Reigning champion Xiao Guodong makes it back-to-back Wuhan Open finals

Having made his professional debut in 2007, it was at this event last year that China’s Xiao created his big career breakthrough when he denied compatriot Si Jiahui in the final to win his maiden ranking event crown.

Xiao is now on the cusp of joining a very elite band of players who retained their debut ranking title. In recent times, Gary Wilson achieved this at the Scottish Open (2022 and 2023) and Mark Allen at the World Open (2012 and 2013).

Since his Wuhan triumph last season, it has been a remarkable career transformation for Xiao who has built on his new status.

He was already a well-respected and dangerous opponent having spent several seasons inside the world’s top 32 rankings, but his game and consistency has come on leaps and bounds over the past 12 months.

In the following months after his Wuhan trophy lift, Xiao reached the semi-finals of both the International Championship and Scottish Open, and made the final of the Champion of Champions on his debut. He also broke into the world's top 16 for the first time.

In the new year, Xiao continued to be a feature at the business end of tournaments, making the last four of the German Masters, and quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix and Players Championship.

He made his debut as a Crucible top 16 seed at the 2025 World Championship, winning his first round match before being ousted 13-12 by John Higgins in the last 16.

And Xiao’s momentum has seeped into this fledgling 2025/26 campaign. The 36-year-old narrowly missed out on the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters before forgoing a spot at the big-money Saudi Arabia Masters in order to compete at the World Games on home soil where he won gold in the men’s snooker event.

In Wuhan over the past week - his first ranking event engagement of the new term - Xiao began with a 5-0 opening round whitewash of Mink Nutcharut during which he compiled a maximum 147 break. ‘X-Factor’ will probably have to share the £5,000 tournament highest break prize, though, as Thepchaiya Un-Nooh also fashioned perfection the next day.

Requiring to play a match each day, Xiao then eliminated Ishpreet Singh Chadha (5-2), David Grace (5-3), Matthew Selt (5-2) and Stan Moody (5-2) before extracting some revenge on Williams in the last four - the opponent who stopped him in the Champion of Champions final last November.

The latest contest with Williams was predictably close early on. Williams (81 break) initially led twice but Xiao (53 break) responded both times as they went into the mid-session interval level at 2-2.

On resumption, 50-year-old Williams - who this week was aiming to become professional snooker's oldest-ever ranking event champion - edged back in front with the help of a 75.

But that would be the last frame the three-time World Champion put on the board as Xiao strung together the next four (80 break - frame seven), securing victory with a counter clearance of 62 as he won frame nine on the final black for back-to-back Wuhan final berths.

Xiao now has a 13-match winning streak in the competition. He will face either Mark Allen or Gary Wilson - the cueists in the other semi-final - for the £140,000 top prize.

Visit our 2025 Wuhan Open tournament information centre here for the draw, results, and details on the format, schedule, prize money and how to watch.