World Open semi-finals schedule set after historic day of snooker in Yushan

Semi-finals Saturday in the Far East sees seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan facing one of the sport’s hottest properties in Chinese youngster Wu Yize (from 06:00GMT) while world number one Judd Trump - aiming for a hat-trick of World Open crowns - meets Thai ace Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in a rerun of the 2019 final.

All four last eight encounters were one-sided affairs. In the afternoon session, 50-year-old O’Sullivan produced yet another moment of snooker history as he compiled the highest-ever break in professional competition of 153.

The unprecedented green baize feat came in the opening frame of his 5-0 whitewash win over Ryan Day during which he racked up another couple of tons to his record-breaking tally.

Over on the other table - where the two contestants stopped to watch the climax of O’Sullivan’s world record break - International Championship title holder Wu dismissed Mark Allen, 5-1.

World number 11 Wu was also in sizzling scoring form as he registered runs of 83, 140, 77 and 109 in establishing a 4-0 mid-session interval lead over the former world number one.

Allen, who recently explained that he is trying to change his game back to a more attacking style, avoided the bagel, but Wu completed the task with the aid of a 53 in frame six.

O’Sullivan and Wu have only met on the World Snooker Tour once before - that came in the last 32 of the 2022 European Masters where O’Sullivan won 5-1.

However Wu - who goes into the game one place ahead of his opponent in the world rankings - is a very different player now.

There were two more 5-1 scorelines during Friday evening’s programme at the Yushan Sports Centre.

Trump - title winner in 2019 and 2024 (these were consecutive editions due to Covid-19 postponements) - began his latest engagement in style with breaks of 88 and 109 to take a 2-0 lead.

Opponent Hossein Vafaei got on the board in frame three with the help of a 68, but Trump took the next three, wrapping up progression with an effort of 113.

In total, Trump has dropped only seven frames from his five matches this week.

At pretty much the same time on the other side of the partition wall, Thai ace Un-Nooh was sealing his victory over Gary Wilson.

Un-Nooh has an even better record through to ‘Finals Weekend’; including a 5-0 qualifying round victory on English soil a few weeks ago, the former Snooker Shoot Out champion has relinquished only five frames from five matches.

Against Wilson - the player who dispatched reigning world champion Zhao Xintong in the previous round - Un-Nooh totted up runs of 81, 99 and 70 to reach his first ranking event semi-final since the 2022 Scottish Open.

The trophy later this week would represent Un-Nooh’s finest achievement, and see him gate-crash his way into the Tour Championship later this month.

In terms of their head-to-head record, Trump holds a firm upper hand over Un-Nooh, this includes a 10-5 win in the 2019 title match of this tournament.

The two semi-final winners will share the baize for Sunday’s two-session, best of 19 frames final where a £175,000 top prize is on offer.

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