Wu Yize, Kyren Wilson set for British Open showdown

World champion Wu Yize booked a mouth-watering second-round clash with former Crucible winner Kyren Wilson at the British Open after both players secured victories in their opening matches.

China’s Wu edged compatriot Liu Hongyu 4-3 in a closely contested encounter in Cheltenham, while England’s Wilson produced a solid display to defeat Austria’s Florian Nuessle 4-1.

Last year’s British Open champion Shaun Murphy also advanced to the second round, joining fellow big names Ding Junhui, Barry Hawkins, Judd Trump and John Higgins among the players progressing.

However, the opening round saw several major names suffer early exits. Three-time world champion Mark Williams was beaten 4-0 by David Gilbert, while world number two Neil Robertson fell 4-1 to China’s Pang Junxu.

Belgian Luca Brecel, the 2023 world champion, was another high-profile casualty, losing 4-3 to England’s Chris Wakelin.

Mark Joyce, who entered the tournament after seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew for medical reasons, took advantage of the opportunity by defeating Poland’s Mateusz Baranowski 4-1.

Meanwhile, new world number one Zhao Xintong will begin his British Open campaign against England’s Oliver Brown on Tuesday.

Zhao became the first Chinese player to win the world title in 2025 and secured the top spot in the rankings after reaching last week’s Wuhan Open final. 

He was beaten 10-7 by fellow Chinese player Chang Bingyu in the title decider.

The British Open features a random draw in every round, with no seeded players, increasing the possibility of blockbuster clashes at an early stage.