2026 World Open (snooker)

Held-over qualifying matches

In the held-over qualifiers played in Yushan, the world number one Judd Trump advanced with a 5–1 win over amateur player Mark Lloyd, who replaced Chris Totten.^[11] In the fifth frame of his match against Ross Muir, Ronnie O'Sullivan came close to making a maximum break, but he went in-off the 15th black, ending the break on 113. He completed a 5–1 victory with his second century of the match, a 114. "I got here a week early just to do some practising on my own," O'Sullivan said afterwards. "I've been working really hard on my game. I know I haven't played a lot of tournaments, but I've been working because my game has been in such a bad place. It isn't like I've had my feet up while everyone has been playing. I've decided I really need to attack this now. I have one last throw of the dice really. The last three years have been awful in terms of confidence. I'm trying to work on that now and see if I can get back to delivering the cue freely." O'Sullivan added that he would devote two years to restoring his game, with the goal of prolonging his playing career.^[20][21]

The defending champion John Higgins trailed Liam Highfield 2–3 but won three consecutive frames for a 5–3 victory. Higgins said afterwards: "[Highfield] was just playing flawless. His safety, everything was flawless. He just ran out of position in the sixth frame and that allowed me to get into it and make a clearance. I managed to get over the line." The reigning World Champion Zhao Xintong made two century breaks as he whitewashed his wildcard opponent Han Fuyuan.^[20][21] Teenage wildcard Wang Xinbo made a century of 141 as he whitewashed Mitchell Mann in a pre‑qualifying match. Ricky Walden defeated Wang in the qualifying round, making two centuries as he secured a 5–2 win.^[22]

Last 64

Selby, Barry Hawkins, Maguire, David Gilbert, Chris Wakelin, Jak Jones, Dikme, and Ishpreet Singh Chadha all withdrew prior to the main stage, and so their respective opponents (Holt, Ian Burns, Xu Si, Matthew Selt, Artemijs Žižins, Brecel, Xu Yichen, and O'Sullivan) received walkovers to the last 32.^[11] David Lilley made successive breaks of 79, 85, 66, and 90 as he took a 4–1 lead over Shaun Murphy, but Murphy won the last four frames for a 5–4 victory. Stuart Bingham produced breaks of 131, 89, and 108 as he beat Anthony McGill by the same scoreline. Zhao Hanyang made breaks of 59, 100, 92, 51, and 68 against Robbie Williams, but Williams won 5–4, despite losing the first three frames and not making a half-century break in the match.^[22]

Stan Moody made breaks of 84, 52, 84, and 82 as he took a 4–1 lead over the defending champion Higgins, who was playing in the record-extending 2,000th professional match of his career. Higgins then won three consecutive frames, making a century of 135 in frame seven, as he tied the scores at 4–4. Higgins had the first chance in the decider but scored just 15 points, and Moody secured the frame and match with a break of 65. "When he got in first in the last frame I just thought it was game over," said 19-year-old Moody afterwards. "[Higgins] is a class act. I knew if I let him back in he would come back, so I'm glad I managed to hold my nerve in the decider." He added: "I watched [Higgins] growing up and learning the game. To beat him in an important match out in China, and to do it with a lot of breaks as well, is a good feeling."^[23][24][25]

Kyren Wilson made a highest break of 115 in a 5–2 victory over Lyu Haotian, and Trump made two centuries of 116 and 101 during his 5–1 win over Florian Nüßle. Afterwards, Trump spoke about having to leave his home in Dubai due to the 2026 Iran war and described how he had prepared for the tournament in Thailand. "I had to leave so we went to Bangkok," he said. "It is a bit up in the air at the moment. I don't think I can go back there right now in case I get stuck. I am looking for somewhere to live. It is just day by day. My brother was stuck in Dubai for a bit, which wasn't ideal, but thankfully he has got out now. I hope things turn around. I managed to practice in Thailand and dedicate myself as usual." Zhao made breaks of 95, 92, 93, 139, and 129 against Long Zehuang, winning the match in a deciding frame. Gary Wilson trailed Aaron Hill 3–4 but took frame eight on a re-spotted black and went on to win the decider. Mark Williams advanced with a 5–2 victory over Walden.^[23][24]

Last 32

O'Sullivan produced breaks including 77, 138, 96, and 52 as he whitewashed Selt. "I always prepare well," he said afterwards. "I know people question if I practise enough. Everyone has done that since I was a kid. They seem to think I just turn up. I prepare harder than probably any other player and I work harder. I think people just assume I only need to get out of bed and pot balls. That isn't the case. I work very hard." Murphy lost the first frame against Xu Si but then made breaks including 84, 117, 61, and 59 as he took a 4–1 lead. In frame six, Murphy attempted a maximum break, potting 15 reds and 15 blacks before missing the last yellow, ending the break on 120. He won the match 5–1. Of his failed maximum attempt, he said afterwards: "I just lost my composure, I think. I was a bit excited. I made a 147 here last year. It would have been a great moment. I played a lot of great shots to keep getting on the black and then when I had them on a plate I lost my brain. It isn't as easy as some people make it look."^[26][27][28]

