Grove Leisure

Wu Yize is the 2026 Shenzhen Open Champion

monique — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 08:09:37 +0000

Wu Yize continues to amaze… on October 4, 2026 he became Shenzhen Open Champion!
Here is the report shared by WST:

Wonderful Wu Triumphs In Shenzhen
Wu Yize won his first tournament since becoming World Champion as he beat Yuan Sijun 10-5 in an all-Chinese final at the inaugural Shenzhen Open.

All Results

Wearing the crown of the Crucible king inevitably adds expectation and Wu – who beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in a classic Sheffield final in May – had made a quiet start to the current season, failing to go beyond the last 16 of a ranking event before this week. But in the Guangdong province the 22-year-old has reminded fans of his marvellous potting, as well as an improved tactical game. Wu knocked out the likes of Murphy and Judd Trump to reach the final before a comfortable victory today against underdog Yuan.

Playing in his first ranking final, world number 33 Yuan looked competitive in the early stages and led 4-3, but passed up too many opportunities as the day went on and his opponent was far stronger in the concluding session. Wu becomes the third player from mainland China, after Ding Junhui and Zhao Xintong, to win a third ranking title, having landed the International Championship last season as well as the World Championship.

The £177,000 top prize lifts him from fourth to second in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, and when he heads to the BetVictor Northern Ireland Open later this month he will be within striking distance of world number one Zhao. For the first time, Chinese players occupy the top two positions, and it seems likely that Wu and Zhao will compete for the biggest titles for many years to come. Right-hander Wu, who comes from Lanzhou in the Gansu province, also jumps from 31st to third on the one-year list.

This week is a huge breakthrough for 26-year-old Yuan, who turned pro in 2017 and had never previously reached a ranking final. The runner-up cheque of £76,000 easily surpasses his previous best payday of £21,000 and he climbs seven places up the rankings to 26th, and leaps to seventh on the one-year list.

In the seventh ranking final in snooker history between two players from mainland China, Wu led 5-4 after the first session, and soon doubled his lead as the evening session got underway with a break of 74. Yuan’s run of 50 helped win frame 11 and he had a scoring chance in the 12th but ran out of position on 24 and missed a tough red to a centre pocket. Wu’s delightful long red to a baulk corner set up a break of 62 for 7-5.

Again in the 13th, Yuan looked favourite when he was among the balls leading 37-0 but another red to centre hit the low jaw. The frame came down to the last red and yet another miss to a centre pocket from Yuan, sending the cue ball in-off, gifted his opponent the chance to extend his lead.

A loose positional shot from Yuan in frame 14, when he trailed 44-18, led to an undercut black to a top corner, and Wu punished him with a run of 56 to move to the brink of victory at 9-5. Trailing 35-33 in the next, Wu blasted a trademark long red into a top corner to set up a break of 41 which proved enough to secure the trophy.

“This time I was able to be a little more composed than I was in winning my previous two titles,” said Wu. “I’ve grown both physically and mentally compared with before. I just hope I can continue to get better from here and keep pushing myself to break through. Maybe the pressure at the World Championship had become so great that I forgot how to enjoy it, I was completely immersed in the competition. Perhaps the happiness was still there, but I had already buried it somewhere deep inside.

“I wanted to prove myself again. There have definitely been a lot of voices around me recently, and I felt that I needed to keep improving, win another title and keep pushing myself towards my peak. So this is another breakthrough for me.

“Today Yuan put me under a lot of pressure in the first session. The turning point was probably the eighth frame, I had already prepared myself for being 5-3 behind. In the second session, he was probably under a little bit of pressure as well.

“I believe Yuan will definitely win a title in the future. He just needs to go through a few more of these experiences. I’m really happy for him. I think every breakthrough in a player’s career brings a huge amount of happiness. That feeling is something nothing else can give you.

“I’m so happy to be in Shenzhen. I really enjoy playing in front of a big crowd. I love that feeling of being able to completely immerse myself in the atmosphere of the arena. That’s why I really like this city, and I hope there will be even more tournaments held here in the future.”

Yuan said: “Overall, I think it was a pretty good performance. I played quite well in the first half of the tournament, but over the final two days I didn’t perform at the level I know I’m capable of, so hopefully I can do better next time. I just didn’t play very well tonight and I wasn’t able to put him under enough pressure.

“I really wasn’t nervous at all today. I just felt like my whole body was completely out of sorts. I felt really uncomfortable, and no matter how I tried to aim or strike the ball, it just didn’t feel right. So the whole day was actually quite frustrating for me.

“Hopefully, this run will give me a little more confidence for my future matches going forward, so that I can play my own game better.”

Mark Selby is the 2026 China Open Champion

monique — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 07:43:58 +0000

On August 16, 2026 Mark Selby became China Open Champion for the 4th time. This was Mark’s record-extending 4th China Open win. It was his 26th ranking title and first of the season.

This is the report that was shared by WST:

Mark Selby won his first ranking title of 2026, and 26th of his career overall, as he came from 4-2 down to beat Noppon Saengkham 10-6 in the final of the China Open in Taiyuan.

Underdog Saengkham looked the stronger player in the early stages but crucially missed chances to take a first session lead, and Selby grew in stature as the day progressed. The 43-year-old from Leicester becomes the first player to win the China Open on four occasions and has now won a record eight ranking titles in China.

Banking a top prize of £250,000, Selby earns his first ranking title since the UK Championship last December and now lies in seventh place on the all-time list, level with Neil Robertson.
Selby jumps from ninth to fifth in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings and could even climb to the number one position if he goes on to win the Wuhan Open later this month.

It’s a fantastic start to the season for Selby, who suffered a loss of form in the early part of 2026, culminating in a World Championship second round defeat in a scrappy affair against Wu Yize. The cue he had used for 20 years had seen its better days and the tip size had whittled down to 8.5mm. Over the summer, he decided to take the gamble of having a new cue made, with an increased tip diameter of 9.2mm. While he insists that he is still coming to terms with the switch, it has already paid dividends. Throughout the week in the Shanxi province he looked in control of his game and was rarely in danger of defeat, conceding just 13 frames in five matches.

Popular Saengkham was nicknamed the Dark Horse by Chinese fans as he enjoyed the best week of his career, knocking out Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Shaun Murphy and Zhou Yuelong to reach the final. The 34-year-old Thai couldn’t build on an early advantage today, but the £100,000 cheque is the biggest of his life and boosts him 18 places to a ranking of 27th. It’s his second defeat in a ranking final having lost to Gary Wilson at the 2023 Scottish Open.

Tied at 4-4 after the first session, Selby took the opening frame tonight with a break of 58. In the next he trailed 37-1 when he crashed in a long red and cleared with 90 to go two clear for the first time at 6-4, and he soon extended that advantage with a run of 69 in frame 11. Selby trailed 29-6 in a fragmented 12th, but when his opponent missed a long red he took the opportunity to construct an excellent 52 to lead 8-4 at the interval.

Having lost six frames in a row, Saengkham ended that sequence with a break of 71, and he had a golden chance to close the gap again in the crucial 14th but on 68, leading by 36 points, he missed the last red to a top corner. Selby laid two excellent snookers, the first to gain the penalty points he needed and the second to create the opening to clear for 9-5.

Saengkham continued to battle and a break of 61 pulled one back, then he had two early chances in the next but could muster only 27 points. A tactical exchange ended when Selby clipped in a superb pot on a red to centre, setting up a match-winning 57.

“I’m very happy to be standing here as champion, I felt I played some really good stuff all week,” said Selby, who made his first breakthrough in this event 24 years ago when he beat Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan to reach the semi-finals. “I have scored when I have had chances and felt I was going to win frames in one visit. Noppon played well in the first session and I was fortunate to pinch the last two frames and finish 4-4, I was over the moon with that scoreline because Noppon probably felt he deserved to be ahead.

“When you are confident you look at shots and fancy getting them. I have found some good rhythm and played at a nice tempo when I have had chances. I will try to keep this momentum going and take it into the next event in Wuhan. While you are riding the crest of a wave you want to keep going. I have never played snooker for the money, I’ll just keep playing as long as I enjoy it.”

Saengkham said: “Mark was very strong today and controlled the game very well, his safety game was so good. When I was 4-2 up he was under pressure but in the evening the game changed and it looked like Mark was controlling everything. I am very happy with the way I played during the tournament and to be here until the end. I will keep trying hard and hopefully one day I will be the champion.”

The 2026 Shanghai Masters

monique — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 06:46:14 +0000

The invitational 2026 Shanghai Masters was played from 27 July to 2 August 2026, at the Luwan Gymnasium, Shanghai, China.
The event was won by Judd Trump who beat Kyren Wilson by 11-6 in the final.

Grove was represented by Ding Junhui, Neil Robertson, Mark Selby and Wu Yize.

Mark Selby lost in round 1 beaten 6-5 by Zhou Yuelong.
Ding lost in round 2, beaten by Zhao Xintong (6-2) and to add to his disappointment he also missed the 15th red en route to a maximum in the 7th frame of that match and Zhao Xintong went on to whitewash Neil Robertson in the quarter-finals.
Wu Yize reached the semi-finals losing to Judd Trump,the eventual champion

Wu Yize is the 2026 World Champion!

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 12:14:02 +0000

Wu Yize won the 2026 World Championship at the Crucible theatre in Sheffield, beating Shaun Murphy 18-17 in the Final. The final was refereed by Rob Spencer and here are the detailed scores of the Final:

Session 1:
72-50 (51), 60-50 (SM 50), 86-53 (61), 0-95 (85)
0-98 (98), 24-90 (77), 1-118 (109), 74-32 (65)

Session 2:
82-1 (82), 106-16 (103), 32-80 (72), 72-8
89-8 (89), 0-83 (70), 97-29 (66), 1-66, 91-39 (91)

Session 3:
37-103, 9-76 (76), 13-55, 2-120 (59)
37-67 (60), 93-0 (64), 73-1, 121-5 (61)

Session 4:
88-1 (88), 0-82 (82), 26-75, 60-56
70-73 (WY 70, SM 65), 65-0 (56), 1-131 (131)
91-45 (91), 43-75 (75), 85-8 (85)

He also had to work hard in the semi finals … where he defeated Mark Allen by 17-16!
This is a really fantastic achievement, especially considering that Wu was only 21 years old when he lifted the trophy.
Big Congratulations Wu Yize!

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Here is the piece WST shared a week after Wu’s triumph:

Wu Hopes To Inspire New Generation

A week after winning the Halo World Championship, Wu Yize is looking ahead to a bright future and hopes that his hard-working attitude and success can inspire the next generation of players.

China’s 22-year-old Wu became the second youngest ever World Champion when he beat Shaun Murphy 18-17 in one of the all-time great Crucible finals on May 4th. On his return to his homeland he was given a hero’s welcome having immediately become a national icon in a country where hundreds of millions of fans watch and play snooker.

Wu’s attacking style and bold shot selection was never more evident than the deciding frame of the final with Murphy, when he potted a do-or-die red to a centre pocket to set up a match-winning break of 85. And the player from Lanzhou in northwest China’s Gansu province has no plans to adapt his approach.

“I will definitely stick with it,” said Wu in an interview with national broadcaster CCTV. “I’m more willing than most players to attack and take risks, and I’m willing to accept the consequences whether I win or lose. I think what I can do is show everyone the best version of myself through my career. Maybe that can inspire people of my generation, or younger kids, to give everything for the work they truly love and pursue it bravely. That’s probably what I want to express. If I can have that kind of influence, then I feel a great sense of achievement. Chinese players are all very hard-working. We are always studying how to improve and become better. Living abroad and dealing with various pressures also pushes us to become stronger and go further.”

Next season, Wu will face the responsibility and added expectation that comes with being World Champion. His compatriot Zhao Xintong handled that challenge admirably, winning four titles in 2025/26 and proving to be a fine ambassador for the sport. Wu has a similar level-headed demeanor and with the support of his family he is confident he can continue to improve.

“Maybe the enormous pressure during the tournament has disappeared, but at the same time a lot of other work and responsibilities have come all at once,” he said. “I think I’ve adapted quite quickly. In fact, my goal has always been to win the World Championship. Perhaps this season I felt I truly had the ability to compete for it, whereas before it was something I could only quietly keep to myself. I’ve never doubted myself, although emotional ups and downs are inevitable. Every player experiences that during an event like the World Championship.

“I kept trying to tell myself to enjoy it and experience that incredible arena, but when you are actually inside that environment, it’s difficult to fully control your emotions. All you can do is try your best and do everything possible to manage those outside factors. Although I won this tournament, there were still many moments where I felt I had small problems. For example, at certain key moments under pressure, I didn’t handle my emotions well enough. Whether leading or trailing, I need to stay calmer and avoid thinking about things outside the match or unrelated to the table.

“Honestly, I feel that ever since I turned professional I’ve been improving every year. It’s been a good feeling, taking things step by step. Every season I’ve had some gains and breakthroughs, and even the defeats have helped me gain valuable experience, which allowed me to get through difficult moments in a tournament like the World Championship. I still want to pursue bigger and higher goals. I believe that after winning the World Championship, the responsibility on my shoulders and the life I face now will require me to work even harder and continue improving myself.”

Looking back on the final against Murphy, Wu was asked about his opponent’s unusual break-off. He replied: “That’s a tactical approach he has studied very well. I think his break-off is especially effective against aggressive players because it can really limit the opponent’s scoring opportunities. The good thing about his break-off is that many times I simply couldn’t find a way to deal with it. The only option was often to take on a very risky attacking shot, maybe a long pot to open things up, but if you miss, you can leave him with a very good chance. When I play, I always like to embrace challenges. If I believe it’s the right situation, I will definitely take risks. Maybe that’s just the kind of player I am. Of course, I’ve paid the price for it many times and lost a lot of matches because of it.”

And asked about his composure and calmness at the end of the final, he added: “Maybe because by that point I had already experienced so many emotions. It was such a long match, and I think both of us were completely exhausted. Perhaps the pressure was finally released at that moment. The feeling went beyond myself somehow. I felt the support of my country behind me, and a kind of spiritual strength coming from China that gave me a sense of mission. I wasn’t only fighting for myself. My parents sacrificed everything. It’s hard to describe in just a few words. It was only the second time my mother had been to the UK, and sometimes she probably felt that we were quite lonely over there. Since I was very young, our whole family has worked hard together and stayed committed to this career. In that moment, I felt I had repaid not only my own efforts, but also theirs.”

The 2026 Tour Championship

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:31:58 +0000

The 2026 Tour Championship was played in Manchester, UK, from the 30th of March to the 5th of April 2026. Only the top 12 in the one year list qualify for this event. The Grove was represented by three players: Mark Selby, Wu Yize and Neil Robertson. Not bad eh?
The event was won by Zhao Xintong, who deafeated Judd Trump in the final. The score was severe: 10-3.
Neil Robertson had reached the semi-finals, losing to Judd Trump by 10-4.
Mark Selby had lost to John Higgins in the QFs (10-8). Wu Yize had lost to Chris Wakelin by 10-6. It was a painful defeat because wu had won the first session by 6-2 with a barrage of big breaks (73, 74, 75, 81 and 84!).
Then he had a very bad day in the office as he was whitewashed in the second session … It is to be noted that match was played over two days, giving players plenty of time to ponder over the first session outcome. Chris Wakelin admitted that, after losing the first session by 6-2, he had come back the next day, totally relaxed, with a sole ambition and that was to make the score a bit more respectable and that this mindset had helped him massively.

The 2026 World Open

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 10:14:12 +0000

The 2026 World Open was played in Yushan China, from 16 to 22 March 2026. John Higgins was the defending Champion.
All detailed results are available on snooker.org..
The event was won by Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, who defeated Ronnie O’Sullivan by 10-7 in the final.
It was Ronnie who had narrowly defeated Wu Yize in the semi-finals (6-5).
Ding Junhui had entered the event but lost in the qualifiers to Marco Fu (5-2). Mark Selby also had entered the event and had qualified to play at the venue but withdrew in order to better prepare for the World Championship.
Neil Robertson had not entered this event.

The 2026 Welsh Open

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:50:45 +0000

The 2026 Welsh Open took place in Llandudno, Wales, from 23 February till 1st of March 2026. The event was won by Barry Hawkins who beat Jack Lisowski by 9-5 in the final. Except for Ding Junjui, all Grove players were involved in the main event.
Luca Brecel though failed to make any sort of impact as he was whitewashed by Jackson Page in the first round proper. Mark Selby also exited the tournament in that round, beaten 4-3 by Jiang Jun.
Neil Robertson lost to the eventual champion, Barry Hawkins, in the QF round (5-3) ant it was Barry again who eliminated Wu Yize in the SF round (6-4).

The 2026 Players Championship

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:20:02 +0000

This event, featuring only the top 16 players in the one year list at the time it was held, was played in Telford, England from 17 to 22 of February 2026. Kyren Wilson was the defending Champion. It was won by John Higgins, who beat Zhao Xintong by 10-7 in the final. Three Grove players had qualified: Mark Selby, Wu Yize and Neil Robertson. Neil and Wu lost in the opening round: Neil lost by 6-1 to John Higgins and Wu by 6-3 to Mark Allen. And it was also Mark Allen who beat Mark Selby by 6-2 in the round of 16

The 2026 World Grand Prix

monique — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 09:04:05 +0000

The 2026 World Grand Prix was played at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong, from 3 to 8 of February 2026. Neil Robertson was the defending champion.
The event was won by Zhao Xintong who beat Zhang Anda by 10-6 in the final.
Other than Luca Brecel, all Grove players qualified for it. Remember, this event is for the top 32 in the one year list only.
Neil Robertson, the defending Champion, was beaten by 5-1 by Jak Jones in the first round. Ding also lost in that round, beaten 5-3 by Barry Hawkins.
Mark Selby went one round further, but lost in the round of 16, beaten in a deciding frame by the then reigning world Champion, Zhao Xintong.
Wu Yize reached the quarter-finals but lost at that stage by Zhang Anda.

The 2026 German Masters

monique — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 21:22:32 +0000

The 2026 German Masters was played at the Tempodrom, in Berlin, Germany, From January 26 to February 1, 2026. Kyren Wilson was the defending Champion. The event was won by Judd Trump who beat Shaun Murphy in the Final (10-4).

From the Grove, only three players had managed to get to the main venue. Judd Trump, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson. Mark Selby, surprisingly, lost to Xu Si in the round of 32. The match was close though, the final score was 5-4 to Xu.

Here is the report shared by WST:

Trump Masters The Tempodrom Again

Judd Trump ended a 14-month title drought by beating Shaun Murphy 10-4 in the final of the Machineseeker German Masters at Berlin’s iconic Tempodrom.

It’s a record-extending fourth win in the event for Trump, following previous wins in 2020, 2021 and 2024. He beat Neil Robertson, Jack Lisowski and Si Jiahui in the respective title matches.

The Bristolian last captured silverware at the 2024 UK Championship and went without a title in the calendar year of 2025. He lost his last three ranking final appearances at the 2025 Players Championship, 2025 Northern Ireland Open and the 2025 UK Championship.

Trump has now won 31 ranking events in total and he’s fourth in the all-time list. Only John Higgins (33), Stephen Hendry (36) and Ronnie O’Sullivan (41) have won more in the history of snooker.

2019 World Champion Trump remains at the top of the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, after capturing the £100,000 top prize, having now occupied the summit for 75 weeks. Murphy also remains unmoved in seventh position.

The Magician will be disappointed not to have taken his form from previous rounds into the final. He powered past Mark Allen, Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson by a collective scoreline of 16-2 in his previous three matches.

43-year-old Murphy would dearly have loved to win the event in tribute to his late manager and close friend Brandon Parker, who the trophy is named after. Parker was instrumental in taking the German Masters to Berlin and promoting it.

The pair emerged to a rapturous reception in a packed Tempodrom this evening, with over 2,400 expectant fans in attendance. It was Trump who held a 5-3 cushion when play got underway for the final session.

Murphy looked in a strong position to take the opening frame of the evening when he led 60-0. However, a misjudged shot by Trump fortuitiously left Murphy angled in the jaws of the green pocket. His response let Trump back in the frame and he eventually stole on the black to make it 6-3.

The tenth frame was also stolen on the black by the Ace in the Pack and a break of 68 compounded Murphy’s woes and moved Trump 8-3 up. The last frame before the mid-session also came down to the wire, with Trump taking it on the pink to get within a frame of the title.

Trump squandered his first chance to seize the trophy and it was the turn of Murphy to win on the black and stay alive at 9-4. The crowd were hungry for more snooker and roared with delight after Murphy deposited the final ball. However, it was to be a short-lived reprieve with Trump controlling a scrappy 14th to get over the line and emerge a 10-4 victor.

“It is incredible to win such a special event. Every time I come here I’m very happy to be here and have the chance to play in front of that crowd. There are such special memories walking out here for the final. Today was no different. I played a very solid game,” said 36-year-old Trump.

“The time without winning tournaments wasn’t difficult. It was just about being in the right mental state to win when the next chance came around. It was important not to get too down on myself and take the positives that I was putting myself in position to win. It has been a very good three or four months really.

“It was nice to make it as comfortable as possible. Every time you can win in the final with a few frames to spare is a good feeling. You then get to really enjoy the moment.

“This season has been a bit different. Now is normally the time when I’m losing my form a little bit! The last two or three months have been very good and consistent. Now I need to turn it up a notch. I hope that will give me the confidence to pick up some more big titles.”

Murphy said: “I want to say a massive thanks to the crowd this week. They have been unbelievably supportive. It has been an incredible week for me here in Berlin. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, apart from today! You guys have cheered for me from the first shot of the first match. I’ll come back next year and try again.

“There are a lot of positives to take from the week. We have a three-flight day tomorrow, straight to Hong Kong for the World Grand Prix. It is a good time to be playing well and I will try to rub the disappointment of today off and go again next week.“

All detailed results are available on snooker.org.