Zhou Yuelong superior to Stage Two of Championship League Snooker, however former world champion Stuart Bingham crashed out on Monday in Leicester.
Zhou started his newest bid for a maiden rating crown with a powerful outing in Group 13, going undefeated and taking seven factors from a potential 9.
A pair of 3-1 victories over Allan Taylor and Ben Mertens sandwiched a 2-2 tie with Liam Graham, outcomes which helped him end a few factors forward of the latter.
Zhou has been a runner-up in 4 rating occasions and is broadly thought of as among the finest gamers to by no means etch his identify onto a trophy of such standing.
Nonetheless solely 28, the Chinese language competitor might look to the short-format Championship League – staged behind closed doorways – as a softer entry into the world of success on the principle tour.
Bingham, in the meantime, might solely muster a brace of attracts as the previous world quantity two bowed out of Group 11 on the Mattioli Enviornment.
Mark Joyce was a shock chief after the spherical robin, the veteran Englishman solely within the lineup as one of many invited beginner top-ups.
Joyce scored successive victories over Bingham and Jordan Brown, with the six factors gathered by then proving to already be sufficient to see him progress on the expense of the opposite three.
The 42 year-old misplaced his ultimate fixture to Mateusz Baranowski, but it surely didn’t matter.
Zhou and Joyce change into the newest pair by means of to the second part of the lengthy event, and there are only a few days of Stage One motion left to play.
Si Jiahui, certainly one of solely 4 members from the highest 16 in all the draw, enters the fray on Tuesday with Marco Fu, Xu Yichen, and Sean Maddocks for firm in Group 6.
Following the withdrawal of Tom Ford, Matthew Stevens headlines Group 26 alongside Cheung Ka Wai, Ashley Carty, and George Pragnell.
Championship League Snooker represents the opening rating occasion of the fledgling 2026/27 snooker season.
The general winner on July fifteenth will take residence £33,000 value of prize cash and rating factors, plus a ticket to the profitable Champion of Champions invitational later this 12 months.
Dwell protection is out there for Eire and UK viewers on the Matchroom Multi Sport and Matchroom Pool YouTube channels.
Monday, July 6
Group 11 Outcomes
Mark Joyce 3-1 Stuart Bingham
Jordan Brown 2-2 Mateusz Baranowski
Mark Joyce 3-0 Jordan Brown
Stuart Bingham 2-2 Mateusz Baranowski
Mateusz Baranowski 3-1 Mark Joyce
Stuart Bingham 2-2 Jordan Brown
Group 11 Desk
1. Mark Joyce – 6 factors
2. Mateusz Baranowski – 5 factors
3. Stuart Bingham – 2 factors
4. Jordan Brown – 2 factors
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Group 13 Outcomes
Zhou Yuelong 3-1 Allan Taylor
Liam Graham 3-1 Ben Mertens
Allan Taylor 3-0 Ben Mertens
Zhou Yuelong 2-2 Liam Graham
Liam Graham 2-2 Allan Taylor
Zhou Yuelong 3-1 Ben Mertens
Group 13 Desk
1. Zhou Yuelong – 7 factors
2. Liam Graham – 5 factors
3. Allan Taylor – 4 factors
4. Ben Mertens – 0 factors
Featured photograph credit score: WST
