Zhao Xintong to be crowned snooker's new world number one after latest win at Wuhan Open

In a monster clash that also decided who would go top of the world rankings following the conclusion of the tournament, Zhao defeated Neil Robertson, 5-1, to reach the semi-finals of the 2026 Wuhan Open.

Following the quarter-final eliminations of current top dog Judd Trump, and newly-minted China Open champion Mark Selby earlier in the day, it left only Zhao and Robertson in the world number one race. And with only £2,500 separating them on the provisional ranking list, the outcome of their meeting was all-or-nothing.

Last season's top century break-maker, Zhao was in the balls early on, compiling a 106 in the opening frame before doubling his lead courtesy of a 91.

Australian Robertson got on the board with the third, and was on the cusp of levelling up before the mid-session interval, but Zhao cleared the colours to pinch the fourth on the final black and lead 3-1.

When play resumed, Zhao crafted his second ton of the day with a 113, and got the job done in the sixth with the help of a 54.

Zhao - who is through to his sixth ranking event semi-final inside 16 months - extends his winning streak against Robertson on the big stage.

Not counting a behind-closed-doors Championship League fixture that he lost, Zhao has now defeated Robertson in all four of their encounters on the professional snooker circuit in front of a crowd, and with an overall aggregate frames score of 20-3.

Zhao Xintong creates yet more snooker history

Claiming the prestigious accolade for the first time in his career, 29-year-old Zhao will become only the 13th player in the history of professional snooker - since rankings were introduced in the 1970s - to be world number one.

The Chinese cueist - who was the first player from China to win the sport’s blue riband prize, the World Snooker Championship in 2025 - will be only the second world number one from Asia, following in the footsteps of compatriot Ding Junhui who became the first in 2014.

Ding had another spell on top in 2015, but both periods amounted to a total of three weeks; Zhao will be hoping to spend a considerably longer time on top of the standings than that, and with £175,000 going to the champion in Wuhan this weekend, he can immediately establish a handy cushion in front of everyone else.

Zhao’s rise to the top is even more notable given that he has done it without two season’s worth of prize money. Following his ban, he only returned to the professional circuit last summer, although he was allowed to keep the prize money he won as amateur from the 2024 UK Championship, and his 2025 World Championship triumph.

After a bit of a frustrating start to his reign as world champ, Zhao enjoyed a golden vein of results in the second half of the season, becoming the first player to win all three Players Series events within the same term.

Xiao Guodong continues remarkable Wuhan Open title defence

Next up for Zhao in Wuhan is a meeting with fellow countryman and reigning champion Xiao Guodong who further stretched his remarkable winning streak in this tournament.

Xiao made breaks of 76, 63, and 67 as he defeated Mark Williams, 5-3, to score his 18th win in-a-row at the Wuhan Open.

Having turned professional for the first time in 2007, and two runner-up finishes, Xiao claimed his maiden ranking crown at this event in 2024. In 2025, he successfully defended it.

Only four players in top tier snooker have won the same ranking title for three consecutive years, and Xiao stands two steps away from joining that exclusive membership.

The first of Friday’s semi-finals in Wuhan will be Ronnie O’Sullivan versus Chang Bingyu (07:00BST) after those two exponents won their respective last eight assignments.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 Wuhan Open snooker, visit our tournament information centre here.