The world number 17 Bingham lost in a deciding frame to Wu, which ended his chances of moving into the top 16 and qualifying automatically for the main stage of the 2026 World Championship. Allen beat the world number 18 Lisowski 5–1, meaning that Lisowski also did not qualify automatically for the Crucible. Kyren Wilson defeated Allan Taylor, Zhao made two centuries of 100 and 118 as he beat Sam Craigie, and Thepchaiya Un-Nooh also made two centuries of 110 and 121 as he defeated Holt, all by 5–1 scorelines. Trump made back-to-back centuries of 118 and 101 as he beat Jackson Page 5–2, and Fu defeated Martin O'Donnell by the same score, reaching the last 16 of a ranking tournament for the first time in over two years. Artemijs Žižins, aged 19, defeated Brecel 5–1 to reach the last 16 of a ranking event for the first time in his career. Hossein Vafaei lost the first two frames against Mark Williams but then won five in a row, making a century of 127 on his way to a 5–2 victory. Zhang Anda beat Xiao Guodong by the same score, and Robbie Williams advanced after defeating Wells in a deciding frame.^[26][29][28]

Last 16

Murphy won two of the first three frames against O'Sullivan, making century of 139 in frame two, but O'Sullivan took four of the next five, making breaks including 70, 121, 89, and 76 as he secured a 5–3 victory, his 15th win over Murphy in their 19 professional meetings. O'Sullivan advanced to the 150th ranking quarter-final of his career and his first since the 2025 Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters the previous August. "[Murphy] has been playing unbelievably," O'Sullivan said afterwards. "He has been so strong. I was happy when I got to 2–2. I thought at least I've been involved in a game against a top-quality player. To win is even better." He added: "For me, just going out there and playing is a victory. Whether I win or lose is irrelevant. For me to be able to go out there and not feel scared is a victory." Allen secured his place in the 2026 Tour Championship as he whitewashed Zhou Yuelong, making a highest break of 129. Afterwards, Allen described taking a more aggressive approach in tournament play. "I want to try to score heavier, but you can't force it," Allen said afterwards. "I feel that the last few tournaments I have been taking more on. That is down to confidence. I am forcing myself to do that in practice."^[30][31][32]

Gary Wilson made breaks including 104, 84, 107, and 100 as he beat the reigning World Champion Zhao 5–2. "I'm happy to get the win," he said afterwards. "This was a big game. I didn't think about it being [Zhao] in China. These days I'm just playing every game the same. You can feel a bit flat because of that, but I was cueing well today and getting chances." Ryan Day defeated Žižins in a deciding frame, reaching his first ranking quarter-final in over two years. Wu lost the first two frames against Kyren Wilson but then made breaks including 80, 60, 109, and 67 as he won five in a row for a 5–2 victory. The result meant that Kyren Wilson remained outside the top 12 on the one-year ranking list and did not qualify for the Tour Championship. Trump and Robbie Williams were tied at 2–2 at the mid-session interval, but Trump then won three consecutive frames with breaks of 106, 77, and 94 for a 5–2 victory. Un-Nooh defeated Fu by the same score, and Vafaei edged out Zhang, winning the match on the last black of the deciding frame.^[30][31][32]

Quarter-finals

O'Sullivan made the highest break in professional snooker history, a 16-red clearance of 153, in the first frame of his quarter-final match against Day. Awarded a free ball after Day failed to escape from a snooker, O'Sullivan potted the green as his nominated free ball, followed by the black. He went on to pot all 15 reds, 13 further blacks, two pinks, and all the colours. It was only the second time that a break exceeding 147 had been made in professional competition, following the 148 by Jamie Burnett in the qualifying rounds of the 2004 UK Championship. O'Sullivan made additional breaks of 62, 110, 103, and 95 as he completed a whitewash victory, with Day having scored only 38 points in the match. "It was a great buzz," O'Sullivan said afterwards. "I could have tried to get the extra black, but I just thought nobody had made a break bigger than 147 on TV so I wanted to be the first. I've been the first of many things so I thought I might as well get that one as well. I feel blessed to achieve these things." He added: "I've never made anything more than a 147 [even in practice]. For me, if the excitement and the buzz is there, I can do great things. Unless there is something at the end of it, I don't. I hadn't made a 147 for years, but I realised that I hadn't made two in one tournament before, so I went for it [at the Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters]."^[33][34][35] For the first time in professional snooker history, a highest break prize was awarded for a break greater than 147.^[36]

In the other quarter-finals, Wu made breaks of 83, 140, 77, 109, and 53 as he defeated Allen 5–1. "Today I felt really good," he said. "When I got down on the shot, I felt very confident. When I can find that form, I know I'm capable of producing some very high-quality snooker. I did prepare mentally for this match. [Allen] is a tough opponent and can drag you into his rhythm, but I felt ready for that today."^[35] Trump produced breaks of 88, 109, and 113 as he beat Vafaei, also by a 5–1 scoreline. "It has been a good six months," he commented afterwards. "Since getting to the final of [the 2025 Northern Ireland Open], everything has been very consistent. I feel back to somewhere near my best. I think the only thing I'd have done differently is win a few deciding frames. That could have been the difference for having an unbelievable season." Un-Nooh defeated Gary Wilson, again by a 5–1 scoreline, which meant that Wilson did not qualify for the Tour Championship and was not among the top 16 seeds at the World Championship.^[37]

Semi-finals

Facing Wu, whom he had defeated 5–1 in their only previous encounter at the 2022 European Masters, O'Sullivan made breaks including 86 and 78 as he took a 3–1 lead at the mid-session interval. Wu won frame five and then took frame six on the last black, potting it along the top cushion to tie the scores at 3–3. O'Sullivan won frame seven with a 97 break, but Wu took frame eight with a break of 86. O'Sullivan moved ahead with a century of 118 in frame nine, but Wu produced a 77 break in frame 10 to tie the scores again at 5–5. In the deciding frame, Wu made a 43 break before playing a safety shot. O'Sullivan potted a red to the yellow pocket and went on to make a match-winning break of 89. "I like my bottle when I'm flowing," O'Sullivan said afterwards. "I like my bottle anyway, really. At 5–5 when he missed, I had a chance on the red. I had to go for it. The ball went in, which I couldn't believe, and I made a great clearance." O'Sullivan complimented his less experienced opponent, saying: "His cue power and snooker brain is great. He has a lot to learn, but it is the easy bits he needs to learn. He's like me before I met Ray Reardon. He can pot balls and score really well. I'm telling him he needs to learn the other side of the game."^[38][39]

In the second semi-final, the world number one Trump faced Un-Nooh, who was playing in his first ranking semi-final since the 2022 Scottish Open.^[40] Trump required four snookers in the opening frame but secured the penalty points he needed and took a 1–0 lead. Un-Nooh tied the scores by winning frame two. Trump made an 89 break to win frame three, but Un-Nooh took frame four on the last black to tie the scores at 2–2 at the mid-session interval. When play resumed, Un-Nooh made three century breaks in five frames, 128, 134, and 134, as he moved 5–4 ahead. Frame 10 came down to a tactical exchange on the last two balls after Un-Nooh missed a pot on the pink. Trump successfully doubled the pink but failed to gain position on the black. He tried to double the black into a middle pocket but missed, and Un-Nooh made a long pot to win the match 6–4. "When I missed the pink I had goosebumps," Un-Nooh said afterwards. "I was in shock. Wow. How did I miss that? I got lucky not to leave him on the black and I was able to pot it to the left corner. It was a good shot in the end. I didn't want to play safe on the black. I just thought, come on, go for it. I wanted to play with confidence. I didn't want to play safe with him as he is a really good safety player."^[41][39]

Final

The final took place on 22 March as the best of 19 frames, played over two sessions, between the 11th seed O'Sullivan and the 41st seed Un-Nooh. O'Sullivan played in his 66th ranking final, while Un-Nooh contested his third. Un-Nooh had previously been runner-up at the 2019 edition of the tournament, when he lost 5–10 to Trump.^[42][43]

In the first session, O'Sullivan made breaks including 73 and 124 as he won the first four frames, but Un-Nooh responded with breaks including 83 and 82 as he took the next five, ending the session 5–4 ahead.^[44] When play resumed for the second session, Un-Nooh made a clearance of 50 to win frame 10 on the last black, but O'Sullivan produced three consecutive century breaks of 114, 102, and 136 as he moved into a 7–6 lead at the mid-session interval. Un-Nooh made breaks of 77 and 132 as he regained the lead at 8–7. In frame 16, Un-Nooh compiled a maximum break, his seventh in professional competition and his third of the season. It was the 240th official maximum break in snooker history and the record-extending 23rd maximum of the 2025–26 season. Un-Nooh completed a 10–7 victory with a third consecutive total clearance of 131, meaning that the last seven frames of the final had produced six century breaks. Un-Nooh won his first World Open title and the second ranking title of his career, following his previous ranking victory at the 2019 Snooker Shoot Out. He became the second Thai player, after James Wattana at the 1995 Thailand Open, to win a full-format ranking tournament. The £175,000 winner's prize, the largest of his career, secured him a place in the Tour Championship and advanced him from 39th to 22nd in the snooker world rankings.^{[36][45][46][40]}

"This has always been my dream, to lift the title against Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final," Un-Nooh said afterwards. "For the rest of my life, this is something I'm not going to forget." He added: "I went to the practice room in the interval, spoke to myself and managed my emotions. After being sat on my chair watching Ronnie make three centuries, I told myself this is a great final and to enjoy it. I don't know how what happened after the interval came true. I can't believe it. I'm still stunned with my performance. How did I do that? Sometimes snooker is one-way traffic. To make a 147 in the final against Ronnie O'Sullivan is a great honour." O'Sullivan, who scored only six points in the last four frames, commented: "It has been a positive week, but I have to say Thepchaiya [Un-Nooh] was unbelievable. He deserved his victory. He played much better than me today. I watched his semi-final and he was strong. I couldn't go with that. It was far too good for me."^[36][40]