Live now! Snooker World Championship Ding Junhui vs Zhao Xintong battle for quarter-finals, first stage underway with live scores.

On April 23 Beijing time, the second round of the Snooker World Championship main event kicks off. A focal match is about to erupt, already on the verge—Chinese players Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui meet in a derby duel, both vying for a quarter-final berth. No matter who progresses, we will lock in one quarter-final place ahead of time. The first stage has started; whichever player pulls ahead in this phase will grasp the upper hand for advancement!

Zhao Xintong ranks fourth globally, showing fierce form this season by sweeping three titles in the Players Series, standing second in the single-season rankings. Entering this event as defending champion, he is also the top favorite for the title. In the first round against the 92nd-ranked dark horse Hayfield, despite some resistance, he passed the test 10-7 to reach the 16, breaking the curse of defending champions exiting early. The second round features a powerhouse face-off with Ding Junhui. Ding’s season performance has been largely disappointing, with hardly any notable achievements, his world rank dropping to 16th, and his top-16 position precarious. In the main event first round, he defeated Gilbert 10-6 to advance to the 16!

Zhao Xintong excels in attack, able to pot balls whenever opportunities arise—this is his exceptional talent. Ding Junhui has trained intensively for months preparing for the World Championship, regaining some long-pot accuracy. Whether he returns to peak form depends on this match’s outcome, which also serves as the best test to see if Ding’s strength has truly revived!

Currently, the first stage of their match is underway, highly anticipated. Whichever player advances is acceptable. Additionally, Xiao Guodong faced multi-champion Murphy, suffering consecutive scoring bursts from the opponent and losing numbly, ending 3-13 in a crushing defeat. Murphy is also the opponent for Zhao Xintong and Ding Junhui in the quarter-final race!

Text/Sports Novel