualifying round in Leicester in June, and Ding Junhui in Taiyuan just a few days ago, Gilbert has now defeated Chinese opposition in three consecutive rounds, and he'll be hoping that streak stretches to four when he faces Zhou.

David Gilbert on playing ‘proper snooker’

Two-time Crucible semi-finalist Gilbert was frustrated on the baize last season, failing to reach a single last 16 stage.

During the off-season, Gilbert has recently admitted to adopting a stricter practice routine at his club in Tamworth, and it already appears to be paying dividends with results.

Over these summer months, the world number 32 has enjoyed a clean sweep in qualifying, and narrowly missed out on a second ranking event crown when he was pipped 3-2 by Jak Jones in last month's Championship League Grand Final.

Now, he has a quarter-final date to look forward to in the most lucrative snooker tournament ever held in the Far East, and is guaranteed at least a £25,000 payday. It's set to be the first time that he has appeared in the last eight of a ranking competition since September 2024.

Speaking to the World Snooker Tour shortly after his victory over Wu, a revived Gilbert seems to be getting the snooker spark back again.

"Yeah, I feel good" said 'The Angry Farmer'. "I'm just trying to enjoy playing again, it's been a while, so, try and enjoy the game, think clearly, I can play alright.

"I feel like I'm playing proper snooker. Safety needs a bit of work but that's more the conditions of the table, a bit heavy at times, so you've got to just adapt and strike the ball a bit differently when needed, but apart from that, the tournament's fantastic."

Gilbert has twice featured in the final of a Chinese ranking event - the 2015 International Championship, and the 2018 World Open - although he revealed that he struggles to rest when playing in the country.

Due to the nature of this year's returning China Open being played across nine days, Gilbert had a few days off from his opening round win over Ding, and went into his clash with Wu feeling refreshed.

"I've just tried to chill out and sleep properly, that's something I've never done here in China, so I think you've got to rest up as much as you can" Gilbert explained.

He now has another day off before facing fellow qualifier Zhou on Friday. The winner of that encounter will book a ticket for the weekend's one-table set-up.

"I'd love to make the weekend, it'd be great to play at another one table again, it's been a long time. I won't get ahead of myself, I'll just look forward to the next game."

Four-time ranking event runner-up Zhou put on an incredible scoring clinic during his 6-4 win over compatriot Liu Hongyu, racking up four century breaks - 119, 108, 134, 140 - and further efforts of 57, 68 and 66.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 China Open snooker, visit our tournament information centre here.