Ronnie O'Sullivan to face Shaun Murphy in World Open blockbuster after whitewash victory

O'Sullivan - who defeated Ross Muir 5-1 in his opening assignment of the £825,000 world ranking event on Monday - was back in action in China having received a walkover in the last 64 due to the withdrawal of Ishpreet Singh Chadha.

A break of 77 helped O'Sullivan deposit the first frame against world number 38 Selt before an effort of 138 - his third century of the week - doubled his lead.

After making it 3-0, the 50-year-old fashioned a 96 to move further ahead, and on resumption after the mid-session interval he completed the clean sweep with the aid of a 52 to become the first player into round four at the Yushan Sports Centre.

Next up for record 41-time ranking event winner O'Sullivan will be Shaun Murphy on Thursday.

Career Triple Crown winner and reigning British Open champion Murphy had done well reaching this stage having battled back from 4-1 down to deny David Lilley in the previous round and registering a 5-4 comeback verdict.

In his latest outing, world number eight Murphy was a lot more comfortable, although he did go one down at the start to opponent Xu Si.

'The Magician' then went on a five-frame winning streak for a 5-1 victory, totting up breaks of 84, 117, 61, 59 and 120 in the process; the latter contribution was a maximum break attempt that broke down on the yellow.

O'Sullivan and Murphy have met many times on the big stage down the years, including in a UK Championship final in 2017 that the former won.

In terms of the overall head-to-head record, O'Sullivan has a firm upper hand on results, although Murphy comprehensively claimed their most recent encounter, recording a 4-0 whitewash win at the Riyadh Season Championship in Saudi Arabia last November.

For O’Sullivan fans, the signs, so far, have largely been good in the Far East this week; the Englishman travelled to the region a week before the tournament began, and has admitted to working hard behind the scenes in a bid to rekindle some consistent form.

It is now over two years on the World Snooker Tour since O’Sullivan last lifted a trophy, and his last ranking crown came in January 2024 at the World Grand Prix.

With the World Snooker Championship on the horizon - where he will be aiming for a record eighth Crucible crown - O’Sullivan’s clash with Murphy - one of this season’s star performers - will be an acid test, an indicator of where his game currently is.

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