On October 20th, the first day of the 2024 Northern Ireland Snooker Open concluded, with the Chinese contingent seeing seven players in action. Out of these, three successfully advanced to the next round.

The absence of China’s snooker icon, Ding Junhui, has added pressure on the Chinese players. However, this season, a total of 17 Chinese players are competing in the Northern Ireland Open. Among them are rising stars such as Zhang Anda, Si Jiahui, Xiao Guodong, and Zhou Yuelong, all of whom are deemed to have significant potential.

In the opening matches, Zhou Yuelong, currently ranked 26th in the world, made an impressive comeback with a 4-3 victory over two-time champion Dominic Dale. After Dale took an early lead, Zhou leveled the match in the second frame with a stunning break of 60. Following a back-and-forth battle, the match went to a deciding frame, where Dale made a mistake after scoring only five points, allowing Zhou to clinch the match with a brilliant break of 111.

Another young talent, Lei Peifan, born in the 2000s, also made headlines by defeating seasoned player David Gilbert 4-2 in their first professional encounter. Despite being down early, Lei maintained his composure and secured his victory, moving on to the next round.

Chinese youngsters Pang Junxu and Yuan Sijun, currently ranked 27th and 39th in the world, faced off against each other, with Pang coming out on top thanks to a century break and another near-century, advancing to the last 32. Meanwhile, Lu Haotian fell short against former Indian Open champion Matthew Selt with a score of 1-4, while Jiang Jun and He Guoqiang were both eliminated in the last 64.

Following Ronnie O’Sullivan’s withdrawal, Long Zehuang automatically advanced to the last 32.

Seven Chinese players will be taking to the tables on the next competition day. Among them, Si Jiahui, ranked 13th in the world and fresh off a victory over O’Sullivan in September, will face veteran Tian Pengfei. Meanwhile, Xiao Guodong, who recently won the Wuhan Open and has climbed to 18th in the world rankings, will challenge world number 40 Jimmy Robertson. Zhang Anda is set to meet Martin O’Donnell, ranked 53rd, in what looks to be a manageable match. Youngster Liu Hongyu will take on the formidable Mark Allen, the tournament’s third seed. Fan Zhiyi, ranked 36th, will battle against world number 14 John Higgins, while another rising star, Wang Yuchen, will face off against British player Li Snooker.