Snooker UK Championship Report: Zhao Xintong's Upset, Ding Junhui Edges Donaldson 6-5, Three Chinese Players in Quarterfinals

On December 5th Beijing time, two additional last-16 matches in the Snooker UK Championship finished, where Zhao Xintong faltered badly in the later stages, losing 2-6 to teammate Zhang Anda. Meanwhile, Ding Junhui fought through 11 frames to narrowly beat his nemesis Donaldson 6-5, ending a three-game losing streak. Consequently, six quarterfinalists have emerged this tournament: Trump, Robertson, Selby, Pang Junxu, Zhang Anda, and Ding Junhui. Chinese players have firmly locked in three quarterfinal places, delivering an acceptable performance!

Zhao Xintong faced Zhang Anda. Zhao was the top favorite to win this event, even favored over Trump. However, in the second round against Zhang, who has top-16 potential, Zhao’s form was ice-cold—his offense stalled and defense was fragile, with numerous errors on simple shots. After a 2-2 tie, he lost four consecutive frames to fall 2-6, suffering a shocking upset and early exit. Zhao’s inconsistency is evident—he can play brilliantly to win titles but also lose early when off his game. Zhang Anda became the second Chinese player to reach the quarterfinals!

Ding Junhui played against Donaldson. Ding’s form has declined significantly, and he no longer seems capable of winning titles. However, the UK Championship remains his favorite tournament, having won it three times before and generally performing well. As a seeded player, Ding reached the main draw and then eliminated Xu Si to advance to the last 16. In the round of 16, he faced the world number 52, the dark horse Donaldson, who had previously beaten Ding three times and caused an upset by knocking out Mark Allen in round one. Ding started strongly with precise shots to lead 3-0. Donaldson fought back with two frames to make it 2-3. Ding extended his lead to 4-2 with a 60-point break. At a crucial moment, Donaldson responded with three winning breaks, including a 3-1 mini-run, pushing the match to a deciding frame and raising the tension. In the final frame, Ding exploded with a key long pot and a century break to clinch the match 6-5, ending his three-match losing streak. This victory was hard-fought, as Donaldson applied immense pressure, making for a high-quality contest!

With Ding Junhui advancing to the quarterfinals, six of the eight quarterfinal spots have been decided. Two remain, with Hawkins facing Selby and Higgins taking on Murphy. All Chinese players have completed their last-16 matches: seven started, four were eliminated, and three progressed to the quarterfinals—Ding Junhui, Zhang Anda, and Pang Junxu. Their results are impressive, and we look forward to these three challenging for the title. Let’s wait and see!

Written by / Sports Fiction