The primary batch of qualifiers for the brand new season wrapped up on Thursday with the final preliminary matches for the 2026 Wuhan Open in Leicester.
Like within the China Open qualifiers that had been held per week in the past on the Mattioli Area, a tiered entry system was adopted.
On this event, nonetheless, the format mirrored the one which has grow to be extra acquainted on the Dwelling Nations Collection occasions in latest campaigns.
The highest 32 seeds enter on the round-of-64 stage, albeit the very best 16 seeds had their preliminary matches held over to the primary occasion itself.
That meant that Xiao Guodong, who will likely be bidding to safe a hat-trick of Wuhan Open crowns this time period, and world champion Wu Yize had their first video games deferred to the venue phases.
The remaining members from the highest 32 had been concerned, although, with 16 tickets to the final 32 of the comp already booked following the previous couple of days of motion.
There have been loads of upsets as effectively, with Jack Lisowski, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh, Elliot Slessor, Zhang Anda, and Stuart Bingham all crashing out.
The gamers ranked from 17 to 21 had been taken to high school by cueists a lot additional down the pecking order.
Liwowski was thumped 5-0 by a free-scoring Yao Pengcheng, who has gained all six of his qualifying ties to date this season.
Un-Nooh was overwhelmed 5-3 by Dylan Emery, Slessor misplaced 5-1 to Ryan Day, and Zhang was pipped in a 5-4 decider by Steven Hallworth.
Former world champion Bingham was additionally soundly overwhelmed after struggling a 5-1 reverse to Daniel Wells.
Elsewhere, a number of acquainted faces did handle to make it by way of.
Stephen Maguire outpointed Stan Moody with a 5-2 efficiency whereas Ali Carter edged Tom Ford by a few frames.
Hossein Vafaei and David Gilbert had been a few different notable names to emerge efficiently, whereas Gary Wilson gained a dramatic tussle with Aaron Hill that ended 5-4.
It was the second time in per week that the pair had been concerned in a final-frame thriller within the qualifiers.
In the meantime, rising Chinese language star Chang Bingyu certified for an additional match, persevering with his fast upward trajectory with wins over Huang Jiahao and Joe O’Connor.
The 2026 Wuhan Open is scheduled for August 23 to 29.
2026 Wuhan Open qualifiers: Outcomes
Spherical of 130
Duane Jones 5-3 Deng Haohui
Michael Larkov 5-3 Antoni Kowalski
Spherical of 128
Wang Xinbo 5-1 Liam Graham
Gong Chenzhi 5-4 Liam Highfield
Jordan Brown 5-4 Craig Steadman
Steven Hallworth 5-0 Panchaya Channoi
Sahil Nayyar 5-1 Fergal Quinn
Leone Crowley 5-2 Liu Yang
Duane Jones 5-3 Michal Szubarczyk
Liu Wenwei 5-3 Jamie Clarke
Gao Yang 5-1 Bai Yulu
Andrew Higginson 5-2 Lan Yuhao
Hammad Miah 5-4 Lyu Haotian
Mitchell Mann 5-4 Iulian Boiko
Luo Zetao 5-2 Jamie Jones
Liam Davies 5-3 Liam Pullen
Zhao Hanyang 5-4 Stuart Carrington
Ben Mertens 5-1 Ashley Hugill
Florian Nuessle 5-2 David Grace
Louis Heathcote 5-1 Paul Norris
Jiang Jun 5-3 Jimmy White
Dylan Emery 5-2 Ng On Yee
Sam Craigie 5-3 Julien Leclercq
Oliver Brown 5-2 Michael Larkov
Huang Jiahao 5-1 Alexander Ursenbacher
Phil O’Kane 5-3 Chatchapong Nasa
Alfie Burden 5-3 Connor Benzey
Oliver Sykes 5-3 Ross Muir
Anton Kazakov 5-4 Marco Fu
Sean O’Sullivan 5-2 Mateusz Baranowski
Yao Pengcheng 5-2 T Tirapongpaiboon
Ashley Carty 5-2 Ian Burns
Mahmoud El Hareedy 5-3 Xu Yichen
Artemijs Zizins 5-2 Reanne Evans
Spherical of 96
Wang Xinbo 5-1 Scott Donaldson
Jackson Web page 5-2 Gong Chenzhi
Jordan Brown 5-3 Oliver Strains
Steven Hallworth 5-1 Luca Brecel
Daniel Wells 5-1 Sahil Nayyar
Michael Holt 5-2 Leone Crowley
Noppon Saengkham 5-2 Duane Jones
Robbie Williams 5-1 Liu Wenwei
Wildcard participant vs Gao Yang (held over)
Matthew Selt 5-1 Andrew Higginson
Wildcard participant vs Hammad Miah (held over)
Ryan Day 5-1 Mitchell Mann
Aaron Hill 5-0 Luo Zetao
Liam Davies 5-1 Martin O’Donnell
Ben Woollaston 5-2 Zhao Hanyang
Wildcard participant vs Ben Mertens (held over)
Florian Nuessle 5-3 Ricky Walden
Louis Heathcote 5-2 Anthony McGill
Wildcard participant vs Jiang Jun (held over)
Dylan Emery 5-3 Xu Si
Tom Ford 5-2 Sam Craigie
Oliver Brown 5-3 Ishpreet Singh Chadha
Chang Bingyu 5-2 Huang Jiahao
Liu Hongyu 5-2 Phil O’Kane
Alfie Burden 5-4 Lengthy Zehuang
Oliver Sykes 5-3 Zak Surety
Fan Zhengyi 5-3 Anton Kazakov
He Guoqiang 5-2 Sean O’Sullivan
Yao Pengcheng 5-4 Jimmy Robertson
Ashley Carty 5-3 Matthew Stevens
Stan Moody 5-2 Mahmoud El Hareedy
Artemijs Zizins 5-2 David Lilley
Spherical of 64
Xiao Guodong vs Wang Xinbo (held over)
Jackson Web page 5-3 Lei Peifan
Chris Wakelin vs Jordan Brown (held over)
Steven Hallworth 5-4 Zhang Anda
Daniel Wells 5-1 Stuart Bingham
Mark Allen vs Michael Holt (held over)
David Gilbert 5-1 Noppon Saengkham
Mark Williams vs Robbie Williams (held over)
Zhao Xintong vs Wildcard participant / Gao Yang (held over)
Jak Jones 5-2 Matthew Selt
Barry Hawkins vs Wildcard participant / Hammad Miah (held over)
Ryan Day 5-1 Elliot Slessor
Gary Wilson 5-4 Aaron Hill
Ding Junhui vs Liam Davies (held over)
Hossein Vafaei 5-1 Ben Woollaston
Neil Robertson vs Wildcard participant / Ben Mertens (held over)
Judd Trump vs Florian Nuessle (held over)
Yuan Sijun 5-1 Louis Heathcote
Si Jiahui vs Wildcard participant / Jiang Jun (held over)
Dylan Emery 5-3 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Ali Carter 5-3 Tom Ford
Kyren Wilson vs Oliver Brown (held over)
Chang Bingyu 5-2 Joe O’Connor
John Higgins vs Liu Hongyu (held over)
Shaun Murphy vs Alfie Burden (held over)
Pang Junxu 5-3 Oliver Sykes
Mark Selby vs Fan Zhengyi (held over)
He Guoqiang 5-2 Zhou Yuelong
Yao Pengcheng 5-0 Jack Lisowski
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Ashley Carty (held over)
Stephen Maguire 5-2 Stan Moody
Wu Yize vs Artemijs Zizins (held over)
Featured photograph credit score: WST
