Star names advance on opening day of World Open including O'Sullivan, Trump and Zhao

Reigning champion John Higgins was involved in a high-qualify affair against Liam Highfield during the morning session in China.

Highfield, who is back on the professional circuit this season, made two century breaks en route to establishing a 3-2 lead, but four-time world champion Higgins - who had earlier crafted a 102 - responded with three consecutive frames to record a 5-3 win.

Higgins is without silverware this term but has been in fine form, reaching the finals of both the Masters and Players Championship in recent weeks. The Scot will face English teenager Stan Moody in the last 64 on Tuesday.

Seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan produced some impressive form as he defeated Ross Muir 5-1, registering runs of 113 and 114 in the final two frames - the former effort being a maximum 147 break attempt that was only halted when he went in-off whilst potting a very thin 15th black.

Speaking to the World Snooker Tour shortly after his win, ‘The Rocket’ talked about how he has been working hard behind the scenes to rediscover some consistent form. Record 41-time ranking event winner O’Sullivan is without a title of any description on the circuit in over two years.

Current world champion Zhao Xintong and world number one Judd Trump were both comfortable as they advanced in the £825,000 tournament; the third-to-last event of the top-flight season.

Recent World Grand Prix and Players Championship winner Zhao posted breaks of 128 and 103 during a 5-0 whitewash win over a wildcard, while Trump - who is a former back-to-back winner of this title - wrapped up a 5-1 success over amateur top-up Mark Lloyd with a 129. Trump also racked up a 92, and two 70s.

In the remaining held over round one ties, Zhang Anda and Jackson Page got through, as did world number 10 Xiao Guodong - currently China’s number two player - as he compiled a century in defeating Ben Mertens, 5-3.

Teenage wildcard Wang Xinbo struck a 141 during a 5-0 whitewash preliminary round win over Mitchell Mann, but exited the competition later in the day when three-time ranking event winner Ricky Walden scored runs of 102 and 118 in a 5-2 victory.

In the round of 64, one of this campaign’s top performers Shaun Murphy conjured up a brilliant comeback to deny David Lilley.

Former world seniors champion Lilley constructed contributions of 79, 85, 66 and 90 in a four-frame burst that put in firm control at 4-1 up. However, reigning British Open champion Murphy - winner of this accolade in 2014 - rallied with a quartet sequence of his own (breaks of 91 and 64) for a 5-4 win.

Former world champion Stuart Bingham could get back into the world’s top 16 after this tournament, and book a spot as a seed player at the Crucible for the World Championship, therefore avoiding the bother of qualification.

Bingham kept his hopes alive in those respects too as he notched up breaks of 131, 89 and 108 in ousting Anthony McGill, 5-4.

Recent Home Nations Series order of merit winner Jack Lisowski is another player who could leapfrog world number 16 Ding Junhui and go back into the sport’s elite bracket; he progressed to round three with a 5-1 win, making a 105 in the process.

2019 runner-up in this event Thepchaiya Un-Nooh (108 break) is into the last 32, as is Hossein Vafaei, Zhou Yuelong, Ryan Day and Allan Taylor. As too is Daniel Wells, who whitewashed Elliot Slessor.

Rookie professional Zhao Hanyang totted up sequences of 59, 100, 92, 51 and 68, but his opponent Robbie Williams - who didn’t make a single half-century - was the victor, recovering from 3-0 down for a 5-4 verdict that went his way.

The remaining round of 64 matches in Yushan will be completed on Tuesday.

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