Who will win the 2025 Wuhan Open final? Title match preview of Xiao Guodong v Gary Wilson

The best-of-19 frames title match will take place across afternoon and evening sessions at the Optics Valley Gymnasium of Huazhong University of Science and Technology venue, with the player who reaches 10 to collect the £140,000 top prize.

Xiao and Wilson have faced each other six times on the professional circuit in the past (including Championship League Invitational meetings) but only two of those were in full ranking events. Xiao won both, although they were in the last 64 of Home Nations Series events over the best of seven frames - nothing like the occasion coming up on Saturday.

At this tournament last year, China’s Xiao - who first turned professional in 2007 - made his big career breakthrough when he defeated compatriot Si Jiahui in the final to win his maiden ranking event crown.

Since then, Xiao has maintained this great form, appearing at the business end of several events, breaking into the world’s top 16 for the first time and establishing himself as one of the very top players in the sport.

Having elected to miss the big-money Saudi Arabia Masters in favour of competing at the 2025 World Games on home soil - where he claimed gold in the men’s snooker event - this is Xiao’s first ranking event engagement of the fledgling 2025/26 professional season.

The 36-year-old got his title defence off to a memorable start last Sunday as he compiled a maximum 147 break during his 5-0 opening round win against Mink Nutcharut.

World number 14 Xiao followed that up with victories over Ishpreet Singh Chadha (5-2), David Grace (5-3), Matthew Selt (5-2), Stan Moody (5-2), and then Mark Williams (6-3) in the semi-finals.

It means that Xiao - into his fourth ranking event final - is now on a 13-match Wuhan Open winning streak, and is one more win away from joining a very small band of players who successfully defended their maiden ranking event title.

Ironically, the last person to do that was Wilson when he retained the Scottish Open title a few years ago (2022, 2023).

Wilson's Wuhan Open campaign began in Leicester in June when he defeated Gao Yang 5-2 in the qualifying round.

At the main venue in the Far East across the past several days, Wilson dispatched Lyu Haotian, 5-0, before a trio of victories against top 16 opposition and Career Triple Crown winners.

That hat-trick started with a 5-3 win over Shaun Murphy in the last 32 before ousting world number one Judd Trump, 5-4, in the last 16.

In the quarter-finals, world number 18 Wilson saw off John Higgins 5-3 to reach his first ranking event semi-final since the Tour Championship in April 2024.

Yet another multiple-time ranking event champion was Wilson's opponent in the last four, but breaks of 77, 53, 113, 78 and 70 helped him to a 6-2 success over former world number one Mark Allen.

Regardless of how Wilson gets on in the title match - the sixth ranking event final of his career - he is guaranteed to return to the world’s top 16. If Xiao retains, he would move up into the world’s top eight.

Saturday’s winner will also gain a place at the Champion of Champions in November.

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.