16th August 2026 – (Beijing) Zhou Yuelong of China and Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham each advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 World Snooker Tour China Open on Friday, prevailing in tightly contested quarter-final matches against experienced rivals. In the afternoon session, England’s David Gilbert built an early 3-0 advantage, but Zhou steadied his nerves and managed to take a frame in reply. A defensive tactical battle ensued in the following frames, with Zhou making several errors but Gilbert unable to capitalise fully, allowing Zhou to reduce the deficit and keep himself within reach.
As the match progressed, Gilbert’s performance faltered and Zhou found his rhythm, registering a century break of 100 in the eighth frame to overturn a deficit and bring the scores level at 4-4. Both players continued to show signs of tension in the latter stages, trading mistakes in the ninth, though Gilbert regained a slender lead. Zhou responded with calm under mounting pressure in the 10th frame to bring the encounter to a deciding 11th. In the final frame, fatigue was evident on both sides, yet it was Zhou who finally took advantage of Gilbert’s errors, sealing a comeback victory of 6-5 and earning a place in the semifinals. After the match, Zhou reflected on the intensity of play, expressing satisfaction at remaining composed and taking his opportunities as they emerged.
Noppon Saengkham, currently ranked 45th in the world, continued his impressive form in the tournament, overcoming English player Shaun Murphy in a hard-fought contest. The opening six frames saw both players locked at 3-3, before Saengkham pulled ahead by taking two frames in succession. Although Murphy temporarily narrowed the gap, Saengkham maintained control in the decisive moments, producing strong breaks in the 10th frame and closing out a 6-4 victory. Saengkham, who has already defeated world number one Judd Trump and snooker legend Ronnie O’Sullivan earlier in the event, described his progress as a reward for diligent preparation, expressing his delight at having overcome three of the game’s elite players.
The evening session is set to feature a quarter-final match-up between England’s Stuart Bingham and China’s Zhang Anda, with the winner advancing to meet either Zhou Yuelong or Noppon Saengkham in Saturday’s semifinals